On 2007-07-25, John Oyler <john.m.oyler@gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't know that my fpga is capable (spartan 3e 100k), but I thought
> I might like to try to do ethernet first. I remember finding a
> tutorial weeks ago but forgot to bookmark it, where the instructions
> had you hook up two io pins directly to an ethernet cable, and you
> could hardcode an IP address into the chip and ping it. Does anyone
> know of any like this, or even of the one I speak? (Might even have
> been verilog, I forget).

In addition, I've found the following lab material very helpful when
I wrote some VHDL code to interact with a Ethernet PHY:

http://www.sm.luth.se/~maglun/lab33/lab33.pdf

/Andreas

On Jul 25, 7:35 pm, PFC <li...@peufeu.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:35:39 +0200, John Oyler <john.m.oy...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I don't know that my fpga is capable (spartan 3e 100k), but I thought
> > I might like to try to do ethernet first. I remember finding a
> > tutorial weeks ago but forgot to bookmark it, where the instructions
> > had you hook up two io pins directly to an ethernet cable, and you
> > could hardcode an IP address into the chip and ping it. Does anyone
> > know of any like this, or even of the one I speak? (Might even have
> > been verilog, I forget).
>
>         Tutorial is there.
>        http://www.fpga4fun.com/10BASE-T0.html
>
> > Also, at the risk of sounding stupid, can an fpga hook up directly to
> > ethernet?
>
>         10 Mbps, maybe, if you violate most of the ethernet spec ;)
>         You'll most likely get a toy system, though.
>
> > Supposing it is clocked at the right speed, the only
> > consideration is the voltage of utp/ethernet, right? What other sort
> > of hardware would I need to make all that work? Is it anything I can
> > salvage off an old nic?
>
>         If you just want to play and learn stuff, you could try putting in an
> Ethernet PHY. You won't be able to use anything from an old LAN board as
> those all use highly integrated PCI chipsets (unless very, very old).
>         Or you could download the Ethernet MAC core at OpenCores.org and have a
> look.
>
>         If you just want to send a few packets for messaging, though, and not
> high throughput data, an ethernet enabled microcontroller is a much better
> bet.
>
>         I have an Ethernet + FPGA module in the works ; I have selected a
> complete and easy to use MAC+PHY chip from SMSC, the LAN9117.


Thank you, that's the url I was looking for... I would have settled
for another tutorial similar to it.

As for it being a toy system, that's fine. It will just be on my
development board here, something to learn with. Eventually, I'd like
to do a nice ethernet implementation suitable for an old 8-bit
expansion bus. But that's for later.

Thanks agian,
John

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:35:39 +0200, John Oyler <john.m.oyler@gmail.com>  
wrote:

> I don't know that my fpga is capable (spartan 3e 100k), but I thought
> I might like to try to do ethernet first. I remember finding a
> tutorial weeks ago but forgot to bookmark it, where the instructions
> had you hook up two io pins directly to an ethernet cable, and you
> could hardcode an IP address into the chip and ping it. Does anyone
> know of any like this, or even of the one I speak? (Might even have
> been verilog, I forget).

	Tutorial is there.
	http://www.fpga4fun.com/10BASE-T0.html

> Also, at the risk of sounding stupid, can an fpga hook up directly to
> ethernet?

	10 Mbps, maybe, if you violate most of the ethernet spec ;)
	You'll most likely get a toy system, though.

> Supposing it is clocked at the right speed, the only
> consideration is the voltage of utp/ethernet, right? What other sort
> of hardware would I need to make all that work? Is it anything I can
> salvage off an old nic?

	If you just want to play and learn stuff, you could try putting in an  
Ethernet PHY. You won't be able to use anything from an old LAN board as  
those all use highly integrated PCI chipsets (unless very, very old).
	Or you could download the Ethernet MAC core at OpenCores.org and have a  
look.

	If you just want to send a few packets for messaging, though, and not  
high throughput data, an ethernet enabled microcontroller is a much better  
bet.

	I have an Ethernet + FPGA module in the works ; I have selected a  
complete and easy to use MAC+PHY chip from SMSC, the LAN9117.

I don't know that my fpga is capable (spartan 3e 100k), but I thought
I might like to try to do ethernet first. I remember finding a
tutorial weeks ago but forgot to bookmark it, where the instructions
had you hook up two io pins directly to an ethernet cable, and you
could hardcode an IP address into the chip and ping it. Does anyone
know of any like this, or even of the one I speak? (Might even have
been verilog, I forget).

Also, at the risk of sounding stupid, can an fpga hook up directly to
ethernet? Supposing it is clocked at the right speed, the only
consideration is the voltage of utp/ethernet, right? What other sort
of hardware would I need to make all that work? Is it anything I can
salvage off an old nic?

Thanks in advance,
John O.