Device and methods for functional descriptor-based DMA controller

A microcontroller comprising:

• a DMA controller circuit comprising a data buffer and a pattern matching circuit;
• a memory coupled to the DMA controller, the memory comprising a descriptor table;
• wherein the DMA controller circuit:
• reads data into the data buffer from a location in the descriptor table, the location specified by a first descriptor pointer;
• reads an input word within the memory at a location specified by a source payload pointer and writes the input word to an address specified by a destination payload pointer;
• performs a pattern matching operation in the pattern matching circuit based on the input word and one or more register values to generate a pattern matching result;
• modifies the first descriptor pointer based on the value of the first descriptor pointer and the result, of the pattern matching operation to generate a second descriptor pointer;
• updates the first descriptor pointer in the descriptor table at the first descriptor pointer, and
• wherein the descriptor table comprises a source descriptor table, the source descriptor table comprising the source payload pointer, a size field, a first descriptor pointer offset and a second descriptor pointer offset.