Nios II Classic Processor Reference Guide

ID 683620
Date 10/28/2016
Public
Document Table of Contents

3. Programming Model

This chapter describes the Nios® II programming model, covering processor features at the assembly language level. Fully understanding the contents of this chapter requires prior knowledge of computer architecture, operating systems, virtual memory and memory management, software processes and process management, exception handling, and instruction sets. This chapter assumes you have a detailed understanding of these concepts and focuses on how these concepts are specifically implemented in the Nios® II processor. Where possible, this chapter uses industry-standard terminology.

Note: Because of the flexibility and capability range of the Nios® II processor, this chapter covers topics that support a variety of operating systems and runtime environments. While reading, be aware that all sections might not apply to you. For example, if you are using a minimal system runtime environment, you can ignore the sections covering operating modes, the MMU, the MPU, or the control registers exclusively used by the MMU and MPU.