Cyclone® V Hard Processor System Technical Reference Manual

ID 683126
Date 8/28/2023
Public
Document Table of Contents

A.1. Boot Overview

The boot flow of the HPS is a multi-stage process. Each stage is responsible for loading the next stage.

The first software stage is the boot ROM. The boot ROM code locates and executes the second software stage, called the preloader. The preloader locates, and if present, executes the next software stage. The preloader and subsequent software stages (if present) are collectively referred to as user software.

Only the boot ROM code is located in the HPS. Subsequent software is located external to the HPS and is provided by users. The boot ROM code is only aware of the preloader and not aware of any potential subsequent software stages.

The figure below illustrates the typical boot flow. However, there may be more or less software stages in the user software than shown and the roles of the software stages may vary.

Figure 143. Typical Boot Flow