Abstract:
A semiconductor microcontroller device is adapted to control the operation of an external system. The device includes a CPU, program memory for storing instructions to be executed by the CPU to perform its control functions, and data memory for storing data for selective retrieval by the CPU. The contents of either memory are code protected by an EEPROM fuse, and are automatically erased if the code protect state of the EEPROM fuse is sought to be reset, and the EEPROM fuse is reset only after the erasure of the memory contents.
Abstract:
A microcontroller apparatus is provided with an instruction set for manipulating the behavior of the microcontroller. The apparatus and system is provided that enables a linearized address space that makes modular emulation possible. Direct or indirect addressing is possible through register files or data memory. Special function registers, including the Program Counter (PC) and Working Register (W), are mapped in the data memory. An orthogonal (symmetrical) instruction set makes possible any operation on any register using any addressing mode. Consequently, two file registers to be used in some two operand instructions. This allows data to be moved directly between two registers without going through the W register. Thus increasing performances and decreasing program memory usage.
Abstract:
A device including a microcontroller fabricated on a semiconductor chip is used to control an LCD display of an external system intended to be controlled by the microcontroller. The microcontroller enters a sleep state in which it operates in a battery power conservation mode during periods of time when functional activity of the microcontroller is reduced. The microcontroller awakens from the sleep state for resumption of activity when such a period ends. Timing to the LCD is decoupled from the microcontroller's own internal clock when the independent internal on-chip clock, which may be an RC oscillator, is selected by the user of the device. This allows the chip to continue to drive the LCD display even though the microcontroller's internal clock has stopped during the sleep.
Abstract:
A single semiconductor chip device is utilized for controlling an external system which has a liquid crystal display (LCD) associated therewith. A dual port random access memory (RAM) stores data representative of information to be displayed on the LCD. The RAM includes a plurality of master data storage latches and a single slave data storage latch shared by all of the plurality of master storage latches. A microcontroller has a central processing unit (CPU) for communicating with the master storage latches via one of the RAM ports to periodically change the data stored therein. An LCD control module successively updates the data in the single slave storage latch with data from each of the master storage latches and downloads the updated data from the single slave storage latch to a temporary store associated with the LCD after each update from a master storage latch and before the update of data from the next master storage latch. Consequently, data in each master storage latch may be changed periodically by the CPU without interference with downloading of updated data from the single slave storage unit.
Abstract:
A method is disclosed for testing a high speed microcontroller fabricated on a semiconductor chip, and for testing relatively low speed functions of a liquid crystal display (LCD) module on the chip that drives an off-chip LCD for an external system to be controlled by the microcontroller with a plurality of discrete analog voltage levels for performing the LCD functions. Digital values are multiplexed in time slots of a test waveform to simulate in high speed digital format of a test mode the low speed timing, relative magnitude and functionality of analog voltage levels used to drive the LCD; A high speed driver is selectively coupled to a pin of the chip, to which the discrete analog voltage levels are normally applied at low speed to drive the LCD, and the test waveform is applied to the high speed driver. The digital values and timing that appear on the pin are then monitored as an indication of proper functionality of the LCD module. The high speed driver is switched out and the normal low speed LCD driver is switched back for return to an LCD user mode when the test mode is completed. Monitoring the pin with a digital tester allows verification that pin pulses in predetermined time slots indicate the corresponding analog voltage level is being applied at the proper time during normal operation of the LCD module, and digitally testing of continuity in an analog channel. A transistor normally employed on the chip for electrostatic discharge protection is activated to selectively couple the high speed driver to the pin for the high speed testing mode.
Abstract:
A microcontroller and associated EPROM program memory are fabricated in a single semiconductor chip. The microcontroller device is adapted to be programmed using digital command words or other bit patterns applied as inputs after installation of the device in circuit with a system to be controlled by the device, and to have its programming pins isolated from the system to avoid effects on system operation while the programming is taking place. The in-circuit programming uses considerably less than the total number of input/output (I/O) pins of the device, which in total are fewer than the number of bits in a command word. This is achieved with a serial/parallel programming interface between the pins and the program memory, and by applying the data in serial fashion to the interface where it is latched and loaded in parallel in the memory. Input data to the device may alternatively be entered in parallel to the interface in bytes of width less than the total number of I/O pins of the device.
Abstract:
A single chip, semiconductor microcontroller device is adapted to control an aspect of the operation of an external system. The device includes a CPU, program memory for storing instructions to be selectively executed by the CPU to perform the control functions, and peripheral EEPROM data memory adapted to be written to for storing selected data in selected ones of a multiplicity of addresses of the data memory and for selective retrieval of the stored dam by the CPU within its control function. Internal logic in the device is implemented to abort a write operation in progress on the EEPROM data memory upon occurrence of an asynchronous reset of the device. An error flag is set by the logic to indicate that the write operation is being aborted, and the data that was partially written to the EEPROM memory at the time the write operation was aborted is held intact.