Memory Initialization File (.mif) Definition

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 Hexadecimal (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 "\t" 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;