10GbE with Artix-7?

[johnvivm]

I want to implement a 10G Ethernet with Artix-7, but couldn't find any design example or evaluation board. Is there any hardware example to enlighten myself with some working hardware?

As far as I know I can either use the 10G Ethernet MAC IP plus an external PHY or a MAC with XAUI (?) that uses 4 GTPs (that I will have in the ffg484 package) and no external PHY(?). I will appreciate corrections and comments on this.

[drjohnsmith]

try the ip in vivado, its free to try

see if it gives you what you want

[johnvivm]

I'm looking for hardware to look at, I don't have any to try such IP

[dpaul24]

@johnvivm,

I want to implement a 10G Ethernet with Artix-7, but couldn't find any design example or evaluation board. Is there any hardware example to enlighten myself with some working hardware?

Have a look at the Artix®-7 FPGA AC701 Evaluation Kit.

https://www.xilinx.com/products/boards-and-kits/ek-a7-ac701-g.html#hardware

[drjohnsmith]

You need to run vivado and see what the part your looking at can do

if you want an off the shelf board, then there are plenty

[johnvivm]

I had a look at the eval boards with Artix, the preferred way.I have an AC701, it has an SFP connector, not SFP+, so I believe is not capable of 10G  SFP/SFP+ connector but there is no mention in the documentation to 10G Ethernet. The user guide doesn't mention it. Of course, Artys and everything below $ 1k I don't think are going to bring that joy.

I know there are plenty of boards, but couldn't find any with Artix and 10GbE. A link to one would be the answer.

[johnvivm]

@dpaul24

I have an AC701, the User Guide doesn't mention 10G ethernet (no results for '10G' search).

After a quick read, the UG says 'one GTP is connected to the SFP' - This means 3.125 Gbps not 10G, if I'm right.

So I don't think that board as it is can do 10G. I believe it's possible, that's why I haven't give up, but keep on looking for the right hardware.

[dpaul24]

@johnvivm,

The more informative info:

So you can either use the 10GMAC core and an external PHY  or 10GMAC core with XAUI in ARTIX 7 devices(Xaui uses

Uses four transceivers at 3.125 Gb/s line rate to achieve 10-Gb/s data rate)

More enlightenment here:

https://forums.xilinx.com/t5/Networking-and-Connectivity/Artix-7-10G-1G-Ethernet-and-SFP/td-p/566617

[johnvivm]

@dpaul24,

Agree. The question still stands, maybe the title should be another one, is there any hardware doing that?

[drjohnsmith]

Thanks for the update info

So, and SFP has as you say a single Tx / Rx pair,

Artix SerDes will as you say not do 10 Gb/s ,

    so you need multiple SerDes.

    To get 10 G Ethernet, you would need QSFP, the Quad form factor  version

        which I'm not certain is a supported standard.

Similar has come up a few times before,

   a quick search gives as an example

https://forums.xilinx.com/t5/Networking-and-Connectivity/Artix-7-10G-1G-Ethernet-and-SFP/td-p/566617

I'm  wondering if this is a related project ?

[johnvivm]

@drjohnsmith

I had a look at that thread. I definitely need 10G, my doubts are in the interface with the PHY or connector (without PHY if that is possible).

About QSFP, that's simply a Quad SFP (with or without +). SFP+ itself can do 10G ethernet:

http://www.fiber-optic-transceiver-module.com/what-are-the-differences-between-sfp-sfp-xfp-qsfpqsfp-cfp-and-qsfp28.html

[drjohnsmith]

If I understand thigns, your looking at wanting an Artix and a SFP 

Yes SFP can do 10 G, but it needs a single SerDes link, at 10 G

Artix can do 10G, but not on a single SerDes link, as you say they are limited to around 6G.

QED, 

You are not going to find a Artix  native running 10G over a SFP, its going to have an external SerDes.

To use a Artix at 10G , you are going to have to use an external SerDes,

You mention costs,

    if in the above situation, you are using an external SerDes and none of the Serdes links of the Aritx are used

        would a Spartan 6 or 7 be a lower cost option ?

Have a look at the cores for 10G and you will see how and what options you have 

[johnvivm]

@drjohnsmith

"its going to have an external SerDes" - That is true, I thought it was kind of the 1G trick and it could be split into 4 2.5Gbps channels but it isn't, except maybe for marginal physical implements.

That puts the alternatives of MAC core + PHY and GTP + SerDes at similar levels of complexity and cost. May have a coin to toss in my pocket.

[allanherriman]

Don't forget that (in addition to XAUI PHYs) you also have the ability to use RXAUI PHYs.  These should cost about the same, but have the benefit of using only two 6.25Gb/s transceiver lanes instead of four 3.125Gb/s transceiver lanes.

According to DS181, this ought to work in a "FF" package Artix-7 with -2 speed grade or faster.

I can't comment on the IP core support, however (as I don't use it in my designs).

[johnvivm · Accepted solution]

I found a solution: an FMC card with external PHY on it, exactly what I needed:

https://www.xilinx.com/products/boards-and-kits/1-3y8uy5.html

[fa-xilinx]

Hi johnvivm,

I thinks you need Something like that : https://www.hiresvision.com/product

It's a dev kit with Artix7 XC7A200T-L2FFG1156E  FPGA connected to 1 XAUI component and 2 SFP+ connector for up to 20Gbits/s application.

Perhaps that can help you?