Architectures and Processors

ARM Cortex-R5F MBIST Configuration Challenges in SoC Designs The ARM Cortex-R5F is a widely used real-time processor core in System-on-Chip (SoC) designs, particularly in applications requiring high reliability and deterministic performance. One critical aspect of ensuring reliability in such designs is the implementation of Memory Built-In Self-Test (MBIST) mechanisms. MBIST is essential for detecting memory…

Accessing Secure Modules from Non-Secure World in TF-M The integration of secure and non-secure worlds in Trusted Firmware-M (TF-M) on the STM32U5 microcontroller involves leveraging Arm TrustZone technology, which is designed to provide hardware-enforced isolation between secure and non-secure states. The STM32U5 microcontroller, based on the Arm Cortex-M33 processor, implements TrustZone to partition resources such…

AXI Burst Transaction Requirements and Response Handling The Advanced eXtensible Interface (AXI) protocol is a critical component in modern System-on-Chip (SoC) designs, particularly when dealing with ARM-based architectures. AXI defines a high-performance, high-frequency interface between managers (initiators) and subordinates (targets). One of the most complex aspects of AXI is its handling of burst transactions, where…

ARM Cortex-A76 STP Instruction Latency Discrepancy The ARM Cortex-A76 processor, a high-performance CPU core designed for mobile and embedded applications, exhibits an unexpected latency anomaly in the Store Pair (STP) instruction when benchmarked using the MegPeak tool. The observed latency for the STP instruction is significantly higher than the values documented in the ARM Cortex-A76…

ARMv8-A CurrentEL Register Access and Exception Level Detection The ARMv8-A architecture introduces a hierarchical exception model with four distinct exception levels (EL0 to EL3), each serving a specific purpose in the system’s security and privilege model. The CurrentEL register is a system register that holds the current exception level of the executing code. Retrieving the…

ARM Cortex-A53 Core Lockup During FPGA Memory Writes with Device-GRE Attributes The ARM Cortex-A53 core, when configured to use Device-GRE (Gathering, Reordering, Early Write Acknowledgment) memory attributes for FPGA memory accesses, can experience core lockups and interconnect desynchronization. This issue arises when the A53 core attempts to combine multiple writes into larger AXI transactions to…

ARM Cortex-A RAS Error Injection: SError Exception Not Triggering for CE/DE Errors The ARM Cortex-A architecture, particularly when utilizing the FEAT_RASv1p1 (Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability) extension, provides mechanisms for error injection and containment. However, a common issue arises when attempting to inject Corrected Errors (CE) and Deferred Errors (DE) using the Pseudo-fault Generation Control Register…

ARM Cortex-A7 Shared L2 Cache Configuration and Real-Time Performance Optimization The ARM Cortex-A7 processor, often used in dual-core configurations, is designed for energy efficiency and is commonly found in embedded systems requiring a balance between performance and power consumption. One of the key features of the Cortex-A7 is its shared L2 cache, which is typically…

ARM TrustZone-M Secure to Non-Secure State Transition Violation The core issue revolves around a Secure Fault triggered by an Invalid Transaction (INVTRAN) when attempting to call a Non-Secure (NS) function from a Non-Secure Callable (NSCallable) section in an ARM TrustZone-M implementation. TrustZone-M, a security extension for ARMv8-M architectures, enforces strict isolation between Secure and Non-Secure…

AMBA CHI Chip-to-Chip TxnID Pass-Through and Remapping Ambiguity The AMBA CHI (Coherent Hub Interface) protocol is a critical component in modern ARM-based systems, enabling efficient communication between multiple chips in a coherent system. One of the key aspects of this protocol is the handling of transaction identifiers (TxnIDs) and source identifiers (SrcIDs) across chip-to-chip (C2C)…