Processor comprising an integrated debugging interface controlled by the processing unit of the processor
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsRenaud Ayrignac, Xavier Robert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The systems and methods disclosed relate to a processor comprising a processing unit and a debugging that which can be connected to an external emulator for debugging a program executed by the processor, the debugging interface including internal resources at least partially accessible to the external emulator. According to one embodiment, the debugging interface includes a selecting circuit for selecting an internal resource of the debugging interface, according to a reference supplied by the processing unit, and an access circuit that transfers a datum between the resource selected and a data field accessible by the processing unit.
Claims17
A processor for use with an external emulator, comprising:
- a processing unit;
- and
- a debugging interface that can be connected to the external emulator for debugging a program executed by the processor, the debugging interface including
- internal registers at least partially accessible to the external emulator;
- a selecting circuit for selecting one of the internal registers of the debugging interface, according to a reference supplied by the processing unit;
- an access circuit for transferring a datum between the internal register selected and a data field accessible by the processing unit;
- and
- a communication register circuit coupled to the internal registers and to the processing unit, the communication register comprising the data field, an address field for receiving the reference of the internal register to be selected, and a control field for receiving a command specifying a write-access or read-access mode for accessing via a multiplexor the internal register selected by the reference appearing in the address field.
A method for accessing by a processing unit of a processor internal resources of a debugging interface integrated into the processor and which can be connected to an external emulator for debugging a program executed by the processor, the internal resources being at least partially accessible to the external emulator, the method, performed by the debugging interface, comprising:
- selecting an internal resource of the debugging interface, according to a reference supplied by the processing unit to a communications register coupled between the internal resource and the processing unit;
- and
- transferring a datum between the internal resource selected and a data field accessible by the processing unit in the communications register.
A circuit, comprising:
- debugging interface for a processor, the debugging interface comprising:
- internal registers at least partially accessible to an external emulator for debugging a program executable on the processor;
- a selection circuit configured to select one of the internal registers based on a reference supplied by a processing unit of the processor to a communications register coupled between the internal registers and the processing unit;
- and
- a transfer circuit configured to transfer data between the selected internal register and a data field accessible by the processing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.