Research On FC-Ethernet Convergence Module And Its Key Technologies

Large data storage centers and avionics systems typically rely on a heterogeneous network of mixed network protocols,with Ethernet and Fibre Channel(FC)being the most common.In order to reduce the cost of network maintenance and unify the network architecture,it is of great significance and application value to design and implement a converged network communication device.The main goal of this paper is to study the network convergence module which supports 4G FC and Gigabit Ethernet,and realizes the data switching inside the local network and inter-network data forwarding.First,it studies the FC protocol and Ethernet protocol,and makes comparisons from network level,addressing mechanism and the type of service to determine the feasibility of the convergence;then proposes the design scheme and implementation of its hardware circuit;and then studies the key technologies including IP core implementation in FPGA(Field-Programmable Gate Array)of dynamic port switchover technology and Ethernet switching technology,network acceleration,flow control,and soft-hardware interaction solution;Finally,builds test platform to test the function and performance of the convergence module.The test results show that the port supports real-time switchover,and accomplishes the function of single-port sharing between 4G FC and Gigabit Ethernet protocols;Ethernet switching has the capability of dispatching Ethernet shortest frame in highest line rate;the maximum bidirectional processing bandwidth of the accelerated FC and Ethernet protocol conversion is 43MB/s,and the minimum conversion delay is 25 ?s;each link is correct and effective,and network performance achieves the desired design goals.