ARM Cortex-R82 Cache Coherency in Multi-CPU Systems with ACE5-LITE The ARM Cortex-R82 processor, equipped with an ACE5-LITE interface, is designed for high-performance real-time applications. However, maintaining cache coherency in systems where the Cortex-R82 interacts with multiple CPUs or hardware modules can present significant challenges. The ACE5-LITE interface, while providing some level of coherency support, does…
ARM PL310 L2 Cache Controller SLVERR Interrupt Not Raised in ISR The ARM PL310 Level 2 Cache Controller (L2C) is a critical component in many ARM-based systems, providing high-performance caching mechanisms to optimize memory access. However, a specific issue arises when attempting to handle AXI slave errors (SLVERR) within the PL310 L2C, particularly when these…
ARMv8 AArch64 and AArch32 Compatibility Constraints The ARMv8 architecture introduces a significant shift in the way 32-bit and 64-bit applications and libraries interact. ARMv8 supports two execution states: AArch64, which is the 64-bit execution state, and AArch32, which is the 32-bit execution state. While ARMv8 processors are designed to be backward compatible with ARMv7 (32-bit)…
ARMv8 Cortex-A72 Thread Pinning and Core Affinity Implementation Understanding Thread Pinning and Core Affinity on ARMv8 Cortex-A72 Thread pinning, also known as thread affinity, is a technique used in multi-core systems to bind a specific thread to a particular CPU core. This is particularly useful in scenarios where you want to control the execution environment…
ARM Cortex-A76/77/78 NEON Performance Evaluation Challenges When working with advanced ARM Cortex-A series processors such as the A76, A77, and A78, evaluating the performance and energy efficiency of compiler techniques involving NEON instructions can be particularly challenging. NEON, ARM’s advanced SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) technology, is crucial for accelerating multimedia and signal processing applications….
ARM Cortex-M0 Integration Challenges for IP Testing The implementation of an ARM Cortex-M0 as a test controller (TC) for verifying multiple IPs presents a unique set of challenges. The Cortex-M0, being a 32-bit RISC processor, is designed for low-power and cost-sensitive applications, making it an attractive choice for embedded systems. However, its simplicity and lack…
Cortex-M4 Interrupt Timing Issue Due to Peripheral Write Buffer Latency The Cortex-M4 microcontroller, specifically the STM32F417 variant, exhibits an unexpected behavior where a timer interrupt occurs immediately after being disabled via a memory-mapped peripheral register. This issue manifests when the interrupt disable operation is followed by a few instructions, and the interrupt service routine (ISR)…
ARM Cortex-M33 TrustZone Partitioning and Non-Secure Peripheral Initialization The ARM Cortex-M33 processor, with its TrustZone security extension, provides a robust mechanism for partitioning code and resources into secure and non-secure worlds. This partitioning is essential for applications requiring high security, such as IoT devices handling sensitive data. However, the separation of secure and non-secure worlds…
ARM Cortex-A53 Execution Halt in EL3h Mode at EL3:0x0000000000000200 The issue described involves a Cortex-A53 processor halting execution in EL3h mode at the address EL3:0x0000000000000200. The debugger reports an undefined instruction (DCI 0xe7ff0010) at this location, indicating that the processor encountered an invalid or unsupported opcode. This behavior suggests a critical failure in the system’s…
SysTick Interrupt Handler Implementation and Common Pitfalls in STM32F103 The SysTick timer is a fundamental component of ARM Cortex-M processors, including the STM32F103 microcontroller. It provides a simple and efficient way to generate periodic interrupts, which are often used for task scheduling, timekeeping, and other time-sensitive operations. However, implementing and debugging SysTick interrupt handlers can…