Author: Elijah Erickson

The first step in a reset handler should be to save the processor state. This involves saving important register values like the program counter, stack pointer, and any other registers that contain information needed to restore the state of the program prior to the reset. Preserving this state is crucial so that after the reset

When a processor powers on, it goes through a series of steps to initialize hardware, configure memory, and load the operating system. This sequence of events is referred to as the boot process or boot sequence. The exact steps vary between processor architectures, but generally involve the following high-level phases: Power-on Self-Test The first phase

Bare metal programming refers to writing software directly for hardware, without the use of an operating system or libraries. It involves interacting with hardware like processors, memory and peripherals at a low level. Bare metal programming can be challenging, but offers advantages like performance, full hardware control, and small memory footprint. Ultimately, whether bare metal

When a Cortex-M processor first powers on or resets, it goes through a detailed start-up sequence before it begins executing the user’s program code. This start-up sequence configures the processor and prepares the system for program execution. The key steps are: 1. Processor Reset The processor initiates a reset sequence. This puts all core registers

When an ARM processor powers on, it goes through a process called booting to load and start executing the software that controls the system. This boot process has several key steps: Reset After power is applied, the processor begins executing code from a known reset vector location. This reset handler code is stored in on-chip

ARM Cortex-M processors are a range of low-power microcontrollers designed for embedded and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. There are currently 8 main families of Cortex-M processors, each optimized for different use cases. Cortex-M0/M0+ The Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M0+ are ARM’s smallest and lowest power microcontrollers. They are designed for simple, low-cost embedded applications where power

ARM Cortex Microcontrollers are a series of low power, high performance 32-bit and 64-bit RISC core processors optimized for embedded systems. They are designed and licensed by ARM Holdings and manufactured by various semiconductor companies. The Cortex series offers a wide range of cores optimized for different applications, making them highly popular in embedded electronics.

A bootloader is a small program that runs when a microcontroller first powers up and helps load your main application code into memory. Writing your own bootloader gives you more control and customization for your embedded project. 1. Understanding the Boot Process When a microcontroller first receives power, it begins executing instructions starting at a

The ARM Cortex-M0 is an ultra low power 32-bit RISC processor core licensed by ARM Holdings. It is aimed at microcontroller applications that require a low gate count, small silicon footprint, and low power consumption. One of the key metrics to evaluate the performance of a RISC processor like Cortex-M0 is its cycles per instruction

The ARM Cortex-M55 is the latest and most advanced processor in ARM’s Cortex-M series of embedded, IoT and MCU-focused processor cores. The Cortex-M55 builds upon the previous generation Cortex-M33 processor and brings new capabilities and performance specifically aimed at AI and ML workloads in embedded and edge devices. Overview and Target Applications The Cortex-M55 is