from Altera
Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition
Order this evaluation kit now for just $449.00!
- Ordering information
- Licensing
- Example processor systems
- Nios II System Architect Design Tutorial
- Design examples and demos
- Evaluation kit contents
- Included documentation
- Update instructions
The Nios® II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone® III Edition makes evaluating Altera’s embedded solutions easier than ever. You can evaluate a dozen different processor systems targeting the low-cost, low-power Cyclone III FPGA by simply using the LCD color touch panel to scroll through and load your demo of choice.
These processor systems showcase the unique benefits of FPGA-based processors such as reducing bill of material (BOM) costs by integrating powerful graphics engines within the FPGA, reducing operating costs by upgrading your system over the Internet, or increasing system performance while reducing power using the C-to-Hardware (C2H) acceleration compiler.
The Nios II Embedded Evaluation kit, Cyclone III Edition comes with a comprehensive suite for software development—the Nios II Embedded Design Suite (EDS)—as well as sample Nios II processor systems that include full source code.
Figure 1. Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition
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Ordering Information
Tables 1 and 2 show the ordering code and pricing information for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition and the kit upgrade license.
| Table 1. Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition Ordering Code and Pricing Information | ||
| Ordering Code | Price | Ordering Information |
|---|---|---|
| DK-N2EVAL-3C25N | $449 |
Purchase online via Altera's eStore or contact your local Altera® distributor to place your order. |
Licensing
Software
The Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition includes Quartus® II Web Edition Software and the Nios II Embedded Design Suite.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (IP) licenses are sold separately. You may still install and start designing with any Altera IP core via the OpenCore Plus (PDF) simulation and hardware evaluation feature.
| Table 2. Embedded IP Suite | ||
| Ordering Code | Price | Ordering Information |
|---|---|---|
| IPS-EMBEDDED | $995 |
This IP suite includes all the IP you need to ship a standard Nios II processor design. Upgrade your kit with this perpetual use, royalty-free license bundle for embedded design.
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Example Processor Systems
Table 3 lists additional downloads for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition.
| Table 3. Additional Downloads for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition | |
| Download | Description |
|---|---|
| Nios II 3C25 Microprocessor System with LCD Controller data sheet (PDF) |
Full system description of the Nios II EP3C25 Microprocessor System with LCD Controller. |
| Nios II Standard Processor System |
This Nios II processor system is the default hardware image that boots up on your Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit. The system has been put together using SOPC Builder and can be a starting point for your own Nios II processor system design. |
System Architect Tutorial
Table 4 lists the downloads for the Nios System Architect Design Tutorial
| Table 4. Downloads for the Nios II System Architect Design Tutorial | |
| Download | Description |
|---|---|
| Nios II System Architect Design Tutorial |
This tutorial teaches you how to use SOPC Builder, the Quartus II software, and the Nios II Embedded Design Suite (EDS) to implement a digital picture viewer targeted for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit |
| Design Files |
Design files for the Nios II System Architect Design Tutorial |
Design Examples and Demos
The Nios II standard processor system is the default hardware image that boots up on your Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit. The system has been put together using SOPC Builder and can be a starting point for your own Nios II processor system design.
The following design examples include the source code and design files. This is a great way to see examples of software drivers for various hardware peripherals on your board.
Table 5 lists the designs available for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition.
| Table 5. Designs Available for the Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition | |
| Design | Description |
|---|---|
Application Selector Utility  |
Select and load designs from SD card |
| Mandelbrot Hardware Acceleration | Hardware acceleration example with the Nios II C2H acceleration compiler |
| Picture Viewer | View photos stored on the SD card |
| Web Server/Remote FPGA Configuration | Control aspects of the board through a web page including remote configuration of the FPGA |
You can load ready-to-run SD card demos using the application selector utility, and are provided for demonstration and evaluation to showcase Altera’s embedded partners for operating systems, middleware, IP, and software tools. These demos are provided in binary format only. Full Quartus II development software projects, source code, IP licensing, etc. can be obtained by contacting the partner listed.
Table 6 lists the ready-to-run SD card demos designs available for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition.
| Table 6. Ready-to-run SD Card Demos | |
| Design | Description |
|---|---|
| SLS uCLinux Demo (1) | Run the uCLinux operating system with a BSP available from SLS |
| Planetweb SpectraWorks Digital Photo Frame (1) | Digital Photo Frame application showcasing SpectraWorks from Planetweb |
| Planetweb SpectraWorks GUI Feature Demo |
SpectraWorks GUI builder demo from Planetweb |
| Planetweb Menu Demo (1) | SpectraWorks GUI menu demo from Planetweb |
| IMAGEM Taquin Game (1) | Graphics and video demo from IMAGEM Technology |
| IMAGEM aPhone (1) | Mobile phone graphics and video demo from IMAGEM Technology |
| IMAGEM Avionics (1) | Avionic display demo from IMAGEM Technology |
| IMAGEM Instrumentation (1) | Instrumentation display demo from IMAGEM Technology |
| TES D/AVE Graphics Accelerator Demo (1) | Graphics accelerator demo from TES Electronic Solutions |
| Altia Red Touch Screen HMI for D/AVE (1) | Advanced touch-screen human-machine interface (HMI) application created for the TES D/AVE engine |
| Altia Blue Touch Screen HMI for D/AVE (1) | Advanced touch-screen HMI application created for the TES D/AVE engine |
| Micriµm µC/GUI Demo (1) | Graphics software module demo from Micrium |
| Micriµm Products Demo (1) | Demo showcasing Micrium product portfolio |
| UNEEK Presenter | Show presentations from the Nios II Evaluation Kit on a projector or monitor Download update pack |
| Graphic Equalizer | Visually control and manipulate audio input on the LCD touch panel Download update pack |
| UNEEK Picture Viewer | Picture viewer design example |
| MP3 Player |
Touch-screen MP3 Player example |
| Video and Image Processing Suite Demo |
Demo showing the Altera Video and Image Processing Suite |
| More Designs | See additional designs available from Altera and software partners |
| Nios Wiki | Download and share designs with the Nios II user community |
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Design supported by Altera's software partner.
Get the latest ready-to-run SD card demos by downloading them from this site and adding them to the SD card that comes with the kit. You can also build your own ready-to-run SD card demos and share them via the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit Community Wiki.
Check the Nios II embedded processor design example page to see all available new designs and download them to your kit today.
Evaluation Kit Contents
The Nios II Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition is composed of the Cyclone III FPGA Starter Kit and an LCD/VGA HSMC daughtercard and features:
- Cyclone III Starter Board
- Cyclone III EP3C25F324 FPGA
- Configuration
- Embedded USB-Blaster™ circuitry (includes an Altera EPM3128A CPLD) allowing download of FPGA configuration files via your USB port
- Power and analog devices from Linear Technology
- Switching power supply LTM4603EV-1
- Switching and step-down regulators LTC3413, LT1959
- Memory
- 32 Mbytes of DDR SDRAM
- 1 Mbyte of synchronous SRAM
- 16 Mbytes of Intel P30/P33 flash
- Clocking
- 50-MHz, on-board oscillator
- Switches and indicators
- Six push buttons total, four user controlled
- Seven LEDs total, four user controlled
- LCD daughtercard
- Color LCD touch-screen display
- 800 x 480 resolution
- 24-bit CD-quality audio CODEC with line-in, line-out, and microphone-in jacks
- 10/100 Ethernet physical layer/media access control (PHY/MAC)
- Connectors
- VGA output
- Composite TV-in
- Audio-out, audio-in, and microphone-in
- SD card
- Serial connector (RS-232 DB9 port)
- PS/2
- Ethernet connector (RJ-45)
- Color LCD touch-screen display
- Nios II Evaluation Kit CD-ROM
- Example applications
- Application selector
- Picture viewer
- Mandelbrot acceleration with the Nios II C2H acceleration compiler
- Web server/remote FPGA configuration
- Hardware tutorials
- Create an FPGA design in one hour
- Build a 32-bit soft processor system inside an FPGA
- Software tutorials
- My First Software Application
- Complete documentation
- Quick start guide
- User guide
- Reference manual
- Board schematic, layout, and bill of materials
- Product and partner information
- Example applications
- Cables and accessories
- 128-Mbyte secure digital card and USB-to-secure digital card adapter
- USB cable
- 9-V power supply
- International power cords
- Ethernet (RJ-45) cable (7 ft.)
- Ethernet crossover adapter
- Altera Complete Design Suite DVD (free):
- Quartus II Web Edition (FPGA design software)
- ModelSim®-Altera Web Edition (FPGA simulation software from ModelSim)
- Nios II Embedded Design Suite (32-bit microprocessor software)
- MicroC/OS-II real-time operating system evaluation
- Nios II C-to-Hardware acceleration compiler evaluation
- NicheStack TCP/IP Network Stack - Nios II Edition evaluation
- SD/MMC SPI IP Core evaluation licensing available through El Camino
- MegaCore IP Library (library of intellectual property cores)
Documentation
Table 7 lists the documents available for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition.
| Table 7. Documents Available for the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition | ||
| Document | File Format | Language |
|---|---|---|
| User Guide | English | |
| Reference Manual | ZIP | English |
| Quick Start Guide | English | |
| Hardware Tutorial | English | |
| Software Tutorial | English | |
| Board Layout | ZIP | English |
| Board Schematic | ZIP | English |
| Board Bill of Materials | ZIP | English |
Update Instructions
Includes new design examples listed below and secure digital (SD) card demos. See below for step-by-step update instructions.
Download the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit v8.0 Update
The Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit v8.0 update includes new design examples, demos, and documentation. Follow the steps below to update your Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit.
- The update requires Quartus II software and the Nios II EDS v8.0 or above. Download and install if you haven't already.
- Download and install the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit v8.0 update pack.
- The new SD card demos will be located in your Quartus II v8.0 directory similar to this:
\altera\80\kits\cycloneIII_3c25_niosII\factory_recovery\flash_contents
Loading SD Card Demos
To load all the SD card demos just copy the contents of the following directory to your SD card:
\altera\80\kits\cycloneIII_3c25_niosII\factory_recovery\sdcard_contents
Updating the Application Selector Utility
The application selector utility has been updated with a new look and now supports remote system update from Ethernet. To update your application selector utility, follow the directions in the Restoring the Original Flash Image chapter of the Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit User Guide v8.0 (PDF). Use the design flies in the following directory: \altera\80\kits\cycloneIII_3c25_niosII\factory_recovery\flash_contents
