Arm Cortex-M33 Software Design Online

This course is designed for software engineers writing application and system software for platforms using the Cortex-M33 processor.

• How to program Arm Cortex-M33 microcontrollers
• How to deal with interrupts and aborts
• Cortex-M33 initialization procedure
• How the SAU and IDAU interact
• How to get into and out of TrustZone security states
• Understanding how registers are affected and where programmers need to take care
• Reducing overhead with CSME compliant compilers
• Reducing security impacts to non-secure software
• How to build non-secure software
• Impacts to latency caused by transitions
• Configure the Security Attribution Unit
• How violations are caught
• How to debug secure code
• Prevent non-secure access to debug resources

• Some basic C programming knowledge
• Experience of assembler programming is not required but would be beneficial
• Some knowledge of embedded systems
• A basic awareness of Arm is useful but not essential

Doulos training materials are renowened for being the most comprehensive and user-friendly available. Their style, content and coverage are unique in the EMbedded Systems training world, and have made them sought after resources in their own right. The materials include:

• Fully indexed class notes creating a complete reference manual
• Workbook full of practical examples and solutions to help you apply your knowledge

 

The training materials for this class are based on Arm's own material and supplemented by Doulos' own lecture modules and hands-on experiences to provide students with the most practical and thorough information to achieve a well-rounded knowledge of the subject. Doulos is a global Arm Approved Training Partner.

Introduction to Arm

• History
• Ecosystem
• Processor's History
• Arm Based SoC

 

Cortex-M33 Overview

• Architectural Features
• Register View
• Modes of Execution
• System Interfaces
• Memory Map
• Exceptions
• Security Attribution
• Power Management
• Floating Point Unit
• Debug Features

 

Cortex-M33 Processor Core

• Teal Pipeline block diagram/Overview
• Fetch, Decode/Execute, Complex Execute, Floating Point Stages
• Unaligned access penalties

 

Armv8-M Mainline Programmers Model

• Introduction
• Data Types
• Core Registers
• Modes, privilege and stacks
• Exceptions
• Instruction Set Overview

 

Armv8-M Memory Protection

• Memory Map
• Memory Regions
• Memory Attributes
• MPU Programmer's model
• Configuring the MPU
• Memory Management Faults

 

Armv8-M Mainline Assembly Programming

• Introduction
• Data Processing Instructions
• Load/Store Instructions
• Flow Control
• Miscellaneous

 

Armv8-M Synchronization

• Introduction to synchronization and semaphores
• Exclusive accesses
• Memory ordering

 

Armv8-M Mainline Memory Model

• Introduction
• Memory Address Space
• Memory Types and Attributes
• Endianness
• Barriers

 

Embedded Software Development

• Semihosting / retargeting
• Mixing C/C++ and assembly
• Application Startup
• Tailoring image memory map to your target
• Accessing memory mapped peripherals
• Additional considerations

 

GNU Compiler Hints and Tips

• Basic Compilation
• Compiler Optimizations
• Coding Considerations
• Local and Global Data Issues

 

GNU Linker Hints and Tips

• Linking Basics
• System and User Libraries
• Linker Script
• Veneer and Interworking
• Linker Optimizations and Diagnostics
• GNU Embedded Development Libraries

 

Armv8-M Mainline Exception Handling

• Introduction
• Exception Model
• Exception Entry and Exit Behavior
• Prioritization and Control
• Interrupt Sensitivity
• Writing the Vector Table and Interrupt Handlers
• Internal Exceptions and RTOS Support
• Fault Exceptions
• Appendix

 

Armv8-M Mainline Security Extension

• Overview
• Memory Configuration
• Function Calls & Toolchain Support
• Exceptions

 

Armv8-M Mainline Debug & Trace

• Introduction to Debug
• Debug Modes and Security
• Debug
• Events and Reset
• Flash Patch and Breakpoint Unit – FPB
• Data
• Watchpoint
• and Trace Unit – DWT
• Instrumentation Trace Macrocell– ITM
• Micro Trace Buffer – MTB (optional)
• Embedded Trace Macrocell– ETMv4.2 (optional)
• Trace Port Interface Unit – TPIU (if ETM is implemented)

Appendix

 

Tools Overview for Arm Microcontrollers

• Arm Compilation Tools
• Keil MDK
• DS-5
• Arm Fast Models

 

Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard

• Introduction
• CMSIS-Core
• CMSIS-DSP
• CMSIS-Driver
• CMSIS-RTOS
• CMSIS-SVD
• CMSIS-Pack
• CMSIS-DAP

 

Armv8-M Mainline DSP Extension

• Extensions Overview
• DSP Extension

 

Armv8-M Mainline Floating-point Extension

• Floating-point Extension overview
• Registers
• Enabling the FPU
• Floating-point instructions
• Exceptions
• Appendix

The tool-chain required for the exercises are provided within a self-contained virtual machine. The student is only required to install the VirtualBox software on her/his Windows/Linux/Mac host machine. The remaining tools and exercises files are pre-configured and located inside the Virtual Machine to be run locally. The VM can be used for day do day embedded software development and allows the student to continue or redo his exercises even after the course has ended.

The exercises are designed to run on the provided NUCLEO STM32L552 board. This board is kept by the student at the end of the class.

The exercises cover a large spectrum of topics amongst those:

• Assembly programming
• Exception handling with the implementation priority schemes and pre-emption
• Mixing C and assembly to provide a semi-hosted solution
• Creating linker scripts

 

The security related hands-on exercises are:

• Part 1: Tool Flow
• Part 2: Security Attribution Unit Configuration
• Part 3: Configuring the non-secure world
• Part 4: Transition to the non-secure world
• Part 5: Using Arm cmse attributes for non-secure calls
• Part 6: Using Arm cmse attributes for secure calls
• Part 7: Identifying the source of a function call
• Part 8: Checking a data array address range
• Part 9: Accessing secure data from a non-secure application
• Part 10: Illegal access to a secure function from the non-secure word