H-Tile Hard IP Ethernet Intel® FPGA IP User Guide: Stratix® 10 Devices

ID 683430
Date 4/09/2024
Public

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6.2. RX MAC Interface to User Logic

The H-Tile Hard IP for Ethernet IP core RX client interface in MAC+PCS variations employs the Avalon-ST protocol. The Avalon-ST protocol is a synchronous point-to-point, unidirectional interface that connects the producer of a data stream (source) to a consumer of data (sink). The key properties of this interface include:

  • Start of packet (SOP) and end of packet (EOP) signals delimit frame transfers.
  • The SOP must always be in the MSB, simplifying the interpretation and processing of data you receive on this interface.
  • A valid signal qualifies signals from source to sink.

The RX MAC acts as a source and the client acts as a sink in the receive direction.

Table 15.  Signals of the Avalon-ST RX Client InterfaceAll interface signals are clocked by the i_clk_rx clock.

Name

Description

i_clk_rx

The RX clock for the IP core is i_clk_rx. The frequency of this clock is 402.832 MHz.

o_rx_data[511:0]

RX data. The highest order bit is the MSB and bit 0 is the LSB. Bytes are read in the usual left to right order. The IP core reverses the byte order to meet the requirements of the Ethernet standard. If the preamble pass-through feature is enabled, the data begins with the preamble.

o_rx_valid

When asserted, indicates that RX data is valid. Only valid between the o_rx_startofpacket and o_rx_endofpacket signals.

This signal might be deasserted between the assertion of o_rx_startofpacket and o_rx_endofpacket.

o_rx_empty[5:0]

Indicates the number of empty bytes on o_rx_data when o_rx_endofpacket is asserted, starting from the least significant byte (LSB).

o_rx_startofpacket

When asserted, indicates that o_rx_data holds the first clock cycle of data in a packet (start of packet). The IP core asserts this signal for only a single clock cycle for each packet.

When o_rx_startofpacket is asserted, the MSB of o_rx_data drives the start of packet.
o_rx_endofpacket

When asserted, indicates that o_rx_data holds the final clock cycle of data in a packet (end of packet). The IP core asserts this signal for only a single clock cycle for each packet.

In the case of an undersized frame or in the case of a frame that is exactly 64 bytes long, o_rx_startofpacket and o_rx_endofpacket might be asserted in the same clock cycle.

o_rx_error[5:0] Reports certain types of errors in the Ethernet frame whose contents are currently being transmitted on the client interface. This signal is valid in EOP cycles only.

The individual bits report different types of errors:

  • Bit [0]: Malformed packet error. If this bit has the value of 1, the packet is malformed. The IP core identifies a malformed packet when it receives a control character that is not a terminate character.
  • Bit [1]: CRC error. If this bit has the value of 1, the IP core detected a CRC error or an Error character in the frame.
  • Bit [2]: undersized frame. If this bit has the value of 1, the frame size is between nine and 63 bytes, inclusive. In this case the IP core also sets o_rx_error[1] to signal a CRC error.

    The IP core does not recognize an incoming frame of size eight bytes or less as a frame, and those cases are not reported here. If the preamble-passthrough and CRC forwarding settings cause the RX MAC to strip out bytes such that only eight bytes or less remain in the frame, the IP core also does not recognize the frame, and those cases are not reported here. If the frame is malformed, the case is not reported here.

  • Bit [3]: oversized frame. If this bit has the value of 1, the frame size is greater than the maximum frame size you specified as the value of the parameter editor RX maximum frame size parameter or overwrote with the rx_max_frame_size RTL parameter.

    If the frame is malformed, the case is not reported here.

  • Bit [4]: payload length error. If this bit has the value of 1, the payload received in the frame is shorter than the length field value, and the value in the length field is less than 1536 bytes. If the frame is oversized or undersized, the case is not reported here. If the frame is malformed, the case is not reported here.
  • Bit [5]: Reserved.
o_rxstatus_valid When asserted, indicates that o_rxstatus_data is driving valid data.
o_rxstatus_data[39:0]

Specifies information about the received frame. The following fields are defined:

  • [Bit 39]: When asserted, indicates a PFC frame
  • [Bits 38:36]: Reserved
  • Bit[35]: When asserted, indicates a PAUSE frame
  • Bit[34]: When asserted, indicates a Control (Type is 0x8808) frame
  • Bit[33]: When asserted, indicates a VLAN frame
  • Bit[32]: When asserted, indicates a stacked VLAN frame
  • Bits[31:0]: Reserved
o_rx_pause When asserted, indicates the IP core received a PAUSE XOFF frame on the Ethernet link. The IP core deasserts this signal when the quanta count from the PAUSE XOFF request expires.

If you set the parameter editor Stop TX traffic when link partner sends pause parameter to the value of Yes, or overwrite it with the sfc or both value for the flow_control RTL parameter, the TX MAC stops traffic in response to the PAUSE XOFF frame. In this case, the quanta count decrements while the IP core stops traffic.

If the settings direct the TX MAC to not stop traffic in response to the PAUSE XOFF frame, the quanta counter decrements on every valid cycle on the TX MAC client interface. Each quanta represents 512 bits. Therefore, the counter decrements by one half in every valid clock cycle.

o_rx_pfc[7:0] When a bit is asserted, indicates the IP core received a PFC XOFF frame on the Ethernet link for the corresponding priority queue. The IP core deasserts each bit when the XOFF frame's quanta count expires. The PFC quanta counters decrement on every valid cycle on the TX MAC client interface. Each quanta represents 512 bits. Therefore, the counter decrements by one half in every valid clock cycle. In summary, the width of the pulse indicates the length of the requested pause in traffic for the queue.
Figure 24. RX Avalon-ST MAC Client Interface for H-Tile Hard IP for Ethernet Intel FPGA IP CoreShows typical traffic for the RX client interface of the IP core.