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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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11 years ago

Help my with my Graduate Project's Idea to make it real by using FPGA

Hi everyone

Before i make this thread i search in internet about my idea if there is any one make it before but i didn't find anything

I am Haider Ali from Iraq

I have 22 years old now I do my final examination of the third years in college of engineering

I study Computer Engineering Techniques

I have Final Graduate Project next Year so I decide to work on it in this summer ,I have many ideas in my mind so I will choice the best and discuss it with you trying to make it practical

I like Arduino and another Microcontroller like parallax it's easy to translate your idea to a great electronic project (its easy and low cost device) so we don't surprise when we see many people like it ,But Arduino have low spec tech so we can't make complex project with it

That's why I'm now make this thread about my project

optical fiber and data communication

How optical fiber work (as what is understand)

Simple it convert the discrete data signal to pulse of light by using very high-speed laser diode (with rise time 15 ns or 5 ns or 60 ps) Then send this pulse of light in optical fiber made from silicon to transform the light with low losses

In the other side in Receiver Station there is photodiode Receive this pulse of light which transformed by optical fiber then Convert it to discrete signal again

NOTE: maybe this is not the way how optical fiber work so please if there is something difference or I say something wrong please someone tell me because this is what I understand about optical fiber

what about my project:-

I have data in computer and want to send it to another computer of course I will use data transform port like USB or Firewire or thunderbolt what every the way I will use they have the same Purpose

First time I decide to send data from PC Bit by Bit to Arduino Board then the Arduino analyze it to convert it to Pulse of light but this will be very hard and then I should programming software to convert data of file to bits then send it via Serial port because Arduino work via serial port and this will be complex

Because just want to work under physical layer without get into software layer

This will make my project work with any platform.

I decide to choice fpga

Now after I explain my project let me ask my question

Can I use FPGA board to analyze the USB data signals like 0 1 0 1111 00 111

In addition, convert it to electrical signals then connect laser diode to FPGA board and programming the FPGA

board to do this

If the data from USB is 1 (or the Signal)

Then output pin 7 (in pin 7 the laser diode is connected)

Therefore, the laser diode in this case will send pulse of light and there is optical fiber connected to laser diode to transform the light to the second FPGA board which connected with Photodiode with very high sensitivity of light detection to detect the light come from optical fiber then produce discrete signal and send it to FPGA board which the last will process it and rebuild the USB data signal again to send it to the another computer or and device have USB port.

this is my idea about using FPGA Board to make optical fiber data transmission between to point

http://im61.gulfup.com/WUaLEw.jpg

Also, what about laserdiode and photodiode there is many components like this in digikey and mouser

http://www.osioptoelectronics.com/standard-products/silicon-photodiodes/high-speed-silicon-photodiodes/high-speed-silicon-photodiodes-overview.aspx

and Can someone help me to choice the right fpga board that have the ability and the speed to analyze the USB signals and also receive the signal from another board i what my project send and receive in the same time vice versa

And should I use operational amplifier or resistor or capacitor with fpga board or another electronics Components

Finally, I want to say I am not any other person as for help in this forum for this reason

1- In my country (IRAQ) embedded system and FPGA is used by engineers or studies in universities and in all

engineering college in Iraq the FPGA material didn't studied in Undergraduate Cource :confused:

2- My university does not have offer emails (edu emails) for professors that's mean I can't order the academic

Version of any FPGA board and this make buy an FPGA board will be very expensive :(

3- Amazon and another website doesn't ship to Iraq so I should ship it to USA first then send it to Iraq via DHL and this will be expensive and take more time 25 - 30 day

4- For this reason buy an FPGA board will be hard and expensive for someone live in Iraq like me That is why I

make this thread to help me to choice the right board and start good from the first step :)

I wish I explain everything in this thread maybe it's contain many wrong words and spelling errors I'm sorry about that

Thank you very much

MY REGARDS

20 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    why there is no reply

    it's not important you know the solution for my problem or you can help me to replay

    just reply and give me any opinion you have may be you could help me and then i will be grateful to you

    I'm not asking for something hard or Unreal please i really need your help
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    why there is no reply

    it's not important you know the solution for my problem or you can help me to replay

    just reply and give me any opinion you have may be you could help me and then i will be grateful to you

    I'm not asking for something hard or Unreal please i really need your help

    --- Quote End ---

    Hi Haider,

    I am no expert on fpga boards. But I will make this point. Why use PC or two fpga boards at all. Use one fpga board to send and receive data.

    I mean you can put data in fpga rom directly then send it through DAC (and for two level signal you may not need DAC but use the io directly). From FPGA it goes to fibre optic channel and received by same fpga (ADC or io) and check received data against the sent rom content.

    You will need therefore to look around for fpga boards that support fibre optic and if not you will need to add that support.

    In principle many modern fpga can manage speeds up to 300MHz or so.

    Wish you safe summer in Iraq.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    thank you very much sir for helping me

    i said i need 2 FPGA board because i need to send data between two point at distance 100 meter so how can i make this with one board

    and about fiber optic channel in FPGA till now there is no board released from Altera with fiber optic channel

    read this

    http://www.avagotech.com/pages/optical_fpga

    and if i go to Xilinx like this board hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh what can i say sir it's cost more than Tuition fee for two years of study engineering in my college :(

    see this board please

    http://www.xilinx.com/products/boards-and-kits/ek-v7-vc709-ces-g.htm

    I'm sorry sir i don't think someone in Iraq have this budget

    that's why I'm asking about but laser diode in board to generate pulse of light from Digital Discrete Signal

    " Wish you safe summer in Iraq. "

    thank you sir for your felling towards Iraqi people because the situation in Iraq is very bad because of the terrorist groups called "Daash" :cry:

    I'm really happy :D when i see someone post in my thread to helping me thank you again sir

    my regards
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    admin please you you take long time to accept my post

    -----------------

    i asked Professor Bruce Land From FPGA Group in Facebook (Professor in Cornell University)

    http://im89.gulfup.com/bPw8bu.jpg

    what did you say about his answer does any one have any idea

    thank you very much

    My Regards
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    I agree that the USB protocol packets need a quick acknowledge, and it's not possible to directly send low level USB signals on 100m of fiber. You will need to decode the USB protocol on the first board and send data as a custom serial prototol on the optical fiber. On the other side you will need to decode your custom serial protocol and translate it back as USB host commands. I think this will be a lot of work, and there aren't a lot of USB cores available, at least for altera FPGAs.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    I agree that the USB protocol packets need a quick acknowledge, and it's not possible to directly send low level USB signals on 100m of fiber. You will need to decode the USB protocol on the first board and send data as a custom serial prototol on the optical fiber. On the other side you will need to decode your custom serial protocol and translate it back as USB host commands. I think this will be a lot of work, and there aren't a lot of USB cores available, at least for altera FPGAs.

    --- Quote End ---

    thank you sir for posting

    i know someone for Palestine his name is Hazem Adeeb Zaid know he is in the forth year of engineering he do his final exam and graduate

    his graduate project about encode USB signal and send it to another board and decode it

    and he use this board

    http://www.digilentinc.com/products/detail.cfm?navpath=2,400,836&prod=atlys

    so what do you mean "and there aren't a lot of USB cores available, at least for altera FPGAs. "
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    i want to ask you admin why you take long time to accept my post

    i really need people post in my thread

    when you take long time to post this will make my thread dead

    please let me post in the same time i submit
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    For some reason the messages you write trigger the forum's antispam system and they get automatically moderated down. I don't know how it is precisely configured, but it is probably because you have a low message count and include URLs in your messages. It should get better now that you have more than 5 published messages.

    I've approved you message but I usually just come here once a day, so yes it can take time.

    You can find a few solutions to decode USB signals directly in an FPGA but they usually licensed, which means you will have to pay to use them. There is a free core available at opencores (http://opencores.org/project,usb) but I don't know how usable it is. There is another problem though, for these cores to work you will need an external PHY chip. I don't know about any development kit that has one, so it means you would have to do your own daughterboard with the correct chip.

    Another solution is to use a development kit that already has a USB interface. Almost all the Altera kits have one, but it is used for JTAG access. You can reprogram the MAX II chip to use the USB interface for your own purposes, but then you don't have the USB blaster functionality anymore and can't configure the FPGA without an external USB-Blaster. Other kits such as the one you show here, or some Altera Cyclone V kits, have a second USB connector that you could use without loosing the JTAG functionality. But note that in all those cases, you won't emulate a generic USB device. Usually the integrated USB functionality on those kits is a serial link (UART) so you won't be able to directly emulate a USB flash drive.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    For some reason the messages you write trigger the forum's antispam system and they get automatically moderated down. I don't know how it is precisely configured, but it is probably because you have a low message count and include URLs in your messages. It should get better now that you have more than 5 published messages.

    I've approved you message but I usually just come here once a day, so yes it can take time.

    You can find a few solutions to decode USB signals directly in an FPGA but they usually licensed, which means you will have to pay to use them. There is a free core available at opencores (http://opencores.org/project,usb) but I don't know how usable it is. There is another problem though, for these cores to work you will need an external PHY chip. I don't know about any development kit that has one, so it means you would have to do your own daughterboard with the correct chip.

    Another solution is to use a development kit that already has a USB interface. Almost all the Altera kits have one, but it is used for JTAG access. You can reprogram the MAX II chip to use the USB interface for your own purposes, but then you don't have the USB blaster functionality anymore and can't configure the FPGA without an external USB-Blaster. Other kits such as the one you show here, or some Altera Cyclone V kits, have a second USB connector that you could use without loosing the JTAG functionality. But note that in all those cases, you won't emulate a generic USB device. Usually the integrated USB functionality on those kits is a serial link (UART) so you won't be able to directly emulate a USB flash drive.

    --- Quote End ---

    thank you very much sir

    i understand from you there is no FPGA Board with USB Port have the ability to Read USB FLASH Disk or and USB Device

    quick question :o

    what if i change my decision and try to decode Ethernet port Signal trying to send it via Optical Fiber because there is many FPGA Board with Ethernet port
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    There are boards with usb, but you'll have to describe some hardware in order to interface with it.

    And about the 100m fiber, can't you just make a giant loop?