Visible to Intel only — GUID: orn1614011316690
Ixiasoft
Visible to Intel only — GUID: orn1614011316690
Ixiasoft
2. Creating a Board Support Package with BSP Editor
The BSP simplifies your interface with connected hardware by providing the Intel FPGA hardware abstraction layer (HAL), an optional RTOS, and device drivers. BSP Editor is also available from the Nios® II Embedded Design Suite (EDS).
The BSP Editor is a GUI tool that you can launch from Platform Designer to configure BSP contents. The BSP Editor allows you to specify the Harvard architecture CPU for your BSP, based on your Platform Designer system's .qsys file, or based on a .sopcinfo file that stores the target hardware definition. The .sopcinfo file generates during Platform Designer system HDL generation.
The BSP isolates your application from system-specific details such as the memory map, available devices, and processor configuration. You decide the placement of the application's program code and data, depending on the memory devices that you connect to the CPU's instruction bus.
For each peripheral IP that you connect to the selected CPU's data bus, the BSP Editor automatically includes the matching driver for each peripheral IP as part of the BSP. The BSP Editor packages each driver using the sw.tcl API. The sw.tcl API defines the collection of driver source files for the matching IP component type accessible by the CPU's data bus. Each driver may define software settings for configuring driver implementation or behavior.
You can use BSP Editor in the following modes. The BSP System file that you specify determines the mode.
BSP Editor Integrated Mode | BSP Editor Stand-Alone Mode | |
---|---|---|
Description | Generate a BSP directly for a Platform Designer system (.qsys). Any changes that you make in the System View automatically update in the BSP. Nios® V processor designs require Integrated Mode. | BSP Editor is not fully integrated with Platform Designer, requiring manual update of the BSP for any changes that you make to the system using the .sopcinfo file. Nios® II processor designs require Stand-Alone Mode. |
Processor Support | Nios® V Processor2 | Nios® II Processor |
To Launch (BSP System File) | Specifying a .qsys file as System file launches BSP Editor in integrated mode. | Specifying a .sopcinfo as System file launches BSP Editor in stand-alone mode. |