field programmable port extender (fpx) 1 ncharge: remote management of the field programmable port...

Field Programmable Port Extender (FPX) 1

NCHARGE: Remote Management of the

Field Programmable Port Extender (FPX)

Todd Sproull

Washington University, Applied Research Lab

August 15, 2001

Supported by: NSF ANI-0096052and Xilinx Inc.

http://www.arl.wustl.edu/arl/projects/fpx


Controlling the FPX

• Methods of Communication- NCHARGE- Telnet- Web Interface / CGI- Basic_send- User Applications

• Software Plug-ins- Concepts- Functionality

• Emulation– Nid_listener– Rad_listener

BasicSend

CGI

Fip MemoryManager

AccessWEBBasic Telnet

Send

NID NID

RAD

0.0

Gigabit Switch

OC-3 Link

NCHARGE 7.1

SoftwareController

Fip

RemoteApplications

VCI 76 (NID), VCI 100 (RAD)

VCI 115 (NID), VCI 123 (RAD)

(up to 32 VCIs)

Read

Washington University

RAD

NCHARGE


NCHARGE{0-7}.{0/1}

Pictorial view of FPX software interfaced with hardware

Control Cell Format for 32/36 bit RAD SRAM Memory Operations

OpCode = 0x15 SRAM Memory Operation ResponseOpCode = 0x14 SRAM Memory OperationVPI = 0x000, VCI = 0x0023 (35) RAD Control Cell

N/AX C(7:5)

N/AModuleIDOpCode

WORD 1

FRDV

1

F - 32 or 36 bit: 1 = 36 bit, 0 = 32 bit

FRDV

R - Read or Write: 1 = Read, 0 = WriteD - Device: 1 = Device 1, 0 = Device 0V - Valid Command: 1 = Valid command, 0 = Invalid, EOC

32 Bit format'N' Address

36 Bit format1 Address

36 Bit format2 Address

WORD 0 (31:0)

WORD 1 (31:0)

WORD 0 (31:0)

V FRD

HEC

ADDR(18:0)

ADDR(18:0)

ADDR(18:0)

WORD N

CRCSequence #

CM DATA

WORD 0

N/AW0(35:32)

W1(35:32)W0(35:32)

PTI

0

PAD

VCIGFC / VPI

OpCode

HEC

HDR

PL2

PL3

PL4

PL5

PL6

PL7

PL8

PL9

PL10

PL11

PL1

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 0

ModuleID = 0x00 RAD Control Cell Processor


NCHARGE

• Issues control cells to FPX• Provides reliable connections over ATM• Allows for multiple users to connect remotely

NCHARGE{0-7}.{0/1}

Control cellsSent to and from

FPX (RAD & NID)

Multiple TCP Sockets for Remote Applications


Controlling Flows on the NID• Consists of 4 ports used for cell traffic

0 - SW (Switch)1 - LC (Line Card)2 - RAD_SW3 - RAD_LC

• Cells routed based on VCI Lookup Table

• Cell routes are modified by issuing Write VCI Table Control cells

• VCI Table Control cells consist of number indicating the destination of a cell

• VCI Lookup Table is generated based on VCI Updates, default routes, and the table data definitions

VC

EC

VC

ccpEC

VC VC

RADSwitch

RADLineCard

LineCardSwitchDefault Flow Action

(Bypass)

VC

EC

VC

ccpEC

VC VC

RADSwitch

RADLineCard

LineCardSwitchVCI = 0x34(Control Cell)


VCI Updates and Status

• VCI Update Commands– Write VCI entries

• Format: T VPI VCI SW LC RAD_SW RAD_LC• Example: T 0 7E 3 2 1 0

– Read VCI entries• Format: A VPI VCI• Example: A 0 7E• Response: A VPI=0 VCI=7E SW=3 LC=2 RAD_SW=1 RAD_LC=0

RAD_LC 2-bit LUT

RAD_SW 2-bit LUT

LC 2-bit LUT

SW 2-bit LUT

RAD_LC 3 3 3 3RAD_SW 2 2 2 2LC 1 1 1 1SW 0 0 0 0

Table data definitions


Web VCI Updates and Status


VCI Updates and Status

• Status Control registers– Lets users check status of FPX– Useful for debugging hardware if problems arise– Displays the following information

• RAD Configuration Status (RAD_Done)– Single bit that indicates completion of configuration and beginning

of startup sequence• RAD Initialization Status (RAD_Init)

– Single bit that indicates when the RAD is ready to accept data• Type Link

– Line card identifier ( OC3, Dual G-link…)• VCI Compare Register

– Display current VCI to send control updates on • RAD Programming Byte Count

– Indicates number of bytes RAD has loaded in memory


VCI Status Control Example

– Example: S– Response: VPI 0x0

VCI 0x22 Opcode 0x42 VCI Compare Register 0x22 RAD_DONE 0x1 RAD_INIT 0x1 Type LINK 0x3 RAD Programming Byte Count 0x000

• Checking VCI Status


Web VCI Status Control Example


Configuration Memory Updates

• Memory updates provide:- A reliable protocol to transfer VHDL designs- Ability to program RAD with multiple modules- A one step transfer and program option- Debugging information by displaying the contents of a specified location in memory


Configuration Memory Example

–Format: L filename offset–Example: L test_file 100

•Transfer vhdl design from PC to NID

•Program RAD with NID vhdl design

–Format: F offset byte_count–Example: F 100 50

NID RAD

NCHARGE

Load Configuration Full RAD Configuration


Web Configuration Memory Example


RAD Memory Updates

• Supports 32/36/64 bit memory reads and writes- Multiple memory updates may be issued in one control cell- Memory updates are issued by module id

Mo

du

le

Mo

du

le

Network Interfaces to NID

RAD

SRAMData

SRAM

SDRAM SDRAM

Data Data

Data


RAD Memory Updates Example

• Reading and writing 32/36/64 bit words– Format: w32 mod_id address num_updates data– Example: w32 0 20 2 12345678 abcdef01

– Format: r32 mod_id address num_reads– Example: r32 0 20 2– Response: Data from address 20 is 1234568

Data from address 21 is abcdef01

• Reading and Writing strings– Format: ws mod_id address ‘text’– Example: ws 0 0 Bob_Smith

– Format: rs mod_id address– Example: rs 0 0– Response: Bob_Smith


Web RAD Memory Updates Example


Other Features of NCHARGE

• NCHARGE also provides:- Ability to log all transactions to and from NID and RAD- Support to add customized software interfaces to hardware

plug-in modules- Probe function to display modules present on FPX- An on-screen help menu in case you are lost


Modules on the NCHARGE Webpage


Other Features of the NCHARGE Webpage


More Features of the NCHARGE Webpage


Emulation of the FPX

• Consists of two applications:

- Nid_listener

Maintains VC tablesHandles file transfers

- Rad_listener

Simulates RAD SRAM/SDRAMResponds to all memory read/write operations


Communicating with the FPX

• Methods of communication-Console Mode-Telnet -Web Access-Basic_send-Library calls-User Applications (FIPL)


Telnet Access

• Allows end hosts control of FPX- Supports multiple connections - Provides full functionality of console mode


Web Telnet Access


Web Access to NCHARGE

- Radio Button Interface- Allows user to submit commands using CGI scripts- Provides for Switch Reset- http://fpx.arl.wustl.edu

Web Access Provides:


Using Basic_send

• Simple interface to send control cells to FPX- Opens a TCP Socket- Transfers character string command line arguments- Displays output from NCHARGE


FIPL Interface to FPX

Flow of information from FIPL to FPX -Remote Host issues Add route from Web -Web Server processes command and sends to writefip over TCP socket -Write_FIP sends stdout command to FIPL -FIPL issues an add route command -Read_FIP takes stdin and packages the strings into 1 large string -Read_FIP opens a TCP socket and sends data to NCHARGE -Fpx_control reads in string and packets commands into multiple control cells for FPX


Setting up the FPX as a Router

Use the FPX as a router -Start the FIPL Memory Manager software for a particular port/stack -Download a few (<100) routes from MAE-WEST -Note the name of the file that you downloaded -Submit that list of routes to the FPX on the Fast IP Lookup Page -Now the FIPL software is configured to handle these routes!! -You should be able to add additional routes -You can also delete and modify routes from the webpage


Software Plug-ins for Hardware Modules

• Software that allows RAD applications the ability to format unique control cells

• Enables developers to easily change the format of a control cell independent of NCHARGE

PAD

Control Cell Format for Modules

ModIDOpCode OpCode ModuleID

PAD

VCI = 0x23

CM DATA

HEC

CRCSequence #

PTIGFC / VPI

HEC

HDR

PL2

PL3

PL4

PL5

PL6

PL7

PL8

PL9

PL10

PL11

PL1

User Definable

012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

Space


Contents of a Software Plug-in Module

• Tags identify relevant fields• Developer specifies data types

and lengths• Provides total control over

information sent to RAD application

• Example is “Fast IP Lookup” module

<module>

# Module title and version number

Fast IP Lookup Example Module 1.0

</module>

<input_opcodes>

# Input Opcode, Menu_command, Command_argument

0x14, 1,R, Root_Node_Pointer,

0x16, 1,I, IP_Flow_1,

</input_opcodes>

<output_opcodes>

# Output opcode, Text, Command_argument

0x15, 1,Root node pointer Updated to ,Root_Node_Pointer,

0x17, 1,Name changed to ,IP_Flow_1,

</output_opcodes>

<fields>

# Command_argument, argument_type,

# start_word,start_bit,stop_word,stop_bit

Root_Node_Pointer,x,1,31,1,13,

IP_Flow_1,x,2,31,2,16,

</fields>

<help>

# Help Menu

R root pointer address update: R address (hex)

I Update IP Flow 1: I address (hex)

</help>


Cell Format of FIPL Module


Using Software Plug-ins

• Issue Probe command to see what modules have been loaded– “p”

• Load required module– “n fipl.fpx”

• Issue commands for that module – “m1.r 1234”– “m1.I 4321”

• Commands follow the format:– m#.command argument (if necessary)


FIPL Module via Web page


Using Library Call

• Simple interface to send control cells to FPX- fpx_message(char *command,int port, int stack, char *response)


Programming Exercise

• Construct a loop that issues sends several strings to a particular memory location

• Use sleep() between fpx_message calls so you can read the strings from the FPX webpage

• Be sure to include libNcharge.h • When compiling include the libNcharge.cpp file as well• g++ your_file.c libNcharge.cpp• Include a \n character at the end of the string• Format for write string is:

– ws module_number address text_string– Module number for this example is always 0

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