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Pedro10's avatar
Pedro10
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27 days ago

Connecting Intel Agilex FPGA to DE1-SoC via Hub

Hello, I have an Intel Agilex FPGA with QSFP-DD 10 GbE PHY, a DE1-SoC board with 1 GbE PHY, and an Ethernet Hub 1 GbE. I want to connect the Agilex to the DE1-SoC through this hub. I understand the DE1-SoC only supports 1 GbE while the Agilex PHY is capable of 10 GbE. I would like to know the best way to communicate between these boards. Is it possible to configure the Agilex Ethernet IP and PHY to 1 GbE so it can communicate directly through the hub without a physical adapter? If not, would a media converter or adapter be needed to downspeed from 10 GbE to 1 GbE? Are there any recommended best practices for connecting an Agilex to a slower device like the DE1-SoC via Ethernet? Any guidance or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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1 Reply

  • paveetirrasrie_Altera's avatar
    paveetirrasrie_Altera
    Icon for Frequent Contributor rankFrequent Contributor
    1 hour ago

    Hello Pedro,

     

    The Intel Agilex FPGA supports multi-rate Ethernet, including 1 GbE. However, successful communication with the DE1-SoC (which is limited to 1 GbE) depends not only on the FPGA IP configuration, but also on the external PHY and optical module used.

    In general, QSFP-DD interfaces are designed for higher data rates (10G and above) and may not support 1 GbE operation or automatic downspeeding. As a result, a direct connection through a 1 GbE hub may not work if the QSFP-DD module does not support 1 GbE.

     

    Recommended approach:

    Configure the Agilex Ethernet IP to operate at 1 GbE (1000BASE-X or SGMII) if supported.

    Use a QSFP-DD to SFP adapter with a 1 GbE SFP module (copper or fiber) to ensure compatibility with the 1 GbE hub and DE1-SoC.

     

    Alternative:

    If 1 GbE operation is not supported on the QSFP-DD interface, use a media converter to bridge between 10 GbE and 1 GbE.

    This approach ensures proper link establishment and reliable communication between the devices.