Ethernet

• Buy the Virtex-5 Gigabit Ethernet Development Kit.
• View webcast: Ethernet Solutions Using Xilinx FPGAs and Gigabit Ethernet Development Kit.
• Register for a class on Ethernet.

Although Ethernet is known as a networking and system-to-system protocol, it has been adapted to other applications, including the backplane. Ethernet is a popular protocol choice in FPGAs because of its flexibility, reliability, and performance.

Why use the Xilinx solutions for Ethernet?

Whether you are designing low cost 10/100 Ethernet applications with Spartan™-3 FPGAs or multi-port gigabit Ethernet applications with Virtex™-5 FPGAs, Xilinx has an Ethernet solution for you.

Implemented in 65-nm technology, the Virtex-5 FPGA incorporates four tri-mode Ethernet MAC hard blocks that support a wide variety of PHY interfaces from MII using SelectIO™ technology, to SGMII using the GTP transceivers.

Benefits of hard tri-mode MACs

• Reduce design and verification effort
• Free approximately 1,800 logic cells per Ethernet MAC in the FPGA fabric
• Simplify system design with pre-verified UNH compliant embedded blocks

The Virtex-5 GbE development kit provides everything you need to get started with Ethernet, including proven IP and protocol-specific characterization reports.

Xilinx Solutions for Ethernet: Benefits by Market
Market	Applications	Engineer Benefit	FPGA Family
Wired networking and telecom and wireless	Port aggregation, GbE backplane control plane, XAUI fabric interface, LAN ports	Low-latency, four integrated tri-mode Ethernet MACs	Virtex-5
Servers and storage	Proprietary NIC and HBA, Backplane control plane	Low power GTPs for power sensitive data center applications	Virtex-5 Spartan-3
Test and measurement	Remote data capture	SelectIO interfaces for high speed DACs/ADCs, Integrated DSP48 Blocks and memory interfaces for data storage and processing	Virtex-5 Spartan-3
Industrial, scientific and medical	Industrial automation equipment, medical imaging, wafer inspection	Flexible and scalable solutions	Virtex-5 Spartan-3
Audio, visual, broadcast	Video processing card	Integrated tri-mode MAC enables FPGA usage for DSP-intensive applications	Virtex-5 Spartan-3
Consumer	Docking station, workstation, gaming PC	Cost effective and out-of-box Ethernet solution	Spartan-3
Aerospace/defense	Guidance systems, control systems, simulators	Industrial temperature range	Spartan-3

Xilinx Solutions for Ethernet: By IP
10 Gigabit Ethernet IP	Applications Interface	FPGA Device	Technical Documents	UNH IOL Tests	Characterization Report	Kits
10G EMAC	Local Link	Virtex-5 LXT/LX, Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
XAUI	Local Link	Virtex-5 LXT, Virtex-4 FX, Virtex-II Pro	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
1 Gigabit Ethernet IP	Applications Interface	FPGA Device	Technical Documents	UNH IOL Tests	Characterization Report	Kits
Tri-mode Ethernet Wrapper for Integrated Block	Local Link	Virtex-5 LXT/SXT	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
Tri-mode Ethernet Wrapper for Integrated Block	Local Link	Virtex-4 FX	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
Tri-mode Ethernet Soft IP	Local Link	Virtex-5 LX, Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Spartan-3A DSP, Spartan-3A/3AN, Spartan-3, Spartan-3E	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
1G EMAC	Local Link	Virtex-5 LXT/LX, Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Spartan-3A DSP, Spartan-3A/3AN, Spartan-3, Spartan-3E	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
PLB GEMAC	PowerPC®	Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
Ethernet 1000BASE-X PCS/PMA	Local Link	Virtex-5 LXT/LX, Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Spartan-3A DSP, Spartan-3A/3AN, Spartan-3, Spartan-3E	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
10/100 Ethernet IP	Applications Interface	FPGA Device	Technical Documents	UNH IOL Tests	Characterization Report	Kits
OPB EMAC	MicroBlaze™	Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Virtex, Spartan-3A, Spartan-3, Spartan-IIE, Spartan-II	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
OPB EMAC Lite	MicroBlaze	Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Virtex-E, Virtex, Spartan-3A, Spartan-3, Spartan-IIE	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
PLB EMAC	PowerPC	Virtex-4 FX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Virtex-E, Virtex, Spartan-3A, Spartan-3, Spartan-IIE	Documentation	Successful	Report	Buy now
Other IP	Applications Interface	FPGA Device	Technical Documents	UNH IOL Tests	Characterization Report	Kits
Ethernet Statistics	N/A	Virtex-5 LXT/LX, Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Spartan-3A DSP, Spartan-3A/3AN, Spartan-3, Spartan-3E	Documentation	N/A	N/A	N/A
XPS Ethernet lite	N/A	Virtex-5 LXT/LX/SXT, Virtex-4 FX/LX/SX, Spartan-3A, Spartan-3A/3AN, Spartan-3E	Documentation	N/A	N/A	N/A

Choose the Correct Solution for Your Application

You can implement Ethernet solutions in Xilinx FPGAs with two embedded processor options: the MicroBlaze soft processor and an integrated PowerPC processor. There is also an Ethernet solution for FPGAs without embedded processors.

MicroBlaze (soft processor)

EMAC Lite is the recommended Ethernet IP for designs using MicroBlaze soft processors. EMAC Lite is a lightweight interface between the built-in tri-mode MACs and the soft IP processor. Platform Studio uses EMAC Lite to easily integrate MACs with the MicroBlaze processor.

PowerPC (hard processor)

The robust high-performance Processor Local Bus (PLB) interface helps you maximize hard processor capabilities and easily interface between the integrated PowerPC processor and tri-mode MACs. Platform Studio allows easy integration of the IP.

No embedded processor

A lightweight wrapper interface IP easily and efficiently interfaces to the built-in tri-mode MACs when no embedded processor is available. When instantiated through CORE Generator™ software, reference design IP is also produced. Designs can be quickly and efficiently integrated in the FPGA.