Nios ii Instruction Macros

When we are designing a custom instruction in nios ii processor, we add our HDL file that includes the signals for inputs and result(output) _which defines the entity of the instruction_ to the processor.

1.Is there such entities for nios ii instruction somewhere in nios system vhd file?

2.How a macro works for custom instruction then?

The internals of the cpu are encrypted and hidden.

You can see the logic of the custom instruction decoder and mux in one of the randon windows during synthesis.

Basically all the instruction logic blocks are given the entire input info (32bit instruction word and two 32bit register values), calculate their result, and a big mux selects the correct result and 'write-back' enable.

When we try to run an application program on Altera Monitor Program, there should be a file (written in macroprocessor language) included i main program that defines the instructions we have used in main program.

For example "nios_macros.s":

--- Quote Start ---

.ifndef _nios2_macros_

.equ _nios2_macros_,1

# --------------------

# GEQU symbol, value

#

# Macro to define a global symbol

.macro GEQU sym,val

.global \sym

.equ \sym,\val

.endm

# --------------------

# GFUNC symbol

#

# Macro to define a global function

.macro GFUNC sym

.global \sym

.type \sym, @function

\sym:

.endm

# --------------------

# MOVI32 $reg, imm32

#

# Macro to move a 32-bit immediate into a register.

.macro MOVI32 reg, val

movhi \reg, %hi(\val)

ori \reg, \reg, %lo(\val)

.endm

# --------------------

# MOVIA $reg, address

#

# Macro to move a 32-bit address into a register.

.macro MOVIA reg, addr

movhi \reg, %hi(\addr)

ori \reg, \reg, %lo(\addr)

.endm

# +----------------------------

# | MOVIK32 reg,value

# |

# | for constants only, no linker action

# | uses only one instruction if possible

# |

.macro MOVIK32 _dst,_val

.if (\_val & 0xffff0000) == 0

MOVUI \_dst,%lo(\_val)

.elseif (\_val & 0x0000ffff) == 0

MOVHI \_dst,%hi(\_val)

.else

MOVHI \_dst,%hi(\_val)

ORI \_dst,\_dst,%lo(\_val)

.endif

.endm

.endif# _nios2_macros_

# end of file

--- Quote End ---

Those are expanded by the assembler - gas.

The standard opcodes are compiled into the assembler itself.

I still don't understand how macros are related to instruction, what is the relation between them?

Also how can I see the entities of the instructions inside the Nios CPU?

I still don't see why you have a problem....

Those gas macros convert assembly source lines into ones that gas itself understands. gas generates an object file containing the numeric instructions. The cpu logic is controlled by the instructions.

This is what happens for any cpu.

Altera encrypt the internals of the cpu so that it can't be copied, quite a lot of the operation can be inferred from the instruction set and instruction timings.