AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial

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ID 784468
Date 8/28/2025
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial 2. Hello World on Agilex™ 7 FPGA F-Series Transceiver-SoC Development Kit 3. Hello World on MAX® 10 FPGA 10M50 Evaluation Kit 4. Document Revision History for the AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial
1. AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial x
1.1. Overview
2. Hello World on Agilex™ 7 FPGA F-Series Transceiver-SoC Development Kit x
2.1. Hardware and Software Requirements 2.2. Generating the System 2.3. Simulating the Nios® V Processor System 2.4. Programming the System 2.5. Debugging the System
2.2. Generating the System x
2.2.1. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer Overview 2.2.2. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer — Manual Instantiation 2.2.3. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer — Board-Aware Flow 2.2.4. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer — Configurable Example Design 2.2.5. Building Software Design with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs
2.2.2. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer — Manual Instantiation x
2.2.2.1. Creating a New Project 2.2.2.2. Creating a Platform Designer System 2.2.2.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint 2.2.2.4. Compiling the Quartus® Prime Software Project
2.2.2.2. Creating a Platform Designer System x
2.2.2.2.1. Adding Nios® V/m Processor IP 2.2.2.2.2. Adding On-Chip Memory II (RAM or ROM) IP 2.2.2.2.3. Adding JTAG UART IP 2.2.2.2.4. Adding Reset Release IP 2.2.2.2.5. Connect Interfaces and Signals 2.2.2.2.6. Clear System Warnings and Errors 2.2.2.2.7. Configuring the Reset Vector of the Nios® V Processor 2.2.2.2.8. Saving and Generating System HDL
2.2.2.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint x
2.2.2.3.1. Adding Design Files 2.2.2.3.2. Adding Synopsys Design Constraint (SDC) File 2.2.2.3.3. Pin Assignments 2.2.2.3.4. Configuration and Power Management Assignments
2.2.3. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer — Board-Aware Flow x
2.2.3.1. Creating a New Project 2.2.3.2. Creating a Platform Designer System 2.2.3.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint 2.2.3.4. Compiling the Quartus® Prime Software Project
2.2.3.2. Creating a Platform Designer System x
2.2.3.2.1. Adding Nios® V/m Processor IP 2.2.3.2.2. Adding On-Chip Memory (RAM or ROM) IP 2.2.3.2.3. Adding JTAG UART IP 2.2.3.2.4. Adding System ID Peripheral IP 2.2.3.2.5. Adding Reset Release IP 2.2.3.2.6. Connect Interfaces and Signals 2.2.3.2.7. Clear System Warnings and Errors 2.2.3.2.8. Saving and Generating System HDL
2.2.3.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint x
2.2.3.3.1. Adding Design Files 2.2.3.3.2. Adding Synopsys Design Constraint (SDC) File 2.2.3.3.3. Pin Assignments 2.2.3.3.4. Configuration and Power Management Assignments
2.2.4. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer — Configurable Example Design x
2.2.4.1. Creating a New Project 2.2.4.2. Creating a Platform Designer System 2.2.4.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint 2.2.4.4. Compiling the Quartus® Prime Software Project
2.2.4.2. Creating a Platform Designer System x
2.2.4.2.1. Saving and Generating System HDL
2.2.4.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint x
2.2.4.3.1. Adding Design Files 2.2.4.3.2. Pin Assignments 2.2.4.3.3. Configuration and Power Management Assignments
2.2.5. Building Software Design with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs x
2.2.5.1. Creating a Board Support Package 2.2.5.2. Creating an Application Project File 2.2.5.3. Importing Projects into Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs 2.2.5.4. Building the Hello World Application
2.2.5.3. Importing Projects into Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs x
2.2.5.3.1. Importing Nios® V Processor BSP Project 2.2.5.3.2. Importing Application Project
2.3. Simulating the Nios® V Processor System x
2.3.1. Preparing Hardware Design for Simulation 2.3.2. Preparing Software Design for Simulation 2.3.3. Checking Simulation Files 2.3.4. Running System Simulation
2.4. Programming the System x
2.4.1. Programming Hardware SOF File 2.4.2. Downloading the Software ELF File 2.4.3. Applying External Tool Configuration 2.4.4. Run Hello World Application
2.5. Debugging the System x
2.5.1. Software Debugging
2.5.1. Software Debugging x
2.5.1.1. Setting Initial Breakpoint 2.5.1.2. Starting the Debugger 2.5.1.3. View Global Variables 2.5.1.4. View Memory 2.5.1.5. Setting a Second Breakpoint 2.5.1.6. Control Debugger
3. Hello World on MAX® 10 FPGA 10M50 Evaluation Kit x
3.1. Hardware and Software Requirements 3.2. Generating the System 3.3. Simulating the Nios® V Processor System 3.4. Programming the System 3.5. Debugging the System
3.2. Generating the System x
3.2.1. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer 3.2.2. Building Software Design with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs
3.2.1. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer x
3.2.1.1. Creating a New Project 3.2.1.2. Creating a Platform Designer System 3.2.1.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint 3.2.1.4. Compiling the Quartus® Prime Software Project
3.2.2. Building Software Design with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs x
3.2.2.1. Creating a Board Support Package 3.2.2.2. Creating an Application Project Files 3.2.2.3. Importing Projects into Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs 3.2.2.4. Building the Hello World Application
3.2.2.3. Importing Projects into Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs x
3.2.2.3.1. Importing Nios® V Processor BSP Project 3.2.2.3.2. Importing Application Project
3.3. Simulating the Nios® V Processor System x
3.3.1. Preparing Hardware Design for Simulation 3.3.2. Preparing Software Design for Simulation 3.3.3. Checking Simulation Files 3.3.4. Running System Simulation
3.4. Programming the System x
3.4.1. Programming Hardware SOF File 3.4.2. Downloading the Software ELF File 3.4.3. Applying External Tool Configuration 3.4.4. Run Hello World Application
3.5. Debugging the System x
3.5.1. Software Debugging
3.5.1. Software Debugging x
3.5.1.1. Setting Initial Breakpoint 3.5.1.2. Starting the Debugger 3.5.1.3. View Global Variables 3.5.1.4. View Memory 3.5.1.5. Setting a Second Breakpoint 3.5.1.6. Control Debugger
1. AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial
2. Hello World on Agilex™ 7 FPGA F-Series Transceiver-SoC Development Kit
3. Hello World on MAX® 10 FPGA 10M50 Evaluation Kit
4. Document Revision History for the AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial

2.2.5. Building Software Design with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs

After the processor system is ready, you may begin building the software design using Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Altera® FPGAs software. It consists of the following steps:
  1. Create a board support package (BSP) project.
  2. Create a Nios® V processor application project with Hello World source code.
  3. Import both projects into RiscFree IDE’s workspace.
  4. Build the Hello World application.

To ensure a streamlined build flow, you are encouraged to create similar directory tree in your design project. The following software design flow is based on this directory tree.

To create the software project directory tree, follow these steps:
  1. In your design project folder, create a folder called software.
  2. In the software folder, create two folders called app and bsp
Figure 66. Software Project Directory Tree

Section Content
Creating a Board Support Package
Creating an Application Project File
Importing Projects into Ashling RiscFree IDE for Altera FPGAs
Building the Hello World Application

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