linux-drivers/
drivers/net/ethernet/microchip

Microchip Ethernet controllers and switch SoCs (LAN743x, LAN865x, LAN966x, Sparx5)

A broad family of Microchip Ethernet hardware ranging from small SPI-attached MAC/PHY chips like the ENC28J60 and the LAN8651 10BASE-T1S automotive part, to PCIe gigabit NICs (LAN743x), to embedded switch SoCs used in industrial and automotive networking gear (LAN966x, Sparx5, LAN969x). Most of these parts are still actively sold by Microchip in 2025 and ship in current embedded designs.

keep conf=0.90 deploy=medium replacement=none subsystem=net category=networking-ethernet
90%

recommendation

It should stay in the kernel because the hardware is still in production and the directory is under active upstream development, with feature work and bug fixes landing through 2024 and into 2026 across LAN743x, LAN865x, LAN966x, and Sparx5/LAN969x. Microchip continues to list parts like the LAN7431, LAN8651, and LAN9698 as in-production, and there is no replacement driver tree on the horizon.

repository signals

115 files
78,228 source lines
622 commits, 5y
+79,763 / −11,467 lines added / removed, 5y
89 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 622 total · active in 58/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-05: 1 commit · +2 −2 2021-06: 13 commits · +11,023 −40 2021-07: 8 commits · +41 −13 2021-08: 5 commits · +696 −13 2021-09: 2 commits · +1 −3 2021-10: 15 commits · +144 −41 2021-11: 8 commits · +3,443 −114 2021-12: 15 commits · +1,736 −58 2022-01: 15 commits · +1,506 −45 2022-02: 20 commits · +528 −80 2022-03: 28 commits · +2,607 −196 2022-04: 15 commits · +1,475 −31 2022-05: 8 commits · +77 −19 2022-06: 6 commits · +607 −31 2022-07: 6 commits · +83 −38 2022-08: 16 commits · +1,003 −220 2022-09: 22 commits · +2,805 −57 2022-10: 19 commits · +12,003 −102 2022-11: 62 commits · +10,102 −1,239 2022-12: 12 commits · +1,208 −488 2023-01: 44 commits · +6,069 −2,907 2023-02: 30 commits · +5,346 −1,274 2023-03: 15 commits · +2,792 −162 2023-04: 2 commits · +29 −24 2023-05: 14 commits · +1,242 −70 2023-06: 5 commits · +32 −28 2023-07: 3 commits · +17 −16 2023-08: 12 commits · +126 −111 2023-09: 9 commits · +81 −16 2023-10: 4 commits · +65 −5 2023-11: 3 commits · +7 −7 2023-12: 2 commits · +19 −17 2024-01: 6 commits · +10 −7 2024-02: 4 commits · +14 −5 2024-03: 3 commits · +24 −3 2024-04: 21 commits · +629 −91 2024-05: 4 commits · +11 −8 2024-06: 4 commits · +113 −25 2024-07: 2 commits · +6 −6 2024-08: 2 commits · +3 −13 2024-09: 34 commits · +1,798 −1,100 2024-10: 33 commits · +4,821 −2,344 2024-11: 8 commits · +4,008 −46 2024-12: 13 commits · +489 −70 2025-01: 9 commits · +565 −69 2025-02: 2 commits · +2 −4 2025-03: 1 commit · +6 −0 2025-04: 4 commits · +16 −24 2025-05: 8 commits · +138 −63 2025-06: 2 commits · +21 −14 2025-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-08: 5 commits · +27 −2 2025-09: 3 commits · +20 −1 2025-10: 2 commits · +17 −11 2025-11: 3 commits · +21 −18 2025-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-01: 1 commit · +3 −10 2026-02: 5 commits · +57 −62 2026-03: 1 commit · +5 −0 2026-04: 3 commits · +24 −4

sources

  1. lkml.indiana.edu

    September 2024 net-next series for lan966x shows substantial ongoing upstream feature/refactor work in this directory, including shared FDMA work with Sparx5.

  2. spinics.net

    April 2026 lan966x fix series shows current bug-fix traffic and maintenance activity, not abandonment or removal.

  3. lkml.iu.edu

    August 2024 LAN743x phylink support series shows active development on the PCIe Ethernet portion of this directory.

  4. microchip.com

    Microchip lists LAN7431 as 'In Production', indicating hardware covered by this directory is still sold new.

  5. microchip.com

    Microchip lists LAN8651 as 'In Production', showing current-market 10BASE-T1S MAC-PHY hardware uses this directory.

  6. microchip.com

    Microchip lists LAN9698 as 'In Production', showing current switch silicon corresponding to Sparx5/LAN969x support in this directory.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Local shell inspection (`rg --files`, `rg` on module macros) showed this is a real multi-driver directory spanning PCIe NICs, SPI MAC/PHY parts, and switch SoCs; local `git -c safe.directory=... log --since=2021-01-01 -- drivers/net/ethernet/microchip` showed frequent 2024-2026 fixes/features across lan743x, lan865x, lan966x, sparx5/lan969x. Web search was used because lore MCP/`lei` were unavailable; obtained activity evidence from lkml/spinics mirror URLs and product-status evidence from Microchip product pages. No removal/deprecation discussion was found in the sampled lore-visible results, while upstream activity is recent and substantial. Because several covered chip families are still in production and deployed in embedded/industrial/automotive networking, there is no natural replacement for the directory as a whole.