Generic Nios II Booting Methods User Guide

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ID 683820
Date 5/24/2016
Public
Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Generic Nios II Booting Methods User Guide 2. Document Revision History for Generic Nios II Booting Methods
1. Generic Nios II Booting Methods User Guide x
1.1. Overview 1.2. Prerequisites 1.3. Acronym 1.4. Nios II Processor Boot Copier 1.5. Nios II Processor Booting Methods 1.6. Nios II Booting Elements 1.7. Nios II Programming Solutions
1.4. Nios II Processor Boot Copier x
1.4.1. Memcpy-Based Boot Copier 1.4.2. EPCS Controller-Based Boot Copier
1.5. Nios II Processor Booting Methods x
1.5.1. Nios II Booting General Flow 1.5.2. Summary of Nios II Processor Vector Configurations and BSP Settings 1.5.3. Nios II Processor Application Execute-In-Place from CFI Flash 1.5.4. Nios II Processor Application Copied from CFI Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier 1.5.5. Nios II Processor Application Copied from EPCS Flash to RAM Using Boot Copier
1.6. Nios II Booting Elements x
1.6.1. Nios II SBT Makefile 'mem_init_generate' Target 1.6.2. Convert Programming Files Option 1.6.3. Elf2flash Utility
1.7. Nios II Programming Solutions x
1.7.1. Recommended Programming Solution
1. Generic Nios II Booting Methods User Guide
2. Document Revision History for Generic Nios II Booting Methods

1.1. Overview

Altera® Nios® II processor is a soft processor that supports all Altera System on Chip (SoC) and Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) families. Developing Nios II embedded programs can be based on Altera hardware abstraction layer (HAL). The creation and management of software projects based on the HAL is integrated tightly with the Nios II Software Build Tools (SBT).

The boot memory could be the Compact Flash Interface (CFI) flash, User Flash Memory (UFM) flash, Altera Serial Flash (EPCS)/Altera Quad Serial Flash (EPCQ) configuration device or on-chip RAM (OCRAM). Regardless of the nature of the boot memory, HAL-based systems are constructed so that the reset vector and all program and data sections are initially stored in the boot memory. The HAL provides a small boot loader program (also known as boot copier) that copies these sections to their run time location at boot time. You can specify the run time locations for program and data memory by manipulating the Nios II BSP settings.

This document describes:
  • The Nios II processor boot copier that boots your Nios II system according to the boot memory selection
  • Nios II processor booting options and general flow
  • Nios II programming solutions for selected boot memory
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