Nios V

{{Short description|Processor architecture}}

{{other uses of|NIOS|Nios (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox CPU architecture

| name = Nios V

| designer = Altera/Intel

| bits = 32-bit

| introduced =

| version =

| design = RISC

| type = Load–store

| encoding = Variable

| branching = Compare-and-branch

| endianness = Little

| page size = 4 KiB

| extensions =

| open = No

| gpr = {{plainlist|

  • 16
  • 32

}} (Includes one always-zero register)

| fpr = {{plainlist|

  • 32

}} (Optional; width depends on available extensions)

}}

Nios V is a 32-bit embedded processor based on the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) designed specifically for the Altera family of field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

Nios V is a successor to Altera's Nios II embedded processor, which had been the company's embedded processor offering for the previous 2 decades, but was discontinued by Intel in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Intel is discontinuing IP ordering codes listed in PDN2312 for Nios® II IP |url=https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/content-details/781327/intel-is-discontinuing-ip-ordering-codes-listed-in-pdn2312-for-nios-ii-ip.html |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Intel}} The migration to the RISC-V ISA transitions Altera's embedded processor offering away from a proprietary ISA to an open architecture with support for industry standard software development and compilation tools.

Nios V CPU family

Nios V is offered in 3 different configurations: Nios V/g (general purpose), Nios V/m (microcontroller), and Nios V/c (compact microcontroller).

= Nios V/g =

The Nios V/g processor is a general-purpose CPU core based on the RISC-V RV32IMZicsr_Zicbom instruction set (optionally with “F” extension):{{Cite web |title=4. Nios® V/g Processor |url=https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/docs/programmable/683632/24-3-1/processor-87132.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Intel |language=en}}

  • RV32IM(F)Zicsr_Zicbom
  • Highest performance Nios V processor
  • Supports RTOS embedded system

= Nios V/m =

Nios V/m is a microcontroller core designed to maintain a balance between performance and FPGA resources and is based on the RV32IZicsr variant of the RISC-V architecture and supports either a pipelined or non-pipelined configuration:{{Cite web |title=3. Nios® V/m Processor |url=https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/docs/programmable/683632/24-3-1/processor-73511.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Intel |language=en}}

  • Balanced for performance and size
  • Supports RTOS embedded system
  • RV32IZicsr (Pipelined) & RV32IZicsr (Non-Pipelined)
  • Pipelined
  • Implements RV32IZicsr instruction set.
  • Supports five-stages pipelined datapath.
  • Non-pipelined
  • Implements RV32IZicsr instruction set.
  • Supports non-pipelined datapath.

= Nios V/c =

The Nios V/c a compact microcontroller core is designed for smallest possible logic utilization in FPGAs, and is based on the RISC-V RV32I instruction set:{{Cite web |title=2. Nios® V/c Processor |url=https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/docs/programmable/683632/24-3-1/processor-47252.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Intel |language=en}}

  • Smallest Nios V processor for non-interrupt-driven control application
  • No debug features
  • RV32I

Hardware generation process

{{unreferenced section|date= March 2025}}

Nios V hardware designers use the Platform Designer system integration tool, a component of the Quartus FPGA development tools, to configure and generate a Nios V system. The configuration graphical user interface (GUI) allows users to choose the Nios V variant, and to add peripheral and I/O-blocks (timers, memory-controllers, serial interface, etc.) to the embedded system. When the hardware specification is complete, Quartus performs the synthesis, place & route to implement the entire system on the selected FPGA target.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}