Nios® V Embedded Processor Design Handbook

ID 726952
Date 5/13/2024
Public

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2.3.1. Volatile Memory

A primary distinction in a memory type is volatility. Volatile memory only holds its contents while you supply power to the memory device. As soon you remove the power, the memory loses its contents. Thus, do not use volatile memory if you need to retain the data when switching off the memory.

Examples of volatile memory are RAM, cache, and registers. These are fast memory types that increases running performance. Altera recommends you to load and execute Nios® V processor instruction in RAM and pair Nios® V IP core with On-Chip Memory IP or External Memory Interface IP for optimum performance.

To improve the performance, you can eliminate additional Platform Designer adaptation components by matching Nios® V processor data manager interface type or width with boot RAM. For example, you can configure On-Chip Memory II with a 32-bits AXI-4 interface, which matches the Nios® V data manager interface.