AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial

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ID 784468
Date 7/24/2024
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial
1. AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial x
1.1. Overview 1.2. Generating the System 1.3. Simulating the Nios® V Processor System 1.4. Programming the System 1.5. Debugging the System 1.6. Document Revision History for AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial
1.1. Overview x
1.1.1. Hardware and Software Requirements
1.2. Generating the System x
1.2.1. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer 1.2.2. Building Software Design with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Intel® FPGAs
1.2.1. Building Hardware Design in Platform Designer x
1.2.1.1. Manual Instantiation 1.2.1.2. Board-Aware Flow 1.2.1.3. Configurable Example Design
1.2.1.1. Manual Instantiation x
1.2.1.1.1. Creating a New Project 1.2.1.1.2. Creating a Platform Designer System 1.2.1.1.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint 1.2.1.1.4. Compiling the Quartus® Prime Software Project
1.2.1.1.2. Creating a Platform Designer System x
1.2.1.1.2.1. Adding Nios® V/m Processor Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.1.2.2. Adding On-Chip Memory II (RAM or ROM) Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.1.2.3. Adding JTAG UART Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.1.2.4. Adding Reset Release Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.1.2.5. Connect Interfaces and Signals 1.2.1.1.2.6. Clear System Warnings and Errors 1.2.1.1.2.7. Configuring the Reset Vector of the Nios® V Processor 1.2.1.1.2.8. Saving and Generating System HDL
1.2.1.1.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint x
1.2.1.1.3.1. Adding Design Files 1.2.1.1.3.2. Adding Synopsys Design Constraint (SDC) File 1.2.1.1.3.3. Pin Assignments 1.2.1.1.3.4. Configuration and Power Management Assignments
1.2.1.2. Board-Aware Flow x
1.2.1.2.1. Creating a New Project 1.2.1.2.2. Creating a Platform Designer System 1.2.1.2.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint 1.2.1.2.4. Compiling the Quartus® Prime Software Project
1.2.1.2.2. Creating a Platform Designer System x
1.2.1.2.2.1. Adding Nios® V/m Processor Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.2.2.2. Adding On-Chip Memory (RAM or ROM) Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.2.2.3. Adding JTAG UART Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.2.2.4. Adding System ID Peripheral Intel® FPGA IP 1.2.1.2.2.5. Adding Reset Release Intel FPGA IP 1.2.1.2.2.6. Connect Interfaces and Signals 1.2.1.2.2.7. Clear System Warnings and Errors 1.2.1.2.2.8. Saving and Generating System HDL
1.2.1.2.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint x
1.2.1.2.3.1. Adding Design Files 1.2.1.2.3.2. Adding Synopsys Design Constraint (SDC) File 1.2.1.2.3.3. Pin Assignments 1.2.1.2.3.4. Configuration and Power Management Assignments
1.2.1.3. Configurable Example Design x
1.2.1.3.1. Creating a New Project 1.2.1.3.2. Creating a Platform Designer System 1.2.1.3.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint 1.2.1.3.4. Compiling the Quartus® Prime Software Project
1.2.1.3.2. Creating a Platform Designer System x
1.2.1.3.2.1. Saving and Generating System HDL
1.2.1.3.3. Configuring Assignment and Constraint x
1.2.1.3.3.1. Adding Design Files 1.2.1.3.3.2. Pin Assignments 1.2.1.3.3.3. Configuration and Power Management Assignments
1.2.2. Building Software Design with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Intel® FPGAs x
1.2.2.1. Creating a Board Support Package 1.2.2.2. Creating an Application Project File 1.2.2.3. Importing Projects into Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Intel® FPGAs 1.2.2.4. Building the Hello World Application
1.2.2.3. Importing Projects into Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Intel® FPGAs x
1.2.2.3.1. Importing Nios® V Processor BSP Project 1.2.2.3.2. Importing Application Project
1.3. Simulating the Nios® V Processor System x
1.3.1. Preparing Hardware Design for Simulation 1.3.2. Preparing Software Design for Simulation 1.3.3. Checking Simulation Files 1.3.4. Running System Simulation
1.4. Programming the System x
1.4.1. Programming Hardware SOF File 1.4.2. Downloading the Software ELF File 1.4.3. Applying External Tool Configuration 1.4.4. Run Hello World Application
1.5. Debugging the System x
1.5.1. Software Debugging
1.5.1. Software Debugging x
1.5.1.1. Setting Initial Breakpoint 1.5.1.2. Starting the Debugger 1.5.1.3. View Global Variables 1.5.1.4. View Memory 1.5.1.5. Setting a Second Breakpoint 1.5.1.6. Control Debugger
1. AN 985: Nios® V Processor Tutorial

1.3.4. Running System Simulation

The msim_setup.tcl script in the package generated creates alias commands for each step. For the list of commands, refer to the following table:
Macros Description
dev_com Compile device library files.
com Compiles the design files in correct order.
elab Elaborates the top-level design.
elab_debug Elaborates the top-level design with the novopt option.
ld Compiles all the design files and elaborates the top-level design.
ld_debug
Compiles all the design files and elaborates the top-level design with the vopt option.
Note: The vopt option is to run optimization before elaborating the top-level design in the simulator.

You can run the simulation in the Questa simulator by performing the following steps,

  1. Launch the Nios V Command Shell.
  2. Open the Questa for Intel FPGA simulator using the command vsim.
  3. In the Questa Transcript window, change your working directory to the mentor folder.
    cd <Working directory>/niosv_top_tb/niosv_top_tb/sim/mentor
  4. Copy the memory initialization file into the mentor folder.
    file copy -force \
    <Working directory>/software/app/build/Default/hello.hex ./
  5. Run the msim_setup.tcl. 
    do msim_setup.tcl
  6. Compiles all the design files and elaborates the top-level design with vopt option.
    ld_debug
  7. Run the simulation for more than 5 milliseconds. 
    run 10ms
At the end of the simulation, you can find the following message prints in the Questa Transcript window: Hello world, this is the Nios V/m cpu checking in <loop number>.
Figure 75. Questa Transcript Window Message

You can observe the simulation results from the waveform viewer:

  1. In Questa for Intel FPGA simulator, navigate to the Instance window.
  2. Unroll niosv_top_tb.
  3. Select niosv_top_inst, and the simulator populates a list of signals in the Objects window.
  4. Right-click any of the signals, and click Add Waves to add them into the Wave window.
  5. Restart and run the simulation for more than 5 milliseconds. 
    restart
    run 10ms
  6. Wait for the simulator to complete the given time.
Figure 76. Questa Instance and Objects Windows

The following figure shows the simulated wave result.

  • 1st signal: Clock Input
  • 2nd signal: Reset Input
  • Other signals: Any one or more signals within the niosv_top_inst
Figure 77. Waveform Viewer
Level Two Title