FPGA based communication controllers : implementing a highly integrated PROFINET solution
Hans Dermot Doran · Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften digital collection (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) · 2009
Real-Time Ethernet technology has established itself as a mainstream technology since its introduction to the market in 2002. The attempt to subsume both established 802.x Ethernet standards as well as standard Ethernet silicon has not been so successful. The need to avoid collisions to ensure determinism has resulted in a myriad of protocols on the market. The recognition that standard Ethernet silicon is built for bulk transfer rather than low bandwidth/fast-response systems has resulted in a similar plethora of solutions – none of which really convince. This paper explores the first complete implementation of an automation orientated communication controller in a FPGA. Using the example of PROFINET the paper describes the typical elements of a communication stack and which elements are vital for operational communication. The paper shows how the various elements can be broken down in complexity so that hardware (VHDL) implementations can be realized and interfaced with minimum software architectures. The paper shows that these steps are necessary to enable the implementation of highavailability solutions and how, once this work has been achieved, a complete PROFINET stack may be implemented on this platform. The paper then goes on to explore the universality of the communication controller with respect to other automation protocols as well as other applications such as instrumentation. The paper ends by drawing appropriate conclusions.