SAM7X128 Atmel Corporation, SAM7X128 Datasheet - Page 164

• Manufacturer Part Number: SAM7X128
• Manufacturer: Atmel Corporation

Specifications of SAM7X128

• Flash (kbytes): 128 Kbytes
• Pin Count: 100
• Max. Operating Frequency: 55 MHz
• Cpu: ARM7TDMI
• Hardware Qtouch Acquisition: No
• Max I/o Pins: 62
• Ext Interrupts: 62
• Usb Transceiver: 1
• Usb Speed: Full Speed
• Usb Interface: Device
• Spi: 2
• Twi (i2c): 1
• Uart: 3
• Can: 1
• Ssc: 1
• Ethernet: 1
• Graphic Lcd: No
• Video Decoder: No
• Camera Interface: No
• Adc Channels: 8
• Adc Resolution (bits): 10
• Adc Speed (ksps): 384
• Resistive Touch Screen: No
• Temp. Sensor: No
• Crypto Engine: No
• Sram (kbytes): 32
• Self Program Memory: NO
• Dram Memory: No
• Nand Interface: No
• Picopower: No
• Temp. Range (deg C): -40 to 85
• I/o Supply Class: 3.3
• Operating Voltage (vcc): 3.0 to 3.6
• Fpu: No
• Mpu / Mmu: no / no
• Timers: 3
• Output Compare Channels: 3
• Input Capture Channels: 3
• Pwm Channels: 4
• 32khz Rtc: Yes
• Calibrated Rc Oscillator: No

23.7.5
23.7.6
164
SAM7X512/256/128
Protect Mode
Spurious Interrupt
The Protect Mode permits reading the Interrupt Vector Register without performing the associ-
ated automatic operations. This is necessary when working with a debug system. When a
debugger, working either with a Debug Monitor or the ARM processor's ICE, stops the applica-
tions and updates the opened windows, it might read the AIC User Interface and thus the IVR.
This has undesirable consequences:
In either case, an End of Interrupt command is necessary to acknowledge and to restore the
context of the AIC. This operation is generally not performed by the debug system as the debug
system would become strongly intrusive and cause the application to enter an undesired state.
This is avoided by using the Protect Mode. Writing PROT in AIC_DCR (Debug Control Register)
at 0x1 enables the Protect Mode.
When the Protect Mode is enabled, the AIC performs interrupt stacking only when a write access
is performed on the AIC_IVR. Therefore, the Interrupt Service Routines must write (arbitrary
data) to the AIC_IVR just after reading it. The new context of the AIC, including the value of the
Interrupt Status Register (AIC_ISR), is updated with the current interrupt only when AIC_IVR is
written.
An AIC_IVR read on its own (e.g., by a debugger), modifies neither the AIC context nor the
AIC_ISR. Extra AIC_IVR reads perform the same operations. However, it is recommended to
not stop the processor between the read and the write of AIC_IVR of the interrupt service routine
to make sure the debugger does not modify the AIC context.
To summarize, in normal operating mode, the read of AIC_IVR performs the following opera-
tions within the AIC:
1. Calculates active interrupt (higher than current or spurious).
2. Determines and returns the vector of the active interrupt.
3. Memorizes the interrupt.
4. Pushes the current priority level onto the internal stack.
5. Acknowledges the interrupt.
However, while the Protect Mode is activated, only operations 1 to 3 are performed when
AIC_IVR is read. Operations 4 and 5 are only performed by the AIC when AIC_IVR is written.
Software that has been written and debugged using the Protect Mode runs correctly in Normal
Mode without modification. However, in Normal Mode the AIC_IVR write has no effect and can
be removed to optimize the code.
The Advanced Interrupt Controller features protection against spurious interrupts. A spurious
interrupt is defined as being the assertion of an interrupt source long enough for the AIC to
assert the nIRQ, but no longer present when AIC_IVR is read. This is most prone to occur when:
• If an enabled interrupt with a higher priority than the current one is pending, it is stacked.
• If there is no enabled pending interrupt, the spurious vector is returned.
• An external interrupt source is programmed in level-sensitive mode and an active level occurs
for only a short time.
6120I–ATARM–06-Apr-11