Gigabit Ethernet
Altera provides a range of complete solutions to accelerate design cycles for FPGAs that use Gigabit Ethernet ports for chip-to-chip, board-to-board, or backplane interconnect. Altera offers solutions for use within embedded systems or for networking over copper or fiber optic media. The solutions enable simple and fast protocol implementation to reduce design risk, shorten development times, and allow you to concentrate on the core functions of the system design.
Gigabit Ethernet Integrated Solutions
Stratix II GX and Arria GX FPGAs provide a fully integrated Gigabit Ethernet solution. The embedded transceivers fully support IEEE 802.3 Gigabit Ethernet PMA and PCS layers of the protocol that, when combined with Altera’s Triple-Speed Ethernet MegaCore® function, allow the protocol to be implemented in a single device. Table 1 gives an overview of the complete Gigabit Ethernet solution for Stratix II GX and Arria GX FPGAs.
| Table 1. Stratix II GX FPGA Gigabit Ethernet Complete Solution |
| Solution |
Description |
| Device |
Stratix II GX and Arria GX FPGAs |
| Physical Interface |
Integrated PHY providing full PMA and PCS support |
| Gigabit Ethernet IP Core |
Gigabit Ethernet IP Cores |
| Development Boards |
|
| Gigabit Ethernet Characterization Report |
Contact your local Altera® sales representative |
External Transceiver Solutions
For high-volume, cost-sensitive applications, Cyclone® III and Cyclone II FPGAs can be used with an external transceiver (or PHY device), while a high-density Stratix II FPGA or HardCopy® II structured ASIC can be used in applications requiring the highest density and performance. Table 2 shows the Altera FPGA solutions when using an external PHY. Connectivity is provided via an industry standard GMII or RGMII interface. Altera’s Triple-Speed Ethernet MegaCore function can be configured onto the Cyclone III and Stratix III FPGAs for external PHY operation, providing an integrated solution.
Technology Background
Ethernet was originally defined as a local area network (LAN) technology to interconnect client PCs at line rates of 10 Mbps through switches (also known as hubs). Over the years, client line rates increased to 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) and switches supporting 1,000 Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet) line rates emerged to interconnect multiple 10/100 Ethernet hubs. The near ubiquitous use of Ethernet technologies in LANs has resulted in significant economies of scale, driving down the component costs, including the switch devices.
Today, Gigabit Ethernet is a cost-effective technology when used to do the following:
- Connect multiple devices to a local CPU
- Interconnect multiple boards across a backplane for data
- Control signaling between line cards and the host CPU within an embedded system
Figure 1 shows a typical 10-Gbps line card using a Stratix II GX FPGA for backplane interconnect, including the Stratix II GX Gigabit Ethernet MAC for control signaling to the host CPU.
Figure 1. Stratix II GX Gigabit Ethernet MAC in a Control Plane Application
Related Gigabit Ethernet Links
Devices
Gigabit Ethernet Protocol Standard
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Literature
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