srec_mif(5)							File Formats Manual						       srec_mif(5)

NAME

       srec_mif - Memory Initialization File (MIF) format

DESCRIPTION

       This format was invented by Altera.

       An  ASCII text file (with the extension .mif) that specifies the initial content of a memory block (CAM, RAM, or ROM), that is, the initial
       values for each address. This file is used during project compilation and/or simulation. You can create a Memory Initialization File in the
       Memory Editor, the In-System Memory Content Editor, or the Quartus II Text Editor.

       A  Memory Initialization File serves as an input file for memory initialization in the Compiler and Simulator. You can also use a Hexadeci-
       mal (Intel-Format) File (.hex) to provide memory initialization data.

       A Memory Initialization File contains the initial values for each address in the memory. A separate file is required for each memory block.
       In  a  Memory  Initialization File, you must specify the memory depth and width values. In addition, you can specify data radixes as binary
       (BIN), hexadecimal (HEX), octal (OCT), signed decimal (DEC), or unsigned decimal (UNS) to display and interpret addresses and data  values.
       Data values must match the specified data radix.

       When  creating  a  Memory  Initialization  File	in  the  Quartus  II  Text Editor, you must start with the DEPTH, WIDTH, ADDRESS_RADIX and
       DATA_RADIX keywords. You can use Tab "" and Space " " characters as separators, and insert multiple lines of comments with the percent  "%"
       character,  or  a  single  comment  with  double  dash  "--" characters.  Address:data pairs represent data contained inside certain memory
       addresses and you must place them between the CONTENT BEGIN and END keywords, as shown in the following examples.
	      %  multiple-line comment
	      multiple-line comment  %
	      -- single-line comment
	      DEPTH = 32;		    -- The size of data in bits
	      WIDTH = 8;		    -- The size of memory in words
	      ADDRESS_RADIX = HEX;	    -- The radix for address values
	      DATA_RADIX = BIN; 	    -- The radix for data values
	      CONTENT			    -- start of (address : data pairs)
	      BEGIN
	      00 : 00000000;		    -- memory address : data
	      01 : 00000001;
	      02 : 00000010;
	      03 : 00000011;
	      04 : 00000100;
	      05 : 00000101;
	      06 : 00000110;
	      07 : 00000111;
	      08 : 00001000;
	      09 : 00001001;
	      0A : 00001010;
	      0B : 00001011;
	      0C : 00001100;
	      END;

       There are several ways to specify the address and data, as seen in the following table:

       Notation 	   Interpretation		     Example
       A : D;		   Addr[A] = D			     2 : 4
							     Address: 01234567
							     Data:    00400000
       [A0..A1] : D;	   Addr[A0] to [A1] contain data D   [0..7] : 6
       (See note below.)				     Address: 01234567
							     Data:    66666666
       [A0..A1] : D0 D1;   Addr[A0] = D0,		     [0..7] : 5 6
       (See note below.)   Addr[A0+1] = D1,		     Address: 01234567
			   Add [A0+2] = D0,		     Data:    56565656
			   Addr[A0+3] = D1,
			   until A0+n = A1

       A : D0 D1 D2;	   Addr[A] = D0,		     2 : 4 5 6
			   Addr[A+1] = D1,		     Address: 01234567
			   Addr[A+2] = D2		     Data:    00456000

       Note: The address range forms are limited in SRecord, the range must be less than 255 bytes.  SRecord will never write an address range.

       Note: When reading MIF file, SRecord will round up the number of bits in the WIDTH to be a multiple of 8.  Multi-byte values will  be  laid
       down in memory as big-endian.

       An  ASCII text file (with the extension .mif) that specifies the initial content of a memory block (CAM, RAM, or ROM), that is, the initial
       values for each address.  This file is used during project compilation and/or simulation.  A MIF  contains  the	initial  values  for  each
       address	in  the  memory.   In a MIF, you are also required to specify the memory depth and width values.  In addition, you can specify the
       radixes used to display and interpret addresses and data values.

SIZE MULTIPLIER

       In general, binary data will expand in sized by approximately 3.29 times when 8-bit data is represented with this format (16 bit = 2.75, 32
       bit = 2.47, 64 bit = 2.34).

EXAMPLE

       Following is a sample MIF:
	      DEPTH = 32; % Memory depth and width are required %
	      % DEPTH is the number of addresses %
	      WIDTH = 14; % WIDTH is the number of bits of data per word %
	      % DEPTH and WIDTH should be entered as decimal numbers %
	      ADDRESS_RADIX = HEX; % Address and value radixes are required %
	      DATA_RADIX = HEX; % Enter BIN, DEC, HEX, OCT, or UNS; unless %
				% otherwise specified, radixes = HEX %
	       --Specify values for addresses, which can be single address or range
	      CONTENT
	      BEGIN
	      [0..F]: 3FFF;	% Range: Every address from 0 to F = 3FFF %
	      6     :	 F;	% Single address: Address 6 = F %
	      8     :	 F E 5; % Range starting from specific address %
	      --		% Addr[8] = F, Addr[9] = E, Addr[A] = 5 %
	      END;

REFERENCE

       The   above   information   was	 gleaned   from   the	following   sources:  http://www.altera.com/support/software/nativelink/quartus2/-
       glossary/def_mif.html
       http://www.mil.ufl.edu/4712/docs/mif_help.pdf

COPYRIGHT

       srec_mif version 1.58
       Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Peter Miller

       The srec_mif program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details use the 'srec_mif -VERSion License' command.  This is free software and
       you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; for details use the 'srec_mif -VERSion License' command.

AUTHOR

       Peter Miller   E-Mail:	pmiller@opensource.org.au
       //*		 WWW:	http://miller.emu.id.au/pmiller/

Reference Manual						      SRecord							       srec_mif(5)