Processing system, related integrated circuit, device and method

A vehicle electronic system comprising:

• a plurality of processing systems, each processing system comprising:
• a hardware network accelerator, comprising:
• a plurality of Ethernet communication interfaces;
• a plurality of memories, wherein each of the plurality of memories is configured to store a plurality of records, each record comprising:
• enable data indicating whether the respective record contains valid data;
• and
• destination internet protocol (IP) data identifying a destination IP address range;
• a further memory, configured to store a plurality of further records, wherein each record is associated univocally with a respective further record, and wherein each further record comprises:
• next-hop data indicating a next-hop IP address;
• next-hop enable data indicating whether a respective destination IP address range may be reached directly or via the respective next-hop IP address;
• and
• network port data indicating one of the plurality of Ethernet communication interfaces;
• wherein each Ethernet communication interface is configured to:
• obtain an IP packet comprising a destination IP address;
• access in parallel the plurality of memories in order to sequentially read at least in part the records stored to each of the plurality of memories;
• compare the destination IP address with the destination IP data of the read records containing valid data in order to select a record having the destination IP address range containing the destination IP address;
• read the further record associated with the selected record from the further memory;
• and
• select one of the Ethernet communication interfaces based on the network port data of the read further record;
• wherein the selected Ethernet communication interface is configured to:
• determine a target IP address by selecting:
• a) the destination IP address when the next-hop enable data of the read further record indicate that the respective destination IP address range may be reached directly, or
• b) the next-hop IP address of the read further record when the next-hop enable data of the read further record indicate that the respective destination IP address range may be reached via the respective next-hop IP address;
• determine a target media access control (MAC) address for the target IP address;
• generate an Ethernet frame comprising an Ethernet header and as payload the IP packet, wherein the Ethernet header comprises as destination MAC address the target MAC address, and a source MAC address configured for the selected Ethernet communication interface;
• and
• transmit the Ethernet frame to an Ethernet network connected to the selected Ethernet communication interface;
• a communication system connecting a microprocessor to the hardware network accelerator;
• and
• the microprocessor, configured to program the records in the plurality of memories and the further records in the further memory;
• and
• an Ethernet communication system connecting the processing systems.

A method of operating a processing system, the processing system comprising a microprocessor, a communication system connecting the microprocessor to a hardware network accelerator, and the hardware network accelerator comprising a plurality of Ethernet communication interfaces, a plurality of memories, a further memory, the method comprising:

• programming, by the microprocessor, a plurality of records in the plurality of memories, each record comprising enable data indicating whether the respective record contains valid data, and destination internet protocol (IP) data identifying a destination IP address range
• programming, by the microprocessor, further records in the further memory, each of the plurality of records associated univocally with a respective further record, and each further record comprising next-hop data indicating a next-hop IP address, next-hop enable data indicating whether a respective destination IP address range may be reached directly or via the respective next-hop IP address, and network port data indicating one of the plurality of Ethernet communication interfaces;
• obtaining, by one of the Ethernet communication interfaces, an IP packet comprising a destination IP address;
• using, by the one of the Ethernet communication interfaces, the plurality of records in the plurality of memories and the respective further records in the further memory to select one of the Ethernet communication interfaces;
• generating, by the selected Ethernet communication interface, an Ethernet frame;
• and
• transmitting, by the selected Ethernet communication interface, the Ethernet frame to an Ethernet network connected to the selected Ethernet communication interface.