TM4C1233H6PGE Datasheet, PDF (118/1261 Pages) Texas Instruments – Tiva Microcontroller

Cortex-M4 Peripherals
3.1.3
3.1.4
■ The processor enters the ISR for the interrupt, changing the state of the interrupt from pending
to active. Then:
– For a level-sensitive interrupt, when the processor returns from the ISR, the NVIC samples
the interrupt signal. If the signal is asserted, the state of the interrupt changes to pending,
which might cause the processor to immediately re-enter the ISR. Otherwise, the state of the
interrupt changes to inactive.
– For a pulse interrupt, the NVIC continues to monitor the interrupt signal, and if this is pulsed
the state of the interrupt changes to pending and active. In this case, when the processor
returns from the ISR the state of the interrupt changes to pending, which might cause the
processor to immediately re-enter the ISR.
If the interrupt signal is not pulsed while the processor is in the ISR, when the processor
returns from the ISR the state of the interrupt changes to inactive.
■ Software writes to the corresponding interrupt clear-pending register bit
– For a level-sensitive interrupt, if the interrupt signal is still asserted, the state of the interrupt
does not change. Otherwise, the state of the interrupt changes to inactive.
– For a pulse interrupt, the state of the interrupt changes to inactive, if the state was pending
or to active, if the state was active and pending.
System Control Block (SCB)
The System Control Block (SCB) provides system implementation information and system control,
including configuration, control, and reporting of the system exceptions.
Memory Protection Unit (MPU)
This section describes the Memory protection unit (MPU). The MPU divides the memory map into
a number of regions and defines the location, size, access permissions, and memory attributes of
each region. The MPU supports independent attribute settings for each region, overlapping regions,
and export of memory attributes to the system.
The memory attributes affect the behavior of memory accesses to the region. The Cortex-M4 MPU
defines eight separate memory regions, 0-7, and a background region.
When memory regions overlap, a memory access is affected by the attributes of the region with the
highest number. For example, the attributes for region 7 take precedence over the attributes of any
region that overlaps region 7.
The background region has the same memory access attributes as the default memory map, but is
accessible from privileged software only.
The Cortex-M4 MPU memory map is unified, meaning that instruction accesses and data accesses
have the same region settings.
If a program accesses a memory location that is prohibited by the MPU, the processor generates
a memory management fault, causing a fault exception and possibly causing termination of the
process in an OS environment. In an OS environment, the kernel can update the MPU region setting
dynamically based on the process to be executed. Typically, an embedded OS uses the MPU for
memory protection.
Configuration of MPU regions is based on memory types (see “Memory Regions, Types and
Attributes” on page 88 for more information).
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June 12, 2014
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