> I have been using Wiznet in a number of 'in production' designs for
> the last 4 years. Currently the W5300 or module with the same would be
> the best choice. I evaluated the other options but required > 50Mb/s
> and ability to use only UDP (harsh industial heavy welding
> environments along with real time data meant TCP retries would not be
> desirable to say the least).
> A few registers to set up (from the client side) and thereafter it's
> akin to FTDI.


Thanks David, it's an industrial environment this is going into so this
is useful to know.



Nial. 

On Oct 7, 3:26=A0pm, "Nial Stewart"
<nial*REMOVE_TH...@nialstewartdevelopments.co.uk> wrote:
> >> Thanks Nico but this isn't much simpler than implementing an OS & TCP/=
IP
> >> on a NIOS (I presume).
>
> > Yes it is. =A0It's way, way, way, simpler.
>
> > I've used a NIOS core. =A0There's nothing even remotely simple about it=
.
>
> I'm OK with setting the NIOS system up, it's integrating the OS and
> TCP/IP stack I haven't got a clue about.
>
> > [And we never did get the OpenCores Ethernet MAC to work very well.]
>
> It looks like the Lantronix XPort or a Wiznet chip (if volumes are big
> enough) is the easiest way for me to get this done.
>
> Thanks all for your feedback.
>
> Nial.

Hi Nial

I have been using Wiznet in a number of 'in production' designs for
the last 4 years. Currently the W5300 or module with the same would be
the best choice. I evaluated the other options but required > 50Mb/s
and ability to use only UDP (harsh industial heavy welding
environments along with real time data meant TCP retries would not be
desirable to say the least).
A few registers to set up (from the client side) and thereafter it's
akin to FTDI.
The Wiznet chip cost is in the same ball park as a separate PHY or MAC/
PHY in 100 to 1k volume. Can buy from Wiznet (watch out for the new
VAT customs rubbish) or from their UK disty (Hero?)

Regards

DG

>> Thanks Nico but this isn't much simpler than implementing an OS & TCP/IP
>> on a NIOS (I presume).
>
> Yes it is.  It's way, way, way, simpler.
>
> I've used a NIOS core.  There's nothing even remotely simple about it.

I'm OK with setting the NIOS system up, it's integrating the OS and
TCP/IP stack I haven't got a clue about.


> [And we never did get the OpenCores Ethernet MAC to work very well.]

It looks like the Lantronix XPort or a Wiznet chip (if volumes are big
enough) is the easiest way for me to get this done.

Thanks all for your feedback.


Nial. 

On 2010-10-07, Nial Stewart <nial*REMOVE_THIS*@nialstewartdevelopments.co.uk> wrote:
>> FreeRtos (freertos.org) + NXP LPC17xx.
>
>
> Thanks Nico but this isn't much simpler than implementing an OS & TCP/IP
> on a NIOS (I presume).

Yes it is.  It's way, way, way, simpler.

I've used a NIOS core.  There's nothing even remotely simple about it.
[And we never did get the OpenCores Ethernet MAC to work very well.]

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! I'm thinking about
                                  at               DIGITAL READ-OUT systems
                              gmail.com            and computer-generated
                                                   IMAGE FORMATIONS ...

> FreeRtos (freertos.org) + NXP LPC17xx.


Thanks Nico but this isn't much simpler than implementing an OS & TCP/IP
on a NIOS (I presume).


Nial. 

Petter Gustad wrote:
> Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> writes:
> 
>> Get a controller with Ethernet and SPI, e.g.
>> Stellaris LM3S6965. The dev board is pretty inexpensive
>> (less than 100 USD, IIRC) and you should be able to do
>> the required networking with it for testing.
> 
> Seem to be quite similar to the FreeScale MCF5223X. Are there any
> other TCP/IP stacks other than Internice available for the LM3S6965?

There are uIP and LwIP with the dev kit. I'm running my own.

-- 

Tauno Voipio

Nial Stewart wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> I've had an enquiry in about a project that is mostly simple enough,
> I'll be using an FPGA for what's required, the fly in the ointment is
> the client wants the thing unit via TCP/IP.
> 
> All the ethernet interface is going to be used for is driving and reading
> internal registers, it could very easily be done via RS-422 (which is an
> option) but it looks like they definitely want TCP/IP.


Not the only place but if the RS422 option is what you feel comfortable with 
you could use one of these as the Ethernet interface.

<http://www1.shopping.com/physical-interface-module-ic485ip-1/products> 

Might save you some work if the network speed you require is not that fast.

-- 
********************************************************************
Paul E. Bennett...............<email://Paul_E.Bennett@topmail.co.uk>
Forth based HIDECS Consultancy
Mob: +44 (0)7811-639972
Tel: +44 (0)1235-510979
Going Forth Safely ..... EBA. www.electric-boat-association.org.uk..
********************************************************************

On Wed, 6 Oct 2010 16:32:26 +0100, "Nial Stewart"
<nial*REMOVE_THIS*@nialstewartdevelopments.co.uk> wrote:

>Can anyone comment on the difficulty of implementing an ethernet interface
>with a NIOS core, or advise on a small simple microcontroller that would
>make this all much simpler.

There are any number of 32 bit single-chip controllers with enough
on-chip Flash and RAM to run a TCP/IP stack and a an application.
We've used plenty of NXP devices from the LPC23xx and LPC17xx 
families. There are also the Stellaris/TI devices LM3S9B9x.
Freescale have plenty of Coldfire devices, e.g. MCF52259.
Some of these have external bus interfaces if that makes
interfacing the FPGA any easier.

Stephen


-- 
Stephen Pelc, stephenXXX@mpeforth.com
MicroProcessor Engineering Ltd - More Real, Less Time
133 Hill Lane, Southampton SO15 5AF, England
tel: +44 (0)23 8063 1441, fax: +44 (0)23 8033 9691
web: http://www.mpeforth.com - free VFX Forth downloads

Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> writes:

> Get a controller with Ethernet and SPI, e.g.
> Stellaris LM3S6965. The dev board is pretty inexpensive
> (less than 100 USD, IIRC) and you should be able to do
> the required networking with it for testing.

Seem to be quite similar to the FreeScale MCF5223X. Are there any
other TCP/IP stacks other than Internice available for the LM3S6965?

Petter
-- 
.sig removed by request. 

Nial Stewart wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I've had an enquiry in about a project that is mostly simple enough,
> I'll be using an FPGA for what's required, the fly in the ointment is
> the client wants the thing unit via TCP/IP.
> 
> All the ethernet interface is going to be used for is driving and reading
> internal registers, it could very easily be done via RS-422 (which is an
> option) but it looks like they definitely want TCP/IP.

If it is not specified how the TCP/IP is to be used,
you can design a simple request-response exchange
based on simple UDP packets. It is not too tedious
to implement the protocol stack up to UDP even for
raw silicon. The difficult beast is TCP.

> Another approach would be to use a microcontroler with embedded TCP/IP
> stack and MAC and use this to drive the FPGA via an external bus,
> although I think an SPI bus might be sufficient.

Get a controller with Ethernet and SPI, e.g.
Stellaris LM3S6965. The dev board is pretty inexpensive
(less than 100 USD, IIRC) and you should be able to do
the required networking with it for testing.

-- 

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi