Function load_asic_generic() returns a negative value on failure. In the function load_asic() defined in file sound/pci/echoaudio/layla24_dsp.c, the return value of load_asic_generic() is checked (at line 137). However, it returns false (real value of which is 0, indicates success) when load_asic_generic() returns a negative value. Maybe the author intends to return "err". Codes related to this bug are summarised as follows.

load_asic @@ sound/pci/echoaudio/layla24_dsp.c
112 static int load_asic(struct echoaudio *chip)
113 {
114     int err;
115 
116     if (chip->asic_loaded)
117         return 1;
        ...
133 
134     /* Do the external one */
135     err = load_asic_generic(chip, DSP_FNC_LOAD_LAYLA24_EXTERNAL_ASIC,
136                 FW_LAYLA24_2S_ASIC);
137     if (err < 0)
138         return false;       // return err?
139 
140     /* Now give the external ASIC a little time to set up */
141     mdelay(10);
142 
143     /* See if it worked */
144     err = check_asic_status(chip);
145 
146     /* Set up the control register if the load succeeded -
147        48 kHz, internal clock, S/PDIF RCA mode */
148     if (!err)
149         err = write_control_reg(chip, GML_CONVERTER_ENABLE | GML_48KHZ,
150                     true);
151 
152     return err;
153 }

Thanks very much!