Nios V® Embedded Processor Design Handbook

ID 726952
Date 2/14/2023
Public

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4.4.2. Nios® V Processor Application Copied from Boot Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier

The Nios® V processor and HAL include a boot copier that provides sufficient functionality for most Nios® V processor applications and is convenient to implement with the Nios® V software development flow.

When the application uses a boot copier, it sets all linker sections ( .text, .heap , .rwdata, .rodata , .bss, .stack) to an internal or external RAM. Using the boot copier to copy a Nios® V processor application from the boot flash to the internal or external RAM for execution helps to improve the execution performance.

For this boot option, the Nios® V processor starts executing the boot copier software upon system reset. The software copies the application from the boot flash to the internal or external RAM. Once the process is complete, the Nios® V processor transfers the program control over to the application.
Note: If the boot copier is in flash, then the alt_load() function does not need to be called because they both serve the same purpose.