netdev - Re: [PATCH net-next v2 1/2] dt-bindings: net: airoha: npu: Add EN7581-7996 support

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Message-ID: <69676b6c.050a0220.5afb9.88e4@mx.google.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:09:44 +0100
From: Christian Marangi <ansuelsmth@...il.com>
To: Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk@...nel.org>
Cc: Lorenzo Bianconi <lorenzo@...nel.org>,
	Andrew Lunn <andrew+netdev@...n.ch>,
	"David S. Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
	Eric Dumazet <edumazet@...gle.com>,
	Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>, Paolo Abeni <pabeni@...hat.com>,
	Rob Herring <robh@...nel.org>,
	Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk+dt@...nel.org>,
	Conor Dooley <conor+dt@...nel.org>, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
	devicetree@...r.kernel.org, linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org,
	linux-mediatek@...ts.infradead.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v2 1/2] dt-bindings: net: airoha: npu: Add
 EN7581-7996 support

On Wed, Jan 14, 2026 at 10:26:33AM +0100, Krzysztof Kozlowski wrote:
> On 14/01/2026 10:01, Lorenzo Bianconi wrote:
> >> On Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 09:20:27AM +0100, Lorenzo Bianconi wrote:
> >>> Introduce en7581-npu-7996 compatible string in order to enable MT76 NPU
> >>> offloading for MT7996 (Eagle) chipset since it requires different
> >>> binaries with respect to the ones used for MT7992 on the EN7581 SoC.
> >>>
> >>> Signed-off-by: Lorenzo Bianconi <lorenzo@...nel.org>
> >>> ---
> >>>  Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/airoha,en7581-npu.yaml | 1 +
> >>>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
> >>>
> >>> diff --git a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/airoha,en7581-npu.yaml b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/airoha,en7581-npu.yaml
> >>> index 59c57f58116b568092446e6cfb7b6bd3f4f47b82..96b2525527c14f60754885c1362b9603349a6353 100644
> >>> --- a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/airoha,en7581-npu.yaml
> >>> +++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/airoha,en7581-npu.yaml
> >>> @@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ properties:
> >>>    compatible:
> >>>      enum:
> >>>        - airoha,en7581-npu
> >>> +      - airoha,en7581-npu-7996
> >>
> >> This does not warrant new compatible. There is some misunderstanding and
> >> previous discussion asked you to use proper compatible, not invent fake
> >> one for non-existing hardware.  Either you have en7996-npu or
> >> en7581-npu. Not some mixture.
> > 
> > Hi Krzysztof,
> > 
> > We need to specify which fw binaries the airoha NPU module should load
> > according to the MT76 WiFi chipset is running on the board (since the NPU
> > firmware images are not the same for all the different WiFi chipsets).
> > We have two possible combinations:
> > - EN7581 NPU + MT7996 (Eagle)
> > - EN7581 NPU + MT7992 (Kite)
> > 
> > Please note the airoha NPU module is always the same (this is why is just
> > added the -7996 suffix in the compatible string). IIUC you are suggesting
> > to use the 'airoha,en7996-npu' compatible string, right?
> 
> No. I am suggesting you need to describe here the hardware. You said
> this EN7581 NPU, so this is the only compatible you get, unless (which
> is not explained anywhere here) that's part of MT799x soc, but then you
> miss that compatible. Really, standard compatible rules apply - so
> either this is SoC element/component or dedicated chip.
> 
>

Hi Krzysztof,

just noticing this conversation and I think there is some confusion
here.

The HW is the following:

AN/EN7581 SoC that have embedded this NPU (a network coprocessor) that
require a dedicated firmware blob to be loaded to work.

Then the SoC can have various WiFi card connected to the PCIe slot.

For the WiFi card MT7996 (Eagle) and the WiFi card MT7992 (Kite) the NPU
can also offload the WiFi traffic.

A dedicated firmware blob for the NPU is needed to support the specific
WiFi card.

This is why v1 proposed the implementation with the firmware-names
property.

v2 introduce the compatible but I feel that doesn't strictly describe
the hardware as the NPU isn't specific to the WiFi card but just the
firmware blob.


I still feel v1 with firmware-names should be the correct candidate to
handle this.

Hope now the HW setup is more clear.

-- 
	Ansuel