which sequence?

Understanding sequence-number responsibility in FPGA-based exchange connectivity

This is a foundational question about the division of labour between hardware and software in low-latency market connectivity. When an FPGA acts as a network interface card (NIC) to handle exchange communication, it's critical to understand which layer owns the responsibility for TCP sequence-number management.

The question probes whether you understand the TCP/IP stack architecture and where sequencing logic lives in a hardware-accelerated trading system. Specifically, it tests whether you know which component—the FPGA hardware, the host software, or a hybrid approach—must track and assign sequence numbers for outbound messages to maintain protocol compliance and ordering guarantees.

• TCP protocol state and sequence-number generation
• Hardware vs. software responsibility in NIC design
• Exchange connectivity and message ordering