2SGX90N - Packet Filtering

[Altera_Forum]

Hi  

I am planning to buy dk-pcie-2sgx90n (http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/altera/kit-pciexpress_s2gx.html) development kit. I got some questions if this is good for prototyping with my needs.  I am planning to use this is as packet filtering network card for my PC.  In detail   I want to connect this to LAN and to PCI slot and based on some conditions I will would like to filter packets flowing through. I know we should be able to do this programmatically, but In the long run we are expecting data at higher speed so we are prototyping to use FPGA solution.  Questions  1. Is this board good for my needs. 2. Is IP cores source provided for Ethernet and PCI Express. 3. Are there any reference designs available similar to my need so that I can tweak in and do some prototyping.  4. Do I need to buy any thing else like IPCores etc for my prototyping.   Sorry if questions are stupid. I tried calling Altera Tech and sales but none of them are lifting the phone and none of them returned my call :mad:  Thanks Venkat

[Altera_Forum]

the 4sgx pcie (Gen 2 pxie) board is probably better, or the aria2 gx pcie (gen 1 pcie) board. both of these have hard pcie blocks. you will need to get a license for the ethernet core. 

 --dalon

[Altera_Forum]

1 - If you're planning on using ethernet and PCI-E in your final design, yes this is a good board. So is this one: 

http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/altera/kit-siv-gx.html 2 - Source code is not provided for the Ethernet and PCI Express cores. 3 - There are PCI Express reference designs but I don't know of any specific Ethernet-to-PCI Express designs. 4 - You can use the Ethernet and PCI Express IP cores without buying a license but they timeout (or you have to keep it tethered to your PC). If you decide to, you can purchase a license for the IP Cores from Altera (you still don't get source code).  There are also boards from Xilinx and Lattice that may meet your needs.  Jake

[Altera_Forum]

Thanks for the inputs guys ... 

With out having IP cores source will I be able to accomplish my goal - Packet filtering. Is there some interrupts provided to keep or discard the packets. Some place to program.  I think Arria II GX FPGA development kit should be less expensive to do my prototyping. Is there any performance difference between in using Arria and Stratix.   What would be right to choose if I might want accommodate 10Gig data line i near future.

[Altera_Forum]

Yes it's possible. The Ethernet packets out of the Triple Speed Ethernet come in an Avalon stream, and you can add you own IP in the stream to filter out packets in hardware. 

You could also put a Nios CPU and do the filtering in software, but I doubt the CPU will be powerful enough for a GbE line (100Mbit/s could be ok with some optimisation).  But as Jake said, there aren't any TSE to PCIe design examples, so you will have to design that part yourself, and also write the driver for the host PC.