Compile Android to nios2

[Altera_Forum]

hello, 

 I must bring s.o. Android on the Cyclone FPGA 2. You can do this? If so, how?  thank you

[Altera_Forum]

I'm not an Android expert, but I'm guessing this is a huge task. 

First you will need to put a CPU soft core in the FPGA. Android is designed to run on ARM cores, so I think putting an ARM IP core would make the job easier than using Nios II, which would require a complete port of the kernel. But in any case you will still need to write the drivers for all the hardware that you put around the CPU. You must also take into account that the CPU in the FPGA will run a lot slower than a hardcore CPU, and any entry-level smartphone will have a much better performance under Android that a solution based on a Cyclone II.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   Android is designed to run on ARM cores,  --- Quote End ---    AFAIK, there are Android ports for X86 (for ATOM based devices).   So the basic Android sources should be not too much tied to the ARM.   OTOH ARM is a lot more similar to NIOS than X86 is, so using an ARM port as a basis seems appropriate.  -Michael

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  AFAIK, there are Android ports for X86 (for ATOM based devices).   So the basic Android sources should be not too much tied to the ARM.   OTOH ARM is a lot more similar to NIOS than X86 is, so using an ARM port as a basis seems appropriate.  -Michael  --- Quote End ---    thanks, and how do I implement ARM on the Cyclone 2?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  and how do I implement ARM on the Cyclone 2?  --- Quote End ---   You need to buy a license from ARM costing some $ 100,000.   AFAIK only a small Cortex is available for implementation in an FPGA. I suppose same does not have an MMU. I suppose porting Android to a no-MMU system will be harder than porting it to NIOS with MMU.  -Michael

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  You need to buy a license from ARM costing some $ 100,000.   AFAIK only a small Cortex is available for implementation in an FPGA. I suppose same does not have an MMU. I suppose porting Android to a no-MMU system will be harder than porting it to NIOS with MMU.  -Michael  --- Quote End ---    But also I need a license Altera?

[Altera_Forum]

Unfortunately, the university did not give me the license yet

[Altera_Forum]

The only Nias core with MMU is the Nios II/f, and you need a license from Altera for it. You can still run it in evaluation mode without a license though. 

 Do you have some experience in FPGA, embeded CPUs, C, Java, Android, kernels and device drivers? I'm not sure that you realize the complexity of this task... Are you alone on this project?

[Altera_Forum]

While I think that it would be a very viable benefit for the community to have a decent Android port for NIOS and do think that it is doable, I agree with Daixiwen that this task supposedly is much too big for a one-person team. 

 -Michael

[Altera_Forum]

Thanks to all,  

in fact we are 3 people and we were assigned the task of assessing whether it is possible to compile android for nios2... Should we not be too difficult to describe the solution without implementing

[Altera_Forum]

you shoud first port linux and later port android. 

 porting linux has been done in nioswiki.  and later you would need modify many libraries in android to patch your linux.  that is my opinion.

[Altera_Forum]

I just read that there is an Android port for MIPS. As NIOS is similar to MIPS this might provide another pointer... 

 -Michael

[Altera_Forum]

Hi, 

   --- Quote Start ---  I just read that there is an Android port for MIPS. As NIOS is similar to MIPS this might provide another pointer...   --- Quote End ---     I think the most difficult part is to port the 'dalvik' virtual machine. And we need to port new IPC mechanism.  Kazu

[Altera_Forum]

Dear Kazu,  

 How do we go about with current nios2linux distribution to be able to run Android, at least on NEEK just as a proof of concept?  I am a bit confused with information in nioswiki and yours regarding Linux + MMU.