This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Altera Nios V soft-core processor and its ecosystem. Nios V is the next-generation RISC-V based soft-core processor for Altera FPGAs, replacing the legacy Nios II architecture. Students will gain both theoretical understanding and hands on experience designing, configuring, and programming Nios V based embedded systems on Altera FPGA hardware.
Beginning with the RISC-V ISA fundamentals and the Altera Platform Designer (Qsys) integration environment, the course progresses through peripheral configuration, memory subsystem design, software development using the Eclipse-based Nios V Software Build Tools (SBT), and real-time operating system integration. It covers advanced topics including custom instruction extensions, hardware/software co-design optimization, and system boot techniques.