Is Nios II free?

[Altera_Forum]

Is the Nios II processor free? I have checked the Altera website but I do not quite understand what a time limited license is? Is the IDE time limited or is the processor that runs in your FPGA time limited? 

 Ben

[Altera_Forum]

The NIOS II processor is free to the extent that once you purchase a license to compile the NIOS II code through your tools, then you do not have to pay any royalities for inclusion in any of your designs. 

 The NIOS II IP is delivered with the basic Altera software IP release, but until it is licensed it will only allow "teathered" usage in your designs. (Via open core plus and the JTAG cable).  If you purchase it with a Kit then the license is good for one year, after which it will no longer compile. If you purchase it as a full subscription then it will compile forever, but after one year, if you do not renew your maintainance, then you cannot update to the then latest version of Altera tools (but the latest one you get just before your license expires will work perpetually).  I hope this clears things up.  Avatar

[Altera_Forum]

To add to what Avatar said... 

 The license Avatar talks about is pretty cheap: $495 a seat.  If that's too much, Altera does offer a free (as in $0) time limited license too, which you mentioned in your question. They call this "OpenCore Plus". Great for evaluating with having to pony up the 500 bucks.  The way the OC+ license works is that the Nios core will run forever as long as a Blaster programming cable is connected to the board. Once the programming cable is disconnected the Nios core will time out after a certain amount of time (not sure exactly how long, I think it depends on clock speed.)

[Altera_Forum]

does the full nios II license covers other nios-related features like C2H compiler and MicroC/OS II as well or they need separate license?

[Altera_Forum]

C2H has an additional cost. 

 MicroC/OS II is provided in such a way that you can play with it, and once you decide you want to sell something with it in the offering, then they work out the costs with you.  Very easy, not real costly.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  If you purchase it with a Kit then the license is good for one year  --- Quote End ---    I don't understand, the pricing doesn't make any sense to me. According to Altera web site, a Quartus subscription has a yearly cost of $2.495. Add the NIOS subscription and the yearly cost is almost $3.000. OTOH, the Nios Kit costs $995.  Why would you pay $3.000 per year when you can get the same by buying one NIOS Kit every year, at less than $1.000? Plus you have a new hardware kit every year, which I guess you eventually could use for decoration purposes :)  Of course that there is a difference, the subscription doesn't expire as the kit license. That would make a difference if you want to purchase the license one. But if you plan to mantain a subscription, then it doesn't make any sense to me.

[Altera_Forum]

Nios was part of the IP that came with my Quartus subscription last year. 

 If you want to add Nios to a free web license I think that is $499   That seems to be what you also get with a Nios kit. IIRC the Nios subscription never runs out but only works with Nios updates up to 1 year from the Nios kit or Nios license purchase. IOW you can keep using the original Nios and some later updates forever but after a year newer versions will not compile without timeout.   This is all consistent with 3 yrs Nios experience but may be inaccurate in some detail.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Nios was part of the IP that came with my Quartus subscription last year. If you want to add Nios to a free web license I think that is $499  --- Quote End ---    So the Quartus subscription includes an updated license of the Nios IP? I stand corrected.  But this doesn't chage the equation too much. It is now approx. $2.500 yearly vs. $1.000. It still doesn't make sense. It is still much cheaper to purchase a new Nios kit every year instead of mantaining a subscription.

[Altera_Forum]

At $1000 if you don't need yet another kit you can save $501 and just buy a $499 nios license every year (or as needed).

[Altera_Forum]

OK, OK. 

 Altera offers 3 type of tools. (plus extensions) Quartus II - Free WEB version (has less parts coverage and limited IP)  - Full Subscription bundled with Kits - dies after 1 year.  - Full Subscription - after 1 year, updates will not be licensed, but tool will work ~forever - full tool comes with something called the Base IP Suite - things like Memory controllers, etc.  After too many years of people installing Quartus II and forgetting to also install the MegaWizard IP (of the same revision) - the current installation of the Quartus II tools (8.0) automatically installs the Altera IP (MegaWizard IP library) at the same time.  This is where it gets confusing. - The hardware that make up the NIOS II processor is considered IP, so it gets loaded along with all the other IP (but it is not fully functional - OpenCorePlus) unless you also have a NIOS II IP feature line in your License file.  When you purchase the NIOS II IDE (Software tools GUI) you get the license feature line that allows the hardware to execute without being OpenCorePlus.  ----------- Having said all that, I lucked out one year at a seminar and asked a question from just the right person as to what was the thinking behind the KITs and the 1 year Full version of the tools. The reply was that the price of the Kits is set to cover the costs of the hardware in the kit and production costs assiciated with putting the kit together - the Software tools are just included in case a customer does not already have their own tools - sort of....  The reference designs that come with a kit currently are designed with a particular release of a kit, syncronized to that kit release time (tools version). Altera is working on a method to release example designs that will stay current with each tool release (and SP) as they are released.  Having said all that, yes, one can certainly figure out ways to purchase kits every year or so and will in fact get their tools at a considerably lower price then if they just buy the tool only as you have determined. And you get some form of download cable as well!  Happy shopping! Avatar

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   - Full Subscription - after 1 year, updates will not be licensed, but tool will work ~forever - full tool comes with something called the Base IP Suite - things like Memory controllers, etc.  --- Quote End ---    Now that you mention, I realize there is an important difference with the license provided in the Nios Kit.  I understand the Nios Kit includes licenses for Quartus and Nios only. It doesn't include licenses for the Base IP and ModelSim-Altera. This is a significant difference.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   The way the OC+ license works is that the Nios core will run forever as long as a Blaster programming cable is connected to the board. Once the programming cable is disconnected the Nios core will time out after a certain amount of time (not sure exactly how long, I think it depends on clock speed.)  --- Quote End ---    Hi,  I have ts7300 board (http://www.embeddedarm.com/products/board-detail.php?product=ts-7300) by Technologic Systems that has Cyclone 2, ARM9, and no jtag cable. To load the bitstream onto FPGA it is placed on SD card's file system and uploaded using utility they provided from Linux that runs on a processor. Is there a way to use NIOS II with this system and a free license? I assume I cannot renew the license every time it expires. Since this is an academic excercise, running for a certain number of clocks that would translate to 10-20 min of operation might work out perfectly.  Thanks

[Altera_Forum]

I do not think so for several reasons. 

I do not believe you will be able to make a "loadable image" that the SD card can load.  I also think that the EP2C8 is a rather small FPGA, so placing a NIOS II core in the part and all the other stuff you might need to add may not fit.  If this is true "university" academic exercise, then you might be able to get a University license for cheap, but I think you are just saying it is more of an exploration exercise.  My 2 cents

[Altera_Forum]

I believe it should still be possible to use OC+. OC+ will end up in time-limited mode and will run for approximately 1 hour. Obviously the tethered feature would not work without a cable.