Nios Clock Frequency

Hello,
         I'm trying to operate the nios processor with my
crypto-processor .
         The default clock frequency (33.33 MHz) is too slow for fast
cryptosystem performance. I'd tried to get another clock with 50 MHz
frequency through PLL and generate the nios processor with 50 MHz in
the clock setting. The system still can operate correctly with some
simple application on it's own. But when I tried to run some
application involved the hash processor, sometime it'll automatically
jump into Nios peripheral test menu after display message of (return
address is 0x000000) when it try to display the result. (The
appication runs well in system with 33.33 Mhz clock).
         The hardware platform I'm using now is Nios development board
populated by an APEX?20KE device (EP20K200EFC484). Is there anyway
that I can solve this problem?

Hello,

Can't really help you right now, but I'm extremely interested in this
particular topic.

We're about to start a Nios on Cyclone project and I'm expecting to get at
least 50MHz operation.  Now I'm really curious!

I'm troubled that Altera posts little or no performance information on Nios
whereas Xilinx posts 85MHz (Spartan3) and even gives benchmark scores for
its MicroBlaze offering.

Perhaps someone knows what configuration options lead to the highest
performance on Nios.  We'll see....

Ken

"Maxlim" <maxlim79@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a6140565.0308120522.86a33ec@posting.google.com...
> Hello,
>          I'm trying to operate the nios processor with my
> crypto-processor .
>          The default clock frequency (33.33 MHz) is too slow for fast
> cryptosystem performance. I'd tried to get another clock with 50 MHz
> frequency through PLL and generate the nios processor with 50 MHz in
> the clock setting. The system still can operate correctly with some
> simple application on it's own. But when I tried to run some
> application involved the hash processor, sometime it'll automatically
> jump into Nios peripheral test menu after display message of (return
> address is 0x000000) when it try to display the result. (The
> appication runs well in system with 33.33 Mhz clock).
>          The hardware platform I'm using now is Nios development board
> populated by an APEX?20KE device (EP20K200EFC484). Is there anyway
> that I can solve this problem?

Hi Ken,

> We're about to start a Nios on Cyclone project and I'm expecting to get at
> least 50MHz operation.  Now I'm really curious!
>
> I'm troubled that Altera posts little or no performance information on
Nios
> whereas Xilinx posts 85MHz (Spartan3) and even gives benchmark scores for
> its MicroBlaze offering.

It's fairly easy to reach 50MHz with a NIOS core on a Cyclone. The standard
32-bit design, which is pretty dressed-up, easily meets this requirement.
I've had fairly minimal systems run way over 75MHz (actually, 98MHz) on an
EP1C6T144C7 (medium speed grade). Of course, if you have a big nonpipelined
multiplier or some other long combinatorial path in the rest of the FPGA,
this is going to affect ytour clock speed as well.

Best regards,



Ben

Hi Maxlim,

>          I'm trying to operate the nios processor with my
> crypto-processor .
>          The default clock frequency (33.33 MHz) is too slow for fast
> cryptosystem performance. I'd tried to get another clock with 50 MHz
> frequency through PLL and generate the nios processor with 50 MHz in
> the clock setting. The system still can operate correctly with some
> simple application on it's own. But when I tried to run some
> application involved the hash processor, sometime it'll automatically
> jump into Nios peripheral test menu after display message of (return
> address is 0x000000) when it try to display the result. (The
> appication runs well in system with 33.33 Mhz clock).
>          The hardware platform I'm using now is Nios development board
> populated by an APEX?20KE device (EP20K200EFC484). Is there anyway
> that I can solve this problem?

Sounds like a memory timing problem or somesuch. I suggest you contact your
local disti or Altera FAE on how to check for I/O timing problems.

Best regards,


Ben

Quartus compilation results - does the design meet your 50MHz
requirement?
Wait-state, setup, and hold time values for the off-chip peripherals

Hello,
      Thanks for fast response.
      The message in the Quartus compilation report is all timing
requirement is met.
      The version of Quartus and SOPC Builder I'm using now is 2.2 SP2
and 3.02. I'm not adding interface to the user defined peripheral or
adding the peripheral into the SOPC library. It's difficult to
communicate or access the peripheral through the memory map allocated
by SOPC Builder due to unknown arrangement of the I/O port.
      I'm using the primitive way by adding PIO interface to the
system for communication between the nios and user processor. It seem
like the error will occur while the system try to transfer data to the
host pc through UART. Is it the wrong setting in the UART that cause
this problem?

Hi Ben,

I'm new to the processor on FPGA world (been using Coldfire) and was only
lightly involved with the FPGA stuff on our previous designs.  (added a few
features and fixed a few bugs in an Altera 7000MAX)

Anyway, my question concerns your statement about "in the rest of the FPGA".
My understanding is/was that FPGA logic that is not specifically tied to
together in the FPGA runs independently.  For example I assume that I can
have two (or more) Nios processors running completely independently on the
same FPGA with little effect unless I choose to tie their logic together.

I appreciate your comments.

Ken

"Ben Twijnstra" <bentw@SPAM.ME.NOT.chello.nl> wrote in message
news:xId_a.329146$nU.16149266@amsnews03.chello.com...
> Hi Ken,
>
> > We're about to start a Nios on Cyclone project and I'm expecting to get
at
> > least 50MHz operation.  Now I'm really curious!
> >
> > I'm troubled that Altera posts little or no performance information on
> Nios
> > whereas Xilinx posts 85MHz (Spartan3) and even gives benchmark scores
for
> > its MicroBlaze offering.
>
> It's fairly easy to reach 50MHz with a NIOS core on a Cyclone. The
standard
> 32-bit design, which is pretty dressed-up, easily meets this requirement.
> I've had fairly minimal systems run way over 75MHz (actually, 98MHz) on an
> EP1C6T144C7 (medium speed grade). Of course, if you have a big
nonpipelined
> multiplier or some other long combinatorial path in the rest of the FPGA,
> this is going to affect ytour clock speed as well.
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
> Ben
>
>

Hi Jesse,

Thank you for your valuable info. I'm looking forward to tweaking my Nios to
the max.  The ability to add custom logic and instructions to achieve
desired performance is a major draw for us.

Are there any other forums that may be more Nios specific?  I could imagine
Nios and SOPC builder generating a lot of traffic on their own.

Ken