Nios® V Embedded Processor Design Handbook

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Date 10/02/2023
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. About the Nios® V Embedded Processor 2. Nios® V Processor Hardware System Design with Intel® Quartus® Prime Software and Platform Designer 3. Nios® V Processor Software System Design 4. Nios® V Processor Configuration and Booting Solutions 5. Nios® V Processor - Using the MicroC/TCP-IP Stack 6. Nios® V Processor Debugging, Verifying, and Simulating 7. Nios® V Processor — Remote System Update 8. Nios® V Processor — Using Custom Instruction 9. Nios® V Embedded Processor Design Handbook Archives 10. Document Revision History for the Nios® V Embedded Processor Design Handbook
1. About the Nios® V Embedded Processor x
1.1. Intel® FPGA and Embedded Processors Overview 1.2. Intel® Quartus® Prime Software Support 1.3. Nios® V Processor Licensing 1.4. Embedded System Design 1.5. Nios® V Processor Quick Start Guide
1.5. Nios® V Processor Quick Start Guide x
1.5.1. System Requirements 1.5.2. Nios® V Processor Example Design 1.5.3. Software Design Flow 1.5.4. Programming Nios® V into the FPGA Device
1.5.1. System Requirements x
1.5.1.1. Hardware and Software Requirements
1.5.3. Software Design Flow x
1.5.3.1. Generating the Board Support Package 1.5.3.2. Generating the Application Project File 1.5.3.3. Building the Application Project
1.5.3.1. Generating the Board Support Package x
1.5.3.1.1. Generating the Board Support Package using the BSP Editor GUI 1.5.3.1.2. Generating the Board Support Package using the Command-Line Interface
2. Nios® V Processor Hardware System Design with Intel® Quartus® Prime Software and Platform Designer x
2.1. Creating Nios® V Processor System Design with Platform Designer 2.2. Integrating Platform Designer System into the Intel® Quartus® Prime Project 2.3. Designing a Nios® V Processor Memory System 2.4. Clocks and Resets Best Practices 2.5. Assigning a Default Agent
2.1. Creating Nios® V Processor System Design with Platform Designer x
2.1.1. Instantiating Nios® V Processor Intel® FPGA IP 2.1.2. Defining System Component Design 2.1.3. Specifying Base Addresses and Interrupt Request Priorities
2.1.1. Instantiating Nios® V Processor Intel® FPGA IP x
2.1.1.1. Instantiating Nios® V/c Processor Intel® FPGA IP 2.1.1.2. Instantiating Nios® V/m Processor Intel® FPGA IP 2.1.1.3. Instantiating Nios® V/g Processor Intel® FPGA IP
2.1.1.1. Instantiating Nios® V/c Processor Intel® FPGA IP x
2.1.1.1.1. Use Reset Request Tab 2.1.1.1.2. Vectors Tab 2.1.1.1.3. ECC Tab
2.1.1.2. Instantiating Nios® V/m Processor Intel® FPGA IP x
2.1.1.2.1. Debug Tab 2.1.1.2.2. Use Reset Request Tab 2.1.1.2.3. Vectors Tab 2.1.1.2.4. CPU Architecture 2.1.1.2.5. ECC Tab
2.1.1.3. Instantiating Nios® V/g Processor Intel® FPGA IP x
2.1.1.3.1. Debug Tab 2.1.1.3.2. Use Reset Request Tab 2.1.1.3.3. Vectors Tab 2.1.1.3.4. Memory Configurations Tab 2.1.1.3.5. Custom Instruction Tab 2.1.1.3.6. CPU Architecture 2.1.1.3.7. ECC Tab
2.2. Integrating Platform Designer System into the Intel® Quartus® Prime Project x
2.2.1. Instantiating the Nios® V Processor System Module in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Project 2.2.2. Connecting Signals and Assigning Physical Pin Locations 2.2.3. Constraining the Intel FPGA Design
2.3. Designing a Nios® V Processor Memory System x
2.3.1. Volatile Memory 2.3.2. Non-Volatile Memory 2.3.3. On-Chip Memory Configuration – RAM or ROM
2.4. Clocks and Resets Best Practices x
2.4.1. Reset Request Interface
2.4.1. Reset Request Interface x
2.4.1.1. Typical Use Cases
3. Nios® V Processor Software System Design x
3.1. Nios V Processor Software Development Flow 3.2. Intel FPGA Embedded Development Tools
3.1. Nios V Processor Software Development Flow x
3.1.1. Board Support Package Project 3.1.2. Application Project
3.2. Intel FPGA Embedded Development Tools x
3.2.1. Nios® V Processor Board Support Package Editor 3.2.2. RiscFree* IDE for Intel FPGAs 3.2.3. Eclipse CDT for Embedded C/C++ Developer 3.2.4. Nios V Utilities Tools 3.2.5. File Format Conversion Tools 3.2.6. Other Utilities Tools
4. Nios® V Processor Configuration and Booting Solutions x
4.1. Introduction 4.2. Linking Applications 4.3. Nios® V Processor Booting Methods 4.4. Introduction to Nios® V Processor Booting Methods 4.5. Nios® V Processor Booting from Configuration QSPI Flash 4.6. Nios® V Processor Booting from On-Chip Memory (OCRAM) 4.7. Nios® V Processor Booting from Tightly Coupled Memory (TCM) 4.8. Summary of Nios® V Processor Vector Configuration and BSP Settings
4.2. Linking Applications x
4.2.1. Linking Behavior
4.2.1. Linking Behavior x
4.2.1.1. Default BSP Linking 4.2.1.2. Configurable BSP Linking
4.4. Introduction to Nios® V Processor Booting Methods x
4.4.1. Nios® V Processor Application Execute-In-Place from Boot Flash 4.4.2. Nios® V Processor Application Copied from Boot Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier 4.4.3. Nios® V Processor Application Execute-In-Place from OCRAM 4.4.4. Nios® V Processor Application Execute-In-Place from TCM
4.4.1. Nios® V Processor Application Execute-In-Place from Boot Flash x
4.4.1.1. alt_load()
4.4.2. Nios® V Processor Application Copied from Boot Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier x
4.4.2.1. GSFI Bootloader 4.4.2.2. SDM Bootloader
4.5. Nios® V Processor Booting from Configuration QSPI Flash x
4.5.1. Nios V Processor Design, Configuration and Boot Flow (Control Block-based Device) 4.5.2. Nios V Processor Design, Configuration and Boot Flow (SDM-based Devices)
4.5.1. Nios V Processor Design, Configuration and Boot Flow (Control Block-based Device) x
4.5.1.1. Nios® V Processor Application Executes-In-Place from Configuration QSPI Flash 4.5.1.2. Nios® V Processor Application Copied from Configuration QSPI Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier (GSFI Bootloader) 4.5.1.3. GSFI Bootloader Example Design
4.5.1.1. Nios® V Processor Application Executes-In-Place from Configuration QSPI Flash x
4.5.1.1.1. Hardware Design Flow 4.5.1.1.2. Software Design Flow 4.5.1.1.3. Programming Files Generation 4.5.1.1.4. QSPI Flash Programming
4.5.1.2. Nios® V Processor Application Copied from Configuration QSPI Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier (GSFI Bootloader) x
4.5.1.2.1. Hardware Design Flow 4.5.1.2.2. Software Design Flow 4.5.1.2.3. Programming Files Generation 4.5.1.2.4. QSPI Flash Programming
4.5.2. Nios V Processor Design, Configuration and Boot Flow (SDM-based Devices) x
4.5.2.1. Nios V Processor Application Copied from Configuration QSPI Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier (SDM Bootloader) Memory Organization for SDM Bootloader 4.5.2.2. SDM Bootloader Example Design
4.5.2.1. Nios V Processor Application Copied from Configuration QSPI Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier (SDM Bootloader) x
Memory Organization for SDM Bootloader 4.5.2.1.1. Hardware Design Flow 4.5.2.1.2. Software Design Flow 4.5.2.1.3. Software Design Flow (SDM Bootloader Project) 4.5.2.1.4. Software Design Flow (User Application Project) 4.5.2.1.5. Programming Files Generation 4.5.2.1.6. QSPI Flash Programming SDM
4.6. Nios® V Processor Booting from On-Chip Memory (OCRAM) x
4.6.1. Nios® V Processor Application Executes in-place from OCRAM
4.6.1. Nios® V Processor Application Executes in-place from OCRAM x
4.6.1.1. Hardware Design Flow 4.6.1.2. Software Design Flow 4.6.1.3. Programming
4.7. Nios® V Processor Booting from Tightly Coupled Memory (TCM) x
4.7.1. Nios® V Processor Application Executes in-place from TCM
4.7.1. Nios® V Processor Application Executes in-place from TCM x
4.7.1.1. Hardware Design Flow 4.7.1.2. Software Design Flow 4.7.1.3. Programming
5. Nios® V Processor - Using the MicroC/TCP-IP Stack x
5.1. Introduction 5.2. Software Architecture 5.3. Support and Licensing 5.4. MicroC/TCP-IP Example Designs 5.5. Development Flow 5.6. Operating the Example Designs 5.7. Optional Configuration 5.8. MicroC/TCP-IP Simple Socket Server Concepts
5.4. MicroC/TCP-IP Example Designs x
5.4.1. Hardware and Software Requirements 5.4.2. Overview 5.4.3. Acquiring the Example Design Files 5.4.4. Hardware Design Files 5.4.5. Software Design Files
5.4.5. Software Design Files x
5.4.5.1. MicroC/TCP-IP IPerf Example Design 5.4.5.2. MicroC/TCP-IP Simple Socket Server Example Design
5.5. Development Flow x
5.5.1. Hardware Development Flow 5.5.2. Software Development Flow 5.5.3. Device Programming
5.5.2. Software Development Flow x
5.5.2.1. Creating a BSP project 5.5.2.2. Configuring the BSP 5.5.2.3. Creating an Application Project 5.5.2.4. Building the Application Project
5.6. Operating the Example Designs x
5.6.1. Operating the MicroC/TCP-IP IPerf 5.6.2. Operating the MicroC/TCP-IP Simple Socket Server
5.7. Optional Configuration x
5.7.1. Configuring Hardware Name 5.7.2. Configuring MAC and IP Addresses 5.7.3. Configuring MicroC/TCP-IP Initialization 5.7.4. Configuring iPerf Server Auto-Initialization
5.7.3. Configuring MicroC/TCP-IP Initialization x
5.7.3.1. Network Task Configuration 5.7.3.2. Network Interface Configuration
5.8. MicroC/TCP-IP Simple Socket Server Concepts x
5.8.1. MicroC/OS-II Resources 5.8.2. Error Handling 5.8.3. MicroC/TCP-IP Stack Default Configuration
6. Nios® V Processor Debugging, Verifying, and Simulating x
6.1. Debugging Nios® V/c Processor 6.2. Debugging Nios® V Processor Software Designs 6.3. Debugging Tools 6.4. Additional Embedded Design Considerations 6.5. Simulating Nios® V Processor Designs
6.1. Debugging Nios® V/c Processor x
6.1.1. Steps to Debug Nios® V/c Processor
6.2. Debugging Nios® V Processor Software Designs x
6.2.1. OpenOCD and Eclipse Embedded CDT 6.2.2. Objdump File 6.2.3. Show Make Commands
6.4. Additional Embedded Design Considerations x
6.4.1. JTAG Signal Integrity 6.4.2. Additional Memory Space for System Prototyping
6.5. Simulating Nios® V Processor Designs x
6.5.1. Prerequisites 6.5.2. Setting Up and Generating Your Simulation Environment in Platform Designer 6.5.3. Creating Nios V Processor Software 6.5.4. Generating Memory Initialization File 6.5.5. Generating System Simulation Files 6.5.6. Running Simulation in the QuestaSim Simulator Using Command Line
6.5.2. Setting Up and Generating Your Simulation Environment in Platform Designer x
6.5.2.1. Using IP and Platform Designer Simulation Setup Scripts
6.5.3. Creating Nios V Processor Software x
6.5.3.1. Generating the Board Support Package 6.5.3.2. Generating the Application Project File 6.5.3.3. Building the Application Project
7. Nios® V Processor — Remote System Update x
7.1. Overview 7.2. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software and Tool Support 7.3. Nios® V Processor RSU Quick Start Guide in SDM-based Devices
7.2. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software and Tool Support x
7.2.1. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software 7.2.2. Programming File Generator
7.2.1. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software x
7.2.1.1. Setting Max Retry Parameter 7.2.1.2. Selecting Factory Load Pin
7.2.2. Programming File Generator x
7.2.2.1. Programming File Generator File Types 7.2.2.2. Bitswap Option 7.2.2.3. Intel® Quartus® Prime Programmer 7.2.2.4. Supported QSPI Flash Devices
7.3. Nios® V Processor RSU Quick Start Guide in SDM-based Devices x
7.3.1. Individual Factory, Application, and Update Images 7.3.2. Hardware Design Flow 7.3.3. Individual Images Generation 7.3.4. Remote System Update Image Files Generation 7.3.5. QSPI Flash Programming 7.3.6. Operating the RSU Client API
7.3.2. Hardware Design Flow x
7.3.2.1. Create a Platform Designer System 7.3.2.2. Intel® Quartus® Prime Software Settings 7.3.2.3. Software Design Flow
7.3.2.3. Software Design Flow x
7.3.2.3.1. Generating the ZLIB libraries 7.3.2.3.2. Creating a Board Support Package Project 7.3.2.3.3. Configuring and Generating the BSP Project 7.3.2.3.4. Creating Multiple Application Projects 7.3.2.3.5. Building the Application Projects 7.3.2.3.6. Generating HEX Files
7.3.4. Remote System Update Image Files Generation x
7.3.4.1. Generating Initial RSU Image Using SOF file 7.3.4.2. Generating an Application Update Image 7.3.4.3. Generating a Factory Update Flash Image
7.3.5. QSPI Flash Programming x
7.3.5.1. Programming the Initial RSU Image 7.3.5.2. Programming the Update Images
7.3.6. Operating the RSU Client API x
7.3.6.1. Trigger Reconfiguration Menu with Selected Image 7.3.6.2. Updating an Application Image 7.3.6.3. Updating the Factory Image
8. Nios® V Processor — Using Custom Instruction x
8.1. Introduction 8.2. Example Design on Unimplemented Instruction (Custom Instruction Design on Nios® V/g processor) 8.3. Development Flow 8.4. Operating the Example Design
8.2. Example Design on Unimplemented Instruction (Custom Instruction Design on Nios® V/g processor) x
8.2.1. Hardware and Software Requirements 8.2.2. Overview 8.2.3. Acquiring the Example Design File 8.2.4. Hardware Design Files 8.2.5. Software Design Files
8.3. Development Flow x
8.3.1. Hardware Development Flow 8.3.2. Software Development Flow 8.3.3. Device Programming
1. About the Nios® V Embedded Processor
2. Nios® V Processor Hardware System Design with Intel® Quartus® Prime Software and Platform Designer
3. Nios® V Processor Software System Design
4. Nios® V Processor Configuration and Booting Solutions
5. Nios® V Processor - Using the MicroC/TCP-IP Stack
6. Nios® V Processor Debugging, Verifying, and Simulating
7. Nios® V Processor — Remote System Update
8. Nios® V Processor — Using Custom Instruction
9. Nios® V Embedded Processor Design Handbook Archives
10. Document Revision History for the Nios® V Embedded Processor Design Handbook

4.5.2.1. Nios V Processor Application Copied from Configuration QSPI Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier (SDM Bootloader)

You can use a boot copier to copy the Nios V application from configuration QSPI flash to RAM when multiple iterations of application software development and high system performance are required. Intel recommends applying the memory organization in Memory Organization for SDM Bootloader to use the SDM Bootloader. The following section covers the description of each memory and the steps required to create them.

The boot copier is memory-initialized in the Bootloader ROM. For this boot option, the Nios V processor starts executing the boot copier upon system reset, which copies the application from the configuration QSPI to the internal or external RAM. Once this completes, the Nios V processor transfers the program control over to the application.
Note: In SDM-based FPGA device, Nios V software booting from configuration QSPI Flash is not supported when the FPGA device is configured using Avalon-ST scheme.
Figure 50. Nios V Processor Application Copied from Configuration QSPI Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier (SDM Bootloader)

Memory Organization for SDM Bootloader

The Nios® V processor system should comprise of the following memory spaces to implement the SDM bootloader and Nios® V application. The memories are implemented as such:

  • Bootloader ROM and RAM (used by SDM bootloader only).
  • Nios® V processor application RAM (used by user application only).
Table 28.  Description of Memory Organization

Memory

Memory Type

Application Use

Linker Section

Notes

Bootloader ROM

(Internal ROM)

 Read-Only Memory (ROM) SDM Bootloader .text

Set as the Nios® V processor reset agent.

Perform memory initialization with SDM bootloader (.hex) file.

Bootloader RAM

(Internal RAM)

 Random Access Memory (RAM) SDM Bootloader .rodata,

.rwdata

, .bss, .stack, .heap,

.exceptions

Initialize SDM bootloader using alt_load().

User Application RAM (Internal or External RAM) Random Access Memory (RAM) Nios® V Application .text, .rodata, .rwdata, .bss, .stack, .heap,

.exceptions

The Nios® V processor application is loaded into RAM from flash by the SDM Bootloader.

Section Content
Hardware Design Flow
Software Design Flow
Software Design Flow (SDM Bootloader Project)
Software Design Flow (User Application Project)
Programming Files Generation
QSPI Flash Programming SDM

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