Design of a Data Analyser for Ethernet Packets Using VHDL: Analysis and Representation of Ethernet Communication Protocol Using Finite State Machines with VHDL Programming

This book presents an in-depth analysis of the steps involved in communicating using the Ethernet protocol with the aim to design a data analyser to receive and send Ethernet packets. The various steps are represented using Finite State Machines, which are subsequently coded using VHDL programming language, and simulated. The use of VHDL programming language is a very efficient way to model digital circuit operations, and subsequently to generate hardware implementation of the desired digital processes, typically using FGPAs. It is for this reason that VHDL has become a core development tool for the digital electronics industry. The approach adopted in this work is modelling using Finite State Machines, VHDL coding and simulation, followed by testing the various structural constructs using a suitable testbench data. Being data intensive, a testbench simulation provides a useful basis to ascertain the correctness of the various elements developed when they are inter-connected. A similar approach can be used to model digital processes in a systematic and structured manner, especially for data intensive ones.