Specifications

directly, abstracting hardware details from the software application. This abstraction minimizes or
eliminates the need to access hardware registers directly to connect to and control peripherals.
For more information about the HAL, refer to the "HAL API Reference" chapter of the Nios II Software
Developer’s Handbook.
Related Information
HAL API Reference on page 14-1
newlib C Standard Library
newlib is an open source implementation of the C standard library intended for use on embedded
systems. It is a collection of common routines such as printf(), malloc(), and open().
Device Drivers
Each device driver manages a hardware component. By default, the HAL instantiates a device driver for
each component in your hardware system that needs a device driver. In the Nios II software development
environment, a device driver has the following properties:
• A device driver is associated with a specific hardware component.
• A device driver might have settings that impact its compilation. These settings become part of the BSP
settings.
Optional Software Packages
A software package is source code that you can optionally add to a BSP project to provide additional
functionality. The NicheStack TCP/IP - Nios II Edition is an example of a software package.
In the Nios II software development environment, a software package typically has the following
properties:
• A software package is not associated with specific hardware.
• A software package might have settings that impact its compilation. These settings become part of the
BSP settings.
Note:
In the Nios II software development environment, a software package is distinct from a library
project. A software package is part of the BSP project, not a separate library project.
Optional Real-Time Operating System
The Nios II EDS includes an implementation of the third-party MicroC/OS-II RTOS that you can
optionally include in your BSP. MicroC/OS-II is built on the HAL, and implements a simple, well-
documented RTOS scheduler. You can modify settings that become part of the BSP settings. Other
operating systems are available from third-party vendors.
The Micrium MicroC/OS-II is a multi-threaded run-time environment. It is built on the Altera HAL.
The MicroC/OS-II directory structure is a superset of the HAL BSP directory structure. All HAL BSP
generated files also exist in the MicroC/OS-II BSP.
The MicroC/OS-II source code resides in the UCOSII directory. The UCOSII directory is contained in
the BSP directory, like the HAL directory, and has the same structure (that is, src and inc directories). The
UCOSII directory contains only copied files.
The MicroC/OS-II BSP library archive is named libucosii_bsp.a. You use this file the same way you use
libhal_bsp.a in a HAL BSP.
4-6
newlib C Standard Library
NII5V2
2015.05.14
Altera Corporation
Nios II Software Build Tools
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