Implementation of an Ethernet Bridge Using Avalon Memory-Mapped Interface

Abstract

Network bridging is a method of transferring data between two PCs or embedded boards using a bridge or switch. Here, we use the Ethernet network standard to produce a bridge. The traditional way of implementing an Ethernet bridge using an FPGA is to use a single NIOS II soft processor and define the hardware using Verilog. Here, we propose a method of bridging using two different NIOS II processors: The hardware is defined in Verilog and the protocol is implemented using C language. This gives higher speeds and reduces latency. The design has been prototyped and verified on Altera DE2-115 board which has Cyclone IV E device.