Systems and methods for using memory-mapped memories in a microcontroller-based instrument

A method for configuring a microcontroller-based instrument, the method comprising:

• configuring the microcontroller-based instrument with a complex application or protocol;
• and
• configuring a highly-integrated, low-power microcontroller unit (MCU) of the microcontroller-based instrument to use memory mapping for accessing at least one off-MCU memory connected to a central processor unit (CPU) of the MCU by at least one interface, wherein the MCU is deployed on a single chip and a memory-mapping configuration of the MCU causes the CPU to have bus-cycle access to the at least one off-MCU memory and enables the at least one off-MCU memory to behave as an extension of at least one on-MCU memory that is connected directly to the CPU to effectively extend a range of the at least one on-MCU memory, and wherein the effective extended range of the at least one on-MCU memory enables the CPU of the MCU of the microcontroller-based instrument to utilize the bus-cycle access to the at least one off-MCU memory to perform direct execution, by the CPU of the MCU, of the complex application or protocol from the at least one off-MCU memory, wherein configuring the MCU comprises:
• configuring the MCU with logic to control the memory mapping;
• configuring the MCU to utilize the memory mapping to emulate address lines and data lines for enabling the CPU of the MCU to access the at least one off-MCU memory via the bus-cycle access;
• and
• configuring the MCU to use serial transmission for writing and/or reading addresses and/or data to and/or from, via the emulated address lines and data lines with the bus-cycle access, the at least one off-MCU memory.

A microcontroller-based instrument, comprising:

• an instrument module for performing an instrument task using complex-a complex application or protocol;
• and
• a highly integrated, low-power microcontroller unit (MCU) deployed on a single chip and configured to use the complex application or protocol, the MCU comprising:
• a central processing unit (CPU);
• at least one on-MCU memory directly connected to the CPU by an on-MCU data path;
• at least one interface implemented as an on-MCU memory-mapped mode peripheral interface connected via the on-MCU data path to the CPU and configured to control memory mapping for writing addresses and/or data to and reading addresses and/or data from at least one off-MCU memory using serial transmission, wherein the memory-mapping is controlled to emulate address lines and data lines for enabling the CPU of the MCU to access the at least one off-MCU memory via bus-cycle access and enable the at least one off-MCU memory to behave as an extension of the at least one on-MCU memory, and to effectively extend a range of the at least one on-MCU memory, wherein the effective extended range of the at least one on-MCU memory enables the MCU to use the bus-cycle access to the at least one off-MCU memory to perform direct execution, by the CPU of the MCU, of the complex application or protocol from the at least one off-MCU memory;
• a plurality of ports via which the addresses, the data, and control signals are exchanged via serial transmission with the at least one off-MCU memory during memory mapped transactions;
• and
• the at least one off-MCU memory coupled to the CPU via the at least one interface and the plurality of ports.