> 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.
Reply by dgreig●October 8, 20102010-10-08
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
Reply by Nial Stewart●October 7, 20102010-10-07
>> 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.
Reply by Grant Edwards●October 7, 20102010-10-07
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 ...
Reply by Nial Stewart●October 7, 20102010-10-07
> 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.
Reply by Tauno Voipio●October 6, 20102010-10-06
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
Reply by Paul E. Bennett●October 6, 20102010-10-06
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..
********************************************************************
Reply by Stephen Pelc●October 6, 20102010-10-06
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
Reply by ●October 6, 20102010-10-06
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.
>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.
>
>One approach would be to implement a NIOS core with OS and network stacks,
>I'd have to outsource setting this all up. This really does seem to be
>a lot of added complexity required both in FPGA resource and external
>components required to support the NIOS.
>
>It would also require licensing the NIOS IPS-Embedded suite and an
>OS (or does it?) which isn't cheap.
>
>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.
>
>I have designed a couple of boards with an ethernet interface but this
>was to an ARM device where a SW engineer had the responsibility of getting
>it all set up and working.
>
>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.
FreeRtos (freertos.org) + NXP LPC17xx.
--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
--------------------------------------------------------------