ARM Cortex-M Thumb-2 Instruction Set and Function Pointer Misalignment The issue at hand involves a Hardfault error occurring during the execution of a callback function in an ARM Cortex-M-based system. The fault manifests when the program attempts to branch to a function pointer stored in register r3. The function pointer value in r3 is 0x00422091,…
ARM Cortex-M0+ Hard Fault During Interrupt Handling and EEPROM Access The issue at hand involves a hard fault occurring on an ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller (specifically the STM32L0x1 series) during an interrupt service routine (ISR) that attempts to copy data to EEPROM. The hard fault persists even when the EEPROM write operation is removed, suggesting a…
ARM Cortex-A9 Compilation Issues with Ne10 Library and ARM Compiler 5 The Ne10 library, a popular open-source library optimized for ARM architectures, is designed to leverage the capabilities of ARM processors, particularly for signal processing, matrix operations, and other computationally intensive tasks. However, integrating the Ne10 library into projects using ARM Compiler 5 (also known…
ARM Cortex-R5 and Cortex-A53 Architectural Differences and Compatibility Challenges The coexistence of ARM Cortex-R5 and Cortex-A53 cores in a single system presents several architectural and compatibility challenges. The Cortex-R5 is based on the ARMv7-R architecture, which is designed for real-time applications, while the Cortex-A53 is based on the ARMv8-A architecture, targeting general-purpose and mobile applications….
ARM Cortex-M0/M3 DesignStart Pro Licensing and GDSII File Access The ARM Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M3 processors are widely used in embedded systems due to their low power consumption, high performance, and ease of integration. For students and professionals looking to tape out a System-on-Chip (SoC) using these processors, understanding the licensing options and the availability of…
Compiler Error: Missing "system_MKL25Z4.h" Header File in FRDM-KL25Z GPIO Example When working with ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontrollers such as the FRDM-KL25Z, developers often encounter compilation errors related to missing header files. One such error is the inability of the compiler to locate the system_MKL25Z4.h file, despite the correct inclusion of the MKL25Z4.h header and the provision…
TrustZone Monitor Mode Entry Mechanisms and Security Implications The ARM TrustZone technology provides a robust security framework by partitioning the system into Secure and Normal worlds. The Secure world is designed to handle sensitive operations, while the Normal world operates in a less privileged environment. The transition between these worlds is tightly controlled through the…
Debugger-Based Firmware Testing Framework for Cortex-M MCUs The development of a Python-based framework for on-target firmware testing of Cortex-M microcontroller units (MCUs) presents a unique opportunity to streamline the testing process while maintaining the integrity of the firmware. This framework leverages the debug probe to perform unit and system tests without requiring modifications to the…
ARM Cortex-M4F Pipeline Architecture and Execution Overlap Constraints The Cortex-M4F processor, a member of ARM’s Cortex-M series, is designed for embedded applications requiring both integer and floating-point operations. It features separate hardware units for integer and floating-point arithmetic, allowing for parallel execution of instructions under certain conditions. However, the pipeline architecture and resource allocation mechanisms…
ARM Cortex-A72 Memory Bandwidth Degradation with Disabled MMU When working with ARM Cortex-A72 processors in a multi-core system, memory bandwidth optimization is critical for achieving peak performance, especially in bare-metal applications that rely heavily on external L3 memory access. A common issue arises when the Memory Management Unit (MMU) is disabled, leading to significant memory…