ATXMEGA128B1 Datasheet, PDF (11/138 Pages) ATMEL Corporation – 8/16-bit Atmel XMEGA B1 Microcontroller

7.3 Flash Program Memory
The Atmel AVR XMEGA devices contain on-chip, in-system reprogrammable flash memory for program storage. The
flash memory can be accessed for read and write from an external programmer through the PDI or from application
software running in the device.
All AVR CPU instructions are 16 or 32 bits wide, and each flash location is 16 bits wide. The flash memory is organized
in two main sections, the application section and the boot loader section. The sizes of the different sections are fixed, but
device-dependent. These two sections have separate lock bits, and can have different levels of protection. The store
program memory (SPM) instruction, which is used to write to the flash from the application software, will only operate
when executed from the boot loader section.
The application section contains an application table section with separate lock settings. This enables safe storage of
nonvolatile data in the program memory.
Figure 7-1. Flash program memory (Hexadecimal address).
Word Address
ATxmega128B1
ATxmega64B1
0
0
EFFF /
F000 /
FFFF /
10000 /
10FFF /
77FF
7800
7FFF
8000
87FF
Application section (bytes)
(128K/64K)
...
Application table section (bytes)
(8K/4K)
Boot section (bytes)
(8K/4K)
7.3.1
Application Section
The Application section is the section of the flash that is used for storing the executable application code. The protection
level for the application section can be selected by the boot lock bits for this section. The application section can not store
any boot loader code since the SPM instruction cannot be executed from the application section.
7.3.2
Application Table Section
The application table section is a part of the application section of the flash memory that can be used for storing data.
The size is identical to the boot loader section. The protection level for the application table section can be selected by
the boot lock bits for this section. The possibilities for different protection levels on the application section and the
application table section enable safe parameter storage in the program memory. If this section is not used for data,
application code can reside here.
7.3.3
Boot Loader Section
While the application section is used for storing the application code, the boot loader software must be located in the boot
loader section because the SPM instruction can only initiate programming when executing from this section. The SPM
instruction can access the entire flash, including the boot loader section itself. The protection level for the boot loader
section can be selected by the boot loader lock bits. If this section is not used for boot loader software, application code
can be stored here.
XMEGA B1 [DATASHEET] 11
8330C–AVR–07/2012