Micro Controllers I

Processors
 Execute programs
 Serial execution of instructions
 Simple, Universal
 Instruction execution engine: fetch/execute cycle
 flow of control determined by modifications to program counter
 instruction classes:
data: move, arithmetic and logical operations
control: branch, loop, subroutine call
interface: load, store from external memory
 Traditional architecture goal: Performance
 Caches
 Branch prediction
 Multiple/OOO issue
CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 1

Embedded Processors
 Processor is a Universal computing engine

 Program can compute arbitrary functions
 Use a processor for simple/specific tasks
 Advantages:
 High-level language
 Compilers/Debuggers
 arbitrary control structures
 arbitrary data structures
 Disadvantages:
 Cost/Size

Embedded Processor (Microcontroller)
 Processor optimized for low cost

 No cache
 Small memory
 No disks
 4 bit/8 bit/16 bit
 No FP
 No complicated datapath
 Multicycle instruction interpretation
 Simple/no operating system
 Programs are static
 Low performance
 1 MIPS is enough if 1 ms is the time scale
 Integrate on a single chip

General-purpose processor
 Programmed by user
 New applications are developed routinely
 General-purpose
 must handle a wide ranging variety of applications
 Interacts with environment through memory
 all devices communicate through memory
 DMA operations between disk and I/O devices
 dual-ported memory (as for display screen)
 oblivious to passage of time (takes all the time it needs)

Embedded processors
 Programmed once by manufacturer of system

 Executes a single program (or a limited suite) with few
parameters
 Task-specific
 can be optimized for specific application
 Interacts with environment in many ways
 direct sensing and control of signal wires
 communication protocols to environment and other devices
 real-time interactions and constraints

Typical general-purpose architecture
Display
(with
CPU Memory dual-port
video RAM)
system bus
I/O
(serial line, Network
keyboard, Disk Interface
mouse)
all the parts around the

standard interfaces processor are usually required

Typical task-specific architecture
medium-speed low-speed
interactions interactions
Microcontroller
I/O custom
Interface ROM RAM logic
high-speed
interactions
any of the parts around the

standard interface microcontroller are optional

How does this change things?
 Sense and control of environment

 processor must be able to “read” and “write” individual signal wires
 controls I/O devices directly
 Program has to do everything
 sense input bits
 change output bits
 do computation
 measure time
many applications require precise spacing of events
 Problems with this
 Precise timing?
 Too slow?

Connecting to inputs/outputs
 Map external wire to a bit of a variable (memory or register)

 if (a & 1) . . .
 X = 2;

Example Problem: Accelerometer Interface
 Accelerometer output has one wire!

 Acceleration coded as the duty cycle
pulse-width/cycle-length
• 20% = -128
• 80% = +127
cycle time = 10ms
 Write a C program that measures the acceleration
 Input is low-order bit of variable X
 Assign result to variable Z
 Make up whatever you need

Memory-mapped inputs
 Map external wire to a bit in the address space

of the processor
 External register buffers values coming
from environment
 map register into address space
 decoder needed to select register for reading
 output enable (OE) so that many registers can use the same data bus
RD
WR ADDR
OE decoder
CPU WAIT RD
to data bus
OUT
ADDR
DATA IN from environment

Memory-mapped outputs
 Map external wire to a bit in the address space

of the processor
 Connect output of memory-mapped register
to environment
 map register into address space
 decoder need to select register for writing (holds value indefinitely)
 input enable (EN) so that many registers can use the same data bus
RD
WR ADDR
decoder EN
Micro- WAIT WR
processor
OUT to environment
ADDR
DATA DATA IN

On-chip support for communication
 Processor may not be fast enough

 Offload standard protocols
 Built-in device drivers
 for common communication protocols
 serial-line protocols most common as they require few pins
 e.g. RS-232 serial interface
 special registers in memory space for interaction
 Increases level of integration
 pull external devices on-chip
must be standard
 eliminate need for shared memory or system bus

Measuring Time
 Keep track of detailed timing of each instruction's execution

 highly dependent on code
 hard to use with compilers
 not enough control over code generation
 interactions with caches/instruction-buffers
 Loops to implement delays
 keep track of time in counters
 keeps processor busy counting and not doing other useful things
 Real-time clock
 sample at different points in the program
 simple difference to measure time delay

Timers
 Separate and parallel counting unit(s)

 co-processor to microprocessor
 does not require microprocessor intervention
 in simple case, like a real-time clock
set timer/read timer
 interrupt generated when expired
 More interesting timer units
 self reloading timers for regular interrupts
 pre-scaling for measuring larger times
 started by external events

Input/output events
 Input capture
 record precise time when input event occurred
 to be used in later handling of event
 Output compare
 set output to happen at a point in the future
 reactive outputs – set output to happen a pre-defined
time after some input
 processor can go on to do other things in the meantime

Example Microcontroller: 8051
 Very old, very common and very cheap microcontroller

 Lots of variants
 Review online documentation
 learn how to read documentation
 Instruction set
 instruction capabilities
 timing
 Special registers and integrated I/O devices
 I/O ports
 serial interface
 Interrupt organization
 Memory space and its allocation
 Timers

Why this choice?
 Used on the XESS board we are using

 Atmel part with 20K on-chip flash memory
 dispense with external memory for instructions
 8051
 very common microcontroller with simple instruction set
 lots of features
 lots of alternatives
 lots of support and resources
 good tools available: we will use the Keil software
Assembler
C compiler
Debugger
 we will use the C compiler mostly
requires a good understanding of the 8051 architecture

Micro Controllers I

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Micro Controllers I

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Processors

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 1

 Processor is a Universal computing engine

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 2

 Processor optimized for low cost

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 3

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 4

 Programmed once by manufacturer of system

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 5

all the parts around the

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 6

any of the parts around the

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 7

 Sense and control of environment

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 8

 Map external wire to a bit of a variable (memory or register)

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 9

 Accelerometer output has one wire!

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 10

 Map external wire to a bit in the address space

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 11

 Map external wire to a bit in the address space

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 12

 Processor may not be fast enough

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 13

 Keep track of detailed timing of each instruction's execution

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 14

 Separate and parallel counting unit(s)

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 15

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 16

 Very old, very common and very cheap microcontroller

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 17

 Used on the XESS board we are using

CSE 477 Introduction to Microcontrollers 18

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