This chapter provides information on the Stellaris implementation of the Cortex-M3 processor,
including the programming model, the memory model, the exception model, fault handling, and
power management.
For technical details on the instruction set, see the Cortex™-M3/M4 Instruction Set Technical User's
Manual.
2.1 Block Diagram
The Cortex-M3 processor is built on a high-performance processor core, with a 3-stage pipeline
Harvard architecture, making it ideal for demanding embedded applications. The processor delivers
exceptional power efficiency through an efficient instruction set and extensively optimized design,
providing high-end processing hardware including a range of single-cycle and SIMD multiplication
and multiply-with-accumulate capabilities, saturating arithmetic and dedicated hardware division.
To facilitate the design of cost-sensitive devices, the Cortex-M3 processor implements tightly coupled
system components that reduce processor area while significantly improving interrupt handling and
system debug capabilities. The Cortex-M3 processor implements a version of the Thumb® instruction
set based on Thumb-2 technology, ensuring high code density and reduced program memory
requirements. The Cortex-M3 instruction set provides the exceptional performance expected of a
modern 32-bit architecture, with the high code density of 8-bit and 16-bit microcontrollers.
The Cortex-M3 processor closely integrates a nested interrupt controller (NVIC), to deliver
industry-leading interrupt performance. The Stellaris NVIC includes a non-maskable interrupt (NMI)
and provides eight interrupt priority levels. The tight integration of the processor core and NVIC
provides fast execution of interrupt service routines (ISRs), dramatically reducing interrupt latency.
The hardware stacking of registers and the ability to suspend load-multiple and store-multiple
operations further reduce interrupt latency. Interrupt handlers do not require any assembler stubs
which removes code overhead from the ISRs. Tail-chaining optimization also significantly reduces
the overhead when switching from one ISR to another. To optimize low-power designs, the NVIC
integrates with the sleep modes, including Deep-sleep mode, which enables the entire device to be
rapidly powered down.
55July 24, 2012
Texas Instruments-Production Data
Stellaris
®
LM3S6G65 Microcontroller
OBSOLETE: TI has discontinued production of this device.
