PIC16F8X_13 Datasheet, PDF (18/128 Pages) Microchip Technology – 18-pin Flash/EEPROM 8-Bit Microcontrollers

PIC16F8X
4.3 Program Counter: PCL and PCLATH
The Program Counter (PC) is 13-bits wide. The low
byte is the PCL register, which is a readable and
writable register. The high byte of the PC (PC<12:8>) is
not directly readable nor writable and comes from the
PCLATH register. The PCLATH (PC latch high) register
is a holding register for PC<12:8>. The contents of
PCLATH are transferred to the upper byte of the
program counter when the PC is loaded with a new
value. This occurs during a CALL, GOTO or a write to
PCL. The high bits of PC are loaded from PCLATH as
shown in Figure 4-1.
FIGURE 4-1: LOADING OF PC IN
DIFFERENT SITUATIONS
PCH
PCL
12
87
PC
PCLATH<4:0>
5
0
INST with PCL
as dest
8
ALU result
PCLATH
PCH
PCL
12 11 10 8 7
0
PC
2
PCLATH<4:3>
GOTO, CALL
11
Opcode <10:0>
PCLATH
4.3.1 COMPUTED GOTO
A computed GOTO is accomplished by adding an offset
to the program counter (ADDWF PCL). When doing a
table read using a computed GOTO method, care should
be exercised if the table location crosses a PCL memory
boundary (each 256 word block). Refer to the application
note “Implementing a Table Read” (AN556).
4.3.2 PROGRAM MEMORY PAGING
The PIC16F83 and PIC16CR83 have 512 words of pro-
gram memory. The PIC16F84 and PIC16CR84 have
1K of program memory. The CALL and GOTO instruc-
tions have an 11-bit address range. This 11-bit address
range allows a branch within a 2K program memory
page size. For future PIC16F8X program memory
expansion, there must be another two bits to specify
the program memory page. These paging bits come
from the PCLATH<4:3> bits (Figure 4-1). When doing a
CALL or a GOTO instruction, the user must ensure that
these page bits (PCLATH<4:3>) are programmed to
the desired program memory page. If a CALL instruc-
tion (or interrupt) is executed, the entire 13-bit PC is
“pushed” onto the stack (see next section). Therefore,
manipulation of the PCLATH<4:3> is not required for
the return instructions (which “pops” the PC from the
stack).
Note:
The PIC16F8X ignores the PCLATH<4:3>
bits, which are used for program memory
pages 1, 2 and 3 (0800h - 1FFFh). The
use of PCLATH<4:3> as general purpose
R/W bits is not recommended since this
may affect upward compatibility with
future products.
4.4 Stack
The PIC16FXX has an 8 deep x 13-bit wide hardware
stack (Figure 4-1). The stack space is not part of either
program or data space and the stack pointer is not
readable or writable.
The entire 13-bit PC is “pushed” onto the stack when a
CALL instruction is executed or an interrupt is acknowl-
edged. The stack is “popped” in the event of a
RETURN, RETLW or a RETFIE instruction execution.
PCLATH is not affected by a push or a pop operation.
Note:
There are no instruction mnemonics
called push or pop. These are actions that
occur from the execution of the CALL,
RETURN, RETLW, and RETFIE instruc-
tions, or the vectoring to an interrupt
address.
The stack operates as a circular buffer. That is, after the
stack has been pushed eight times, the ninth push over-
writes the value that was stored from the first push. The
tenth push overwrites the second push (and so on).
If the stack is effectively popped nine times, the PC
value is the same as the value from the first pop.
Note: There are no status bits to indicate stack
overflow or stack underflow conditions.
DS30430D-page 18
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