Nios

Nios, NIOS or N.I.O.S. may refer to:

See also

Nios embedded processor

Nios was Altera's first configurable 16-bit embedded processor for its FPGA product-line. For new designs, Altera recommends the 32-bit Nios II.

See also

References

Nios II

Nios II is a 32-bit embedded-processor architecture designed specifically for the Altera family of FPGAs. Nios II incorporates many enhancements over the original Nios architecture, making it more suitable for a wider range of embedded computing applications, from DSP to system-control.

Nios II is comparable to MicroBlaze, a competing softcore CPU for the Xilinx family of FPGA. Unlike Microblaze, Nios II is licensable for standard-cell ASICs through a third-party IP provider, Synopsys Designware. Through the Designware license, designers can port Nios-based designs from an FPGA-platform to a mass production ASIC-device.

Nios II is a successor to Altera's first configurable 16-bit embedded processor Nios.

Key features

Like the original Nios, the Nios II architecture is a RISC soft-core architecture which is implemented entirely in the programmable logic and memory blocks of Altera FPGAs. The soft-core nature of the Nios II processor lets the system designer specify and generate a custom Nios II core, tailored for his or her specific application requirements. System designers can extend the Nios II's basic functionality by adding a predefined memory management unit, or defining custom instructions and custom peripherals.