As detailed in the specifications, the NetFPGA is a PCI card that contains a large Xilinx FPGA, 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, Static RAM (SRAM), Double-Date Rate (DDR2) Dynamic RAM (DRAM). The card design is open-source and the hardware is made available at very low cost through donations of gifts and Silicon chips by sponsors of the NetFPGA project. The NetFPGA enables researchers and students to build working prototypes of high-speed, hardware-accelerated networking systems. The NetFPGA has been used in the teachers in the classroom to help students learn how to build Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) switches and Internet Protocol (IP) routers. It has also been used by researchers to prototype new modules that use hardware rather than software to forward packets.

• A one-page handout summarizes the project.
• Videos show the NetFPGA in action.
• Publications describe aspects of the project in more detail.
• The Guide provides details about NetFPGA

Several tutorials have been held worldwide to teach new users with hands-on experience using the NetFPGA. There are now over 100 groups around the globe that use the NetFPGA.

• Review Presentations from past tutorials, or
• Attend a tutorial at a location near you

Details about the operation of the NetFPGA are described in the Guide. A base package implements all of the features defined by the regression tests. The NetFPGA codebase is open-source. Details about the license is described on-line. You are free to use and modify the code as you see fit. The NetFPGA project is run by a small group at Stanford University and a large number of developers around the world. Our lab is located in the Gates Building at Stanford University. See the Google map to geo-locate our building and get directions to a parking lot near the building. Now that you have learned a little about the NetFPGA, it is time for you to Get Started.