Microcontroller

A microcontroller comprising:

• a programmable memory storing a normal control routine;
• an output line;
• a processing unit arranged to execute the normal control routine to provide output data on the output line;
• a logic unit;
• a danger signal input line connected to the logic unit and dedicated to communicating a danger signal to the logic unit;
• one or more processor state lines between the processing unit and the logic unit for communicating processor state data from the processing unit to the logic unit;
• one or more logic unit state lines between the logic unit and the processing unit for communicating logic unit state data from the logic unit to the processing unit;
• an interrupt line between the logic unit and the processing unit dedicated to communicating an interrupt signal from the logic unit to the processing unit;
• and
• a read-only-memory storing a danger interrupt service routine,
• wherein the logic unit is arranged to communicate the interrupt signal to the processing unit via the interrupt line in response to receipt of the danger signal on the danger signal input line;
• the processing unit is arranged to always respond to the receipt of the interrupt signal from the logic unit on the interrupt line by interrupting the normal control routine, or any other routine executing on the processing unit, and executing the danger interrupt service routine stored in the read-only memory,
• wherein the danger interrupt service routine accesses the one or more logic unit state lines to determine and apply corrective action;
• the logic unit is arranged to store processor state data from the one or more processor state lines to provide stored state data, the stored state data being associated with the normal control routine executing on the processing unit;
• the logic unit is arranged to learn a correlation between the receipt of the danger signal on the danger signal input line and a subset of the stored state data;
• and having learnt the correlation, the logic unit is arranged to communicate the interrupt signal to the processing unit via the interrupt line in response to the receipt of the subset of the stored state data on the one or more processor state lines;
• and
• wherein the logic unit comprises an OR-gate which is arranged to communicate the interrupt signal to the processing unit via the interrupt line in response to receipt of the danger signal on the danger signal input line or in response to the receipt of the subset of the stored state data on the processor state line(s).

A microcontroller comprising:

• a programmable memory storing a normal control routine;
• an output line;
• a processing unit arranged to execute the normal control routine to provide output data on the output line;
• a logic unit;
• a danger signal input line connected to the logic unit and dedicated to communicating a danger signal to the logic unit;
• one or more processor state lines between the processing unit and the logic unit for communicating processor state data from the processing unit to the logic unit;
• one or more logic unit state lines between the logic unit and the processing unit for communicating logic unit state data from the logic unit to the processing unit;
• an interrupt line between the logic unit and the processing unit dedicated to communicating an interrupt signal from the logic unit to the processing unit;
• and
• a read-only-memory storing a danger interrupt service routine,
• wherein the logic unit is arranged to communicate the interrupt signal to the processing unit via the interrupt line in response to receipt of the danger signal on the danger signal input line;
• the processing unit is arranged to always respond to the receipt of the interrupt signal from the logic unit on the interrupt line by interrupting the normal control routine, or any other routine executing on the processing unit, and executing the danger interrupt service routine stored in the read-only memory,
• wherein the danger interrupt service routine accesses the one or more logic unit state lines to determine and apply corrective action;
• the logic unit is arranged to store processor state data from the one or more processor state lines to provide stored state data, the stored state data being associated with the normal control routine executing on the processing unit;
• the logic unit is arranged to learn a correlation between the receipt of the danger signal on the danger signal input line and a subset of the stored state data;
• and having learnt the correlation, the logic unit is arranged to communicate the interrupt signal to the processing unit via the interrupt line in response to the receipt of the subset of the stored state data on the one or more processor state lines;
• and
• wherein the logic unit comprises a time series unit arranged to store the processor state data from the one or more processor state lines in a timeline in a logic unit memory;
• and a time series processing unit arranged to learn the correlation between the receipt of multiple instances of the danger signal on the danger signal input line and the subset of the stored state data in the logic unit memory.