Looking for FPGAs with processor

[Altera_Forum]

Hi people!! 

 I am a final year student and I am currently doing a research for my professor, which is to compare a selection Fpgas that include a processor manufactured by all available vendors if possible. With that, I would like know whether such FPGAs is available on market ? If yes, where can I get the respective product information/data sheet? Or can anyone recommend me which FPGA is better than the other? A quick response would be highly appreciated. Thank you.

[Altera_Forum]

by mi known, Altera only Supports softcore processors in ther new devices. 

   the exalibur (or something like that) used to have an embed processor, but altera has switched to first nios ans then to NiosII softcores.   pros for a softcore :  - very customizeble - cheap - good performance - large suport over the net - free ide, with gcc compiler - easy to learn - debugging c code over jtag - ...   contras: - thakes long time(15 to 1h) to compile the "hardware" ( full blown niosII system)   Look at the NiosII website. http://www.altera.com/products/ip/processors/nios2/ni2-index.html   to have an idee how it looks take a look at one of the dev kits  http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/altera/kit-nios-2c35.html

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  the exalibur (or something like that) used to have an embed processor  --- Quote End ---    That was Excalibur ARM around 2001. That device family had dedicated silicon for an ARM processor and some peripherals combined with FPGA fabric using the APEX architecture.     --- Quote Start ---  contras: - thakes long time(15 to 1h) to compile the "hardware" ( full blown niosII system)  --- Quote End ---    The compilation time added by the soft microprocessor itself isn't much compared to the compilation time for other functions typically in FPGA designs. The compilation time for the complete SOPC Builder system including its peripherals depends heavily on how large the SOPC Builder system is. The compilation time ranges from very fast to very long. At least with SOPC Builder and Nios, the system can have only the peripherals required for the specific design (part of the "very customizeble" pro listed by mirimon).   In addition to the Nios II soft CPU, Altera devices support the ARM Cortex-M1 soft core. See http://www.altera.com/products/ip/processors/32_16bit/m-arm-cortex-m1.html.

[Altera_Forum]

Altera has performace information about NIOSII including how it compares to chips and any FPGA competition. I don't see that information on the Altera web site. You would likely have to get it from the local Altera sales force. You also may be able to get a loaner NIOSII development kit from Altera's university program. I'm not sure if I should spend Altera forum time to point you to their competition, but it is called micro-blaze.

[Altera_Forum]

thanx a lot for the quick replies!!!you don't know how much this helps. 

I will definitely have a look at the links you've given me. thanx again!!

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Hi people!!   compare a selection Fpgas that include a processor manufactured by all available vendors if possible.  --- Quote End ---     Altera: NIOSII (softcore) Xilinx: Microblaze (softcore) and PPC (hardcore) Actel: Leon3 (softcore), CoreMP7 (softcore) and Cortex (hardcore) Lattice: Mico32 (softcore)

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Altera: NIOSII (softcore)  --- Quote End ---     Altera's offerings are more extensive than just Nios II. http://www.altera.com/technology/embedded/overview/emb-overview.html also lists ARM Cortex-M1 and Freescale V1 ColdFire. That web page has a link to a list of additional third-party soft-core processors.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Altera's offerings are more extensive than just Nios II. http://www.altera.com/technology/embedded/overview/emb-overview.html also lists ARM Cortex-M1 and Freescale V1 ColdFire. That web page has a link to a list of additional third-party soft-core processors.  --- Quote End ---    Hello experts,  We are (as many others) looking forward for Linux support for some applications that use "fork" and memory Allocation. In the mean time do you know of any possible alternative of a softcore with MMU that can be mapped into a CycloneIII 25?   Is it possible to add an MMU to the ColdFire or Cortex-M1?  Thanks in advance

[Altera_Forum]

Nios II can have a MMU, since version 8.0

[Altera_Forum]

Hi Daixiwen, 

 Yes, Nios II have an MMU but there is not an availabe porting of Linux yet, and we need Linux in our Cyclone III 25 device.  Thanks,