e1000e_get_cable_length_m88(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 e1000e_get_cable_length_m88(9) — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition

Okay so we're in the Kernel API Manual today and the main character is e1000e_get_cable_length_m88(9). Yes that's a mouthful. Yes you're gonna say it out loud at least once. Let's go ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

e1000e_get_cable_length_m88 — figure out how long the cable is for the m88 PHY 🎀

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

s32 e1000e_get_cable_length_m88 (struct e1000_hw *hw );

💜 ARGUMENTS 💜

  • hw — pointer to the HW structure. that's it. that's the whole argument list. slay 💅

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

So the vibe here is: this function reads the PHY specific status register to pull out the cable length info. That's the whole job. Iconic, lowkey.

Then it determines the cable length by averaging the minimum and maximum values to get the "average" cable length. Math! We love her. 🧮✨

The m88 PHY has four possible cable length values, which are:

  • Register Value 0 → Cable Length < 50 meters
  • Register Value 1 → Cable Length 50 - 80 meters
  • Register Value 2 → Cable Length 80 - 110 meters
  • Register Value 3 → Cable Length 110 - 140 meters
  • Register Value 4 → Cable Length > 140 meters

Like, register says a number, you get a distance. It's giving very much lookup-table energy and honestly? Obsessed. 💖

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

First up, the kernel file where this whole situation lives:

./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e1000e/phy.c

And now, the friend group. Everyone below is (9), no cap, and yes we're listing every single one because nobody gets left behind 🫶:

And that's the page, bestie 🎀 mwah 💋 — this lil writeup came from ./drivers/net/ethernet/intel/e... and it's dated October 2026, footer name and all: e1000e_get_cable_length_m88(9). Go measure a cable, you got this 💖✨

📦 where this page comes from