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A Journey from AXI Slave to Master - Implementation Guide for Verilog RTL AXI Master with Burst Handling

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In an earlier section, we explored the architecture and implementation of an AXI slave in Verilog. We created a simple model that could respond to AXI transactions, process read/write requests, and acknowledge those requests in compliance with AXI protocol specifications. The AXI slave we designed was primarily passive, waiting for commands from a master to perform its operations. Now, we venture into the realm of designing an **AXI Master**, an entity capable of initiating transactions and handling burst operations—a foundational component of complex SoCs.

Implementing an AXI Master in Verilog

An **AXI Master** is responsible for initiating read and write operations on the AXI bus. It drives the control signals, manages the burst protocols, and coordinates data transactions with the slave devices. In this section, we'll construct an RTL model of an AXI Master that issues read and write transactions, while supporting burst operations such as INCR and FIXED burst types.

To explain the implementation more practically, we'll divide the master functionality into submodules: **Address Generation**, **Transaction Data Handling**, and **Burst Handling Logic**. The AXI Master design uses fundamental concepts like finite state machines (FSMs) for transaction sequencing, and registers to store transaction metadata (e.g., address, burst length, etc.).