The Definitive Guide to the ARM Cortex-M3

This user's guide does far more than simply outline the ARM Cortex-M3 CPU features; it explains step-by-step how to program and implement the processor in real-world designs. It teaches readers how to utilize the complete and thumb instruction sets in order to obtain the best functionality, efficiency, and reuseability. The author, an ARM engineer who helped develop the core, provides many examples and diagrams that aid understanding. Quick reference appendices make locating specific details a snap!

Whole chapters are dedicated to: Debugging using the new CoreSight technology Migrating effectively from the ARM7 The Memory Protection Unit Interfaces, Exceptions,Interrupts ...and much more!

*The only available guide to programming and using the groundbreaking ARM Cortex-M3 processor

*Easy-to-understand examples, diagrams, quick reference appendices, full instruction and Thumb-2 instruction sets are all included

*The author, an ARM engineer on the M3 development team, teaches end users how to start from the ground up with the M3, and how to migrate from the ARM7

Embedded Software, Hardware and Systems Engineers, Programmers, Designers, Developers and Architects, Embedded Product Developers, Upper-level Undergraduate and Graduate Students in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Chapter 1 - Introduction
*What is the Cortex-M3 Processor?
*Background of ARM and ARM Architecture
*Background
*Architecture Versions
*Processor Naming
*Instruction Set development
*Thumb®-2 Instruction Set
*Cortex-M3 processor applications
*Organization of this book
*Further Reading
Chapter 2 - Overview of the Cortex-M3 Processor
Fundamental
*Registers
*Operation Modes
*Built-in Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller
*Memory Map
*Bus Interface
*Memory Protection Unit (MPU)
*Instruction Set
*Interrupt & Exception
*Debug support
*Characteristics Summary
Chapter 3 – Cortex-M3 Processor Basics
*Registers
*Special registers
*Operation Mode
*Exceptions and Interrupts
*Vector Table
*Stack memory operations
*Reset sequence
Chapter 4 – Instruction Set
*Assembly basics
*Assembler language – Basic syntax
*Assembler language – Use of Suffixes
*Assembler language – Unified Assembler Language
*Instruction list
*16-bit data processing instructions
*16-bit branch instructions
*16-bit Load and Store instructions
*Other 16-bit instructions
*32-bit data processing instructions
*32-bit Load and Store instructions
*32-bit Branch instructions
*Other 32-bit instructions
*Unsupported Instructions
*Instruction Descriptions
*Several useful instructions in the Cortex-M3 processor
*MSR, MRS
*IT (If Then)
*CBZ, CBNZ
*SDIV, UDIV
*REV, REVH, REVSH
*RBIT
*SXTB, SXTH, UXTB, UXTH
*BFC, BFI
*UBFX, SBFX
*LDRD, STRD
*TBB, TBH
Chapter 5 - Memory System
*Memory System Features Overview
*Memory Map
*Memory Access Attributes
*Default Memory Access Permissions
*Bit band operation
*Advantages of bit band operations
*Bit Band operation of different data size
*Bit Band operation in C Programs
*Unaligned Transfers
*Exclusive accesses
*Endian
Chapter 6 - Cortex-M3 Processor Implementation Overview
*Pipeline
*Detailed Block diagram
*Bus interfaces on the Cortex-M3 processor
*I-CODE bus
*D-CODE bus
*System Bus
*External Private Peripheral Bus (External PPB)
*DAP (Debug Access Port) Bus
*Other interfaces in Cortex-M3
*External Private Peripheral Bus
*Typical connections
*Reset signals
Chapter 7 - Exceptions
*Exception Types
*Definitions of priority
*Vector Table
*Interrupt inputs and pending behaviors
*Faults exceptions
*Bus faults
*Memory Management Fault
*Usage Fault
*Hard Fault
*Dealing with faults
*SVC and PendSV
Chapter 8 - NVIC and Interrupt Control
*NVIC Overview
*Basic Interrupt Configuration
*Interrupt Enable and Clear Enable
*Interrupt Pending and Clear Pending
*Priority Level
*Active Status
*PRIMASK and FAULTMASK special registers
*BASEPRI special register
*Configuration registers for other exceptions
*Example procedures of setting up an interrupt
*Software interrupts
*SYSTICK timer
Chapter 9 - Interrupt Behavior
*Interrupt/exception sequence
*Exception Exit
*Nested Interrupt
*Tail chaining interrupt
*Late arrival
*More on the Exception Return (EXC_RETURN) value
*Interrupt Latency
*Faults related to Interrupts Chapter 10 – Cortex-M3 Processor Programming
Overview
*Using Assembly
*Using C
*Interface between assembly and C
*Typical development flow
*The first step
*Producing Outputs
*Hello World Example
*Using Data memory
*Using Exclusive access for semaphore
*Using bit band for semaphore
*Working with Bit Field Extract and Table Branch
Chapter 11 – Exceptions Programming
*Using Interrupts
*Stack setup
*Vector table setup
*Interrupt Priority Setup
*Enable the interrupt
*Exception/Interrupt Handler
*Software Interrupts
*Example with Exception handlers
*Using SVC
*Using SVC for output functions
*Using SVC with C
Chapter 12 – Advance Programming Features & System Behavior
*Running system with two separate stacks
*Double Word Stack alignment
*Non-base thread enable
*Performance Consideration
*LOCKUP situations
*Avoid Lockup
Chapter 13 – Memory Protection Unit (MPU)
Overview
*MPU Registers
*Setting up MPU
*Typical setup
Chapter 14 – Other Cortex-M3 Processor Features
SYSTICK timer
*Power Management
*Multiprocessor communication (SEV and WFE)
*Self Reset Control
Chapter 15 – Debug Architecture
*Debug features overview
*CoreSight overview
*Processor debug interface
*Debug Host interface
*DP module, AP module and DAP
*Trace interface
*CoreSight characteristics
*Debug modes
*Debug events
*Breakpoint in Cortex-M3
*Accessing Registers' content in debug
*Other core debug features
Chapter 16 – Debug Components
*Introduction
*Trace system in the Cortex-M3 Processor
*Trace components - Data Watchpoint and Trace (DWT)
*Trace components - Instrumentation Trace *Macrocell (ITM)
*Software Trace with ITM
*Hardware Trace with ITM and DWT
*ITM Timestamp
*Trace components - Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM)
*Trace components - Trace Port Interface Unit (TPIU)
*Flash Patch and Breakpoint (FPB) Unit
*AHB Access Port (AHB-AP)
*ROM Table
Chapter 17 – Getting Started with Cortex-M3 Processor Development
*Choosing a Cortex-M3 product
*Differences between Cortex-M3 revision 0 and revision 1
*Development Tools
Chapter 18 – Porting Applications from ARM7 to the Cortex-M3 Processor
*Overview
*System characteristics
*Assembly language files
*C program files *Precompiled Object files
*Optimization
Chapter 19 – Starting Cortex-M3 development using GNU Tool Chain
*Background
*Getting GNU Tool Chain
*Development flow
*Example 1 - The first program
*Example 2 – Linking multiple files together
*Example 3 – A simple hello world program
*Example 4 – Data in RAM
*Example 5 – C only, without assembly file
*Example 6 – C only, with standard C startup code
*Accessing special registers
*Using unsupported instructions
*In-line assembler in GNU C Compiler
Chapter 20 – Getting started with the RealView® Microcontroller Development Kit
*Overview of RealView Microcontroller Development Kit
*Getting start with Vision
*Output “Hello world” message via UART
*Testing the software
*Using the debugger
*Instruction Set Simulator
*Modifying the vector table
*Stopwatch Example with Interrupts
Appendix I Cortex-M3 Instructions Summary
*Supported 16-bit Thumb instructions
*Supported 32-bit Thumb-2 instructions
Appendix II – 16-bit Thumb Instructions and architecture versions
Appendix III – Cortex-M3 Exceptions Quick Reference
*Exceptions types and Enable
*Stack contents after Exception Stacking
Appendix IV - NVIC Registers Quick Reference
Appendix V Cortex-M3 Trouble Shooting Guide
Overview
*Developing Fault Handler
*Understanding cause of the fault
*Other possible problems
Index