Greetings from the author, Mr. Asai

Nice to meet you, my name is Asai from Next Dimension. This time, I will write a series of articles about soft-core CPUs on the Altima website. Thank you very much.

At the end of 2000, an FPGA vendor released a soft-core CPU that made use of its own FPGA architecture. In my writings and lectures, I have introduced the possibility and future potential of this technology.

 

We hope that a wide range of people, from those who have purchased a Nios® / Nios II development kit but are not currently using it to those who do not know about it at all, will read this article and use it as an opportunity to introduce a soft-core CPU.

Introduction of serial content

Using the currently available Nios II development kit Cyclone® II edition as the target board, the information available in the datasheets and application notes provided by the vendors is kept as low as possible, and the hardware / We plan to introduce the key points of design on both sides of the software.

 

Part 1: Soft-core CPU basics
Problems with commercially available microcomputers that everyone has. What is the solution to...

Part 2: Commentary on Design Flow
Design of FPGA with soft-core CPU and Nios II

Part 3: Implementation example of soft core CPU
Soft-core CPU implementation examples and their points

Lesson 4: Software Development 1
Fundamentals and terminology for software development starting now

Lesson 5: Software Development 2
Common software development methods using Altera tools

Lesson 6: Software Development 3
Examples of OS implementation

Final episode: Summary
Summary and future image of soft-core CPU

 

 

Author profile

-At Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd. (currently Hitachi Information & Control Solutions Co., Ltd.)

Responsible for development of dedicated/general-purpose processors

-Engaged in embedded system development utilizing the features of ASIC/FPGA

-In particular, CPU-equipped FPGAs have been used in advance since the first release, and many related writings and lectures

-To Tokyo Keiki Kogyo Co., Ltd.

-Appointed Board Director of Next Dimension Co., Ltd. in January 2008

◆FPGA/PLD Design Conference Executive Committee Vice Chairman

◆Member of FPGA Consortium

 

 

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