International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 05 | May 2025
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
www.irjet.net
Design and SoC Integration of an AXI-Compatible MAC Controller for High-Performance Communication Systems Vipin T V1, Abin Babu2, Anil M3 1M.Tech Embedded system ,Vidya Academy of Science and Technology, Thrissur 2M.Tech Embedded system ,Vidya Academy of Science and Technology, Thrissur
3Assistant Professor, Dept. of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Vidya Academy
of Science and Technology, Thrissur, kerala, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract - This paper presents the design and SoC
increasing complexity and performance requirements of modern SoCs, seamless integration of MAC controllers with standardized on-chip interconnects such as the Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) AXI protocol is critical to ensure high data throughput and low latency. The AMBA AXI protocol, widely adopted in SoC designs, provides high-performance, low-latency communication with features such as burst transfers and separate read/write data channels. Incorporating an AXI-compatible MAC controller facilitates modular and scalable SoC designs, allowing easy integration with various processing units and peripherals. Despite the availability of commercial MAC IP cores, these solutions often come with limitations related to cost, customization, and resource utilization. Moreover, many existing designs lack thorough verification tailored to specific SoC environments.
integration of a MAC (Media Access Control) controller that is fully compatible with the AMBA AXI4 interface, aimed at enhancing communication performance in system-on-chip platforms. The proposed controller is responsible for handling Ethernet frame transmission and reception, incorporating features such as preamble generation, CRC computation, and frame validation. It supports AXI4-Lite for register-level configuration and AXI4-Stream for high-speed data exchange. The RTL implementation is developed using Verilog and follows a modular design approach to ensure scalability and ease of integration with existing SoC platforms. Verification is performed using industry-standard simulation tools, with testbenches designed to validate both AXI interface compliance and MAC functionality. The MAC controller is synthesized and integrated into a Xilinx Zynq-7000 SoC using Vivado IP Integrator, where a bare-metal driver controls transmission and reception. Post-synthesis results indicate minimal resource usage, with the controller operating above 150 MHz, making it suitable for embedded and low-power applications. Functional simulation confirms reliable frame handling under varying traffic conditions. The integration demonstrates low-latency, high-throughput communication between the processing system and the hardware MAC core. This work provides a reusable and efficient hardware IP block that meets modern SoC communication demands. Future enhancements will target support for time-sensitive networking (TSN), advanced scheduling, and DMA-based data movement to further optimize throughput and reduce CPU overhead.
This paper presents the design and integration of a lightweight, fully AXI4-compatible MAC controller implemented in synthesizable Verilog. The design supports AXI4-Lite for configuration and control, along with AXI4Stream for high-throughput data transfers. Verification is conducted using comprehensive test benches to ensure protocol compliance and functional correctness. Integration into a Xilinx Zynq-7000 SoC platform demonstrates the practicality and efficiency of the design in real-world embedded systems. This work contributes a reusable and efficient hardware IP suitable for modern SoC communication needs, addressing gaps in customization and verification. number in the running text. The order of reference in the running text should match with the list of references at the end of the paper.
Key Words:
MAC Controller, AXI4 Interface, SoC Integration, Ethernet Communication, FPGA Implementation, AXI4-Lite, AXI4-Stream, RTL Design
1.1 System Architecture The system architecture of the MAC controller is designed to provide efficient and reliable communication within a system-on-chip environment by utilizing the AMBA AXI4 protocol. The controller supports Ethernet frame transmission and reception while interfacing smoothly with the SoC interconnect. It comprises functional blocks responsible for transmitting and receiving data frames, along with logic to manage the AXI4 bus protocol for configuration and data streaming.
1.INTRODUCTION The rapid advancement of system-on-chip (SoC) technology has driven the demand for efficient and reliable communication protocols within integrated platforms. Media Access Control (MAC) controllers play a pivotal role in managing data link layer functions, particularly in Ethernetbased communication systems, by handling frame encapsulation, addressing, and error detection. With
© 2025, IRJET
|
Impact Factor value: 8.315
|
ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal
|
Page 1069