PIC24HJ12GP201 Datasheet, PDF (35/234 Pages) Microchip Technology – High-Performance, 16-Bit Microcontrollers

PIC24HJ12GP201/202
3.4 Interfacing Program and Data
Memory Spaces
The PIC24HJ12GP201/202 architecture uses a 24-bit-
wide program space and a 16-bit-wide data space. The
architecture is also a modified Harvard scheme, mean-
ing that data can also be present in the program space.
To use this data successfully, it must be accessed in a
way that preserves the alignment of information in both
spaces.
Aside from normal execution, the PIC24HJ12GP201/
202 architecture provides two methods by which pro-
gram space can be accessed during operation:
• Using table instructions to access individual bytes
or words anywhere in the program space
• Remapping a portion of the program space into
the data space (Program Space Visibility)
Table instructions allow an application to read or write
to small areas of the program memory. This capability
makes the method ideal for accessing data tables that
need to be updated periodically. It also allows access
to all bytes of the program word. The remapping
method allows an application to access a large block of
data on a read-only basis, which is ideal for look ups
from a large table of static data. The application can
only access the least significant word of the program
word.
3.4.1 ADDRESSING PROGRAM SPACE
Since the address ranges for the data and program
spaces are 16 and 24 bits, respectively, a method is
needed to create a 23-bit or 24-bit program address
from 16-bit data registers. The solution depends on the
interface method to be used.
For table operations, the 8-bit Table Page register
(TBLPAG) is used to define a 32K word region within
the program space. This is concatenated with a 16-bit
EA to arrive at a full 24-bit program space address. In
this format, the Most Significant bit of TBLPAG is used
to determine if the operation occurs in the user memory
(TBLPAG<7> = 0) or the configuration memory
(TBLPAG<7> = 1).
For remapping operations, the 8-bit Program Space
Visibility register (PSVPAG) is used to define a
16K word page in the program space. When the Most
Significant bit of the EA is ‘1’, PSVPAG is concatenated
with the lower 15 bits of the EA to form a 23-bit program
space address. Unlike table operations, this limits
remapping operations strictly to the user memory area.
Table 3-23 and Figure 3-5 show how the program EA is
created for table operations and remapping accesses
from the data EA. Here, P<23:0> refers to a program
space word, and D<15:0> refers to a data space word.
TABLE 3-23: PROGRAM SPACE ADDRESS CONSTRUCTION
Access Type
Access
Space
Program Space Address
<23>
<22:16>
<15>
<14:1>
<0>
Instruction Access
(Code Execution)
TBLRD/TBLWT
(Byte/Word Read/Write)
User
User
Configuration
0
PC<22:1>
0
0xx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx0
TBLPAG<7:0>
Data EA<15:0>
0xxx xxxx
TBLPAG<7:0>
xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
Data EA<15:0>
Program Space Visibility User
(Block Remap/Read)
1xxx xxxx
xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
0
PSVPAG<7:0>
Data EA<14:0>⁽¹⁾
0
xxxx xxxx
xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
Note 1: Data EA<15> is always ‘1’ in this case, but is not used in calculating the program space address. Bit 15 of
the address is PSVPAG<0>.
© 2007 Microchip Technology Inc.
Preliminary
DS70282B-page 33