Altera has announced FPGA-based support for Ethernet communications protocols used in industrial automation applications, including ProfiNet, Ethernet/IP, Modbus-IDA, EtherCAT, SERCOS III Interface, and Ethernet Powerlink. Intellectual property (IP) cores for these communications protocols can now be implemented on Altera's Cyclone series FPGAs.

The Industrial Ethernet IP cores enable designers to implement any of the standards on a single board. This not only reduces form factor but saves time. System OEMs can now add industry-standard networking capabilities to their automation products while retaining FPGA reprogrammable design flexibility in their systems.

According to Louie Leung, marketing director of Altera, "The FPGA's design flexibility eliminates the 'protocol decision' and allows developers to support multiple protocols within a single product. Altera is the only company bringing together the leading IP partners and low-cost FPGA solutions for the industrial customer base."

To support Cyclone series FPGA-based industrial designs, IXXAT, one of Altera's IP partners, is offering an industrial Ethernet development kit.  The kit consists of a Cyclone-based reference design and evaluation board, schematics and executables for the FPGA bitstream, including a protocol stack, MAC, TCP/IP stack, interface application and a host application program interface (API) in source code.