AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial

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ID 784468
Date 8/28/2025
Public
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

3.2.2.1. Creating a Board Support Package

Board Support Package (BSP) provides a software runtime environment for embedded systems, such as Nios® V/m processor systems. Platform Designer includes the BSP Editor tool, to generate and configure BSP contents.
To launch the BSP Editor, follow these steps:
  1. Enter the Nios® V Command Shell.
  2. Invoke the BSP Editor with niosv-bsp-editor command.
  3. In the BSP Editor, click File > New BSP to start your BSP project.
    Figure 121. Create New BSP Window
  4. Configure the following settings:
    • SOPC Information File name: niosv_top.sopcinfo
    • CPU name: intel_niosv_m_0
    • Operating system: Altera HAL
    • Version: Leave as default.
    • BSP target directory: <Working directory>/software/hal_bsp
    • BSP Settings File name: <Working directory>/software/hal_bsp/settings.bsp
    • Additional Tcl scripts: Provide a BSP Tcl script by enabling Enable Additional Tcl script.
    Figure 122. Configure New BSP
  5. Click OK.
  6. You do not need to modify further. This example design uses the default BSP settings.
  7. Click Generate BSP to generate the BSP file.
  8. Click Exit when the BSP is generated successfully.
    Figure 123. BSP Editor Tab
  9. The BSP Editor generates the BSP files in <Working directory>/software/hal_bsp. Alternatively, you can generate the BSP files using CLI.
    1. Search Nios V Command Shell in the Start Menu and launch it.
    2. Launch the Nios V Command Shell.
      $ niosv-shell
    3. Execute the command below to generate a BSP folder.
      $ niosv-bsp -c  -s=niosv_top.sopcinfo -t=hal 
<Working directory>/software/hal_bsp/settings.bsp
    Figure 124. Generated BSP Files
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