Course Overview

Course Length: 
2 Days
CEUs: 
1.5
Format: 
Hands-on/Lecture

The ARM Cortex-M3 is a high performance, low cost, and low power microcontroller. This course will introduce you to the features and capabilities of the Cortex-M3 that will make your next embedded system design a success.

Topics covered during this course include:

  • Overview of the ARM Cortex-M3 Processor
  • Processor Model
  • Performance Features
  • Porting from ARM7/9
  • Debug Support
  • Third-Party Support

This course is appropriate for:

  • Electrical engineers using or planning to use ARM Cortex-M3
  • Embedded software developers writing code for ARM Cortex-M3

Prerequisites:  Attendees should already be familiar with microprocessors and C programming.

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Syllabus

The following is a summary of the major course topics and should not be considered the section-by-subsection lecture breakdown.

Overview

  • ARM v7 architecture
  • Thumb-2 instruction set
  • Cortex families
  • Key comparisons vs. ARM7/9
  • Comparisons vs. other low-power 8/16 bit CPUs

Processor Model

  • Register set
  • Thumb-2 instruction set
  • Operating modes
  • Exception processing
  • On-chip timer

Performance Features

  • Harvard Architecture
  • Low Power core
  • Low & deterministic interrupt latency
  • Special instructions
  • Architecture features
  • Multi-process/multi-tasking support
  • Unaligned access

Exceptions & Interrupts

  • NVIC interrupt controller
  • Prioritized interrupts
  • Dynamic interrupt priorities
  • Nested interrupts
  • Other exceptions
  • Exception tail-chaining

Memory Protection Unit

  • Motivation / benefits of MPU
  • Protection and performance attributes
  • Read / write configuration
  • Code / data configuration
  • Protected kernel / supervisor memory

Software Development

  • Stack-based architecture
  • C-friendly, no assembly required
  • Stack & heap configuration
  • Processor operating modes
  • Porting between CM3 chips

Porting from ARM7/9

  • Register models
  • Banked registers vs. stack architecture
  • Special instructions
  • Exception processing & vector table
  • Memory layout
  • Startup code
  • Porting 32-bit ARM assembly code

Debug Support

  • Debug via JTAG and/or debug port
  • Embedded trace
  • Data watchpoints
  • Flash patching / overlay
  • Instrumentation Trace Macrocell

Third-Party Support

  • Development tools
  • Silicon vendors
  • Boards
  • RTOS

Related Courses

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Contact us now to find out more about this course or to enquire about an on-site training at your company.

Recording Policy

Barr Group's courses may not be audiotaped, videotaped, or photographed without consent from Barr Group's executive team.