A method of using a configurable microcontroller core

Abstract

The invention provides a configurable microcontroller core. The configurable microcontroller core comprises an embedded programmable gate array module and a full-custom hardware circuit realization module. The embedded programmable gate array module is used for realizing at least instruction set decoding function modules in the microcontroller core. Through the embedded programmable gate array module, the instruction decoding function modules in the microcontroller core can be reconfigured. A user downloads binary digit stream files of part or all of the corresponding instruction set decoding function modules into the programmable gate array module according to actual needs, and thus an instruction set of the microcontroller core can be configured.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of microcontrollers, in particular to a configurable microcontroller core and a method for using the same. Background technique [0002] With the development of integrated circuit technology, system on chip (SOC, System on Chip) and application specific integrated circuit (ASIC, Application Specific Integrated Circuit) technology has been applied in all aspects of life now. The current system-on-chip or application-specific integrated circuit generally integrates the microcontroller core, memory, bus and various peripherals on one chip. Here we take the system-on-chip as an example to illustrate. Figure 1A It is the structural diagram of the system on chip. The main function of the microcontroller core in the figure is data processing and control. The microcontroller in the system on chip can be ARM core, MIPS core, etc.; the main function of the bus is to connect the microcontroller core , memory, peripher...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The hardware of the microcontroller core in the FPGA has been determined, and the instruction set of the microcontroller core has also been determined, that is to say, it is dedicated. If the microcontroller core in the customer's FPGA is based on the ARM instruction set, and now The application program to be applied by the customer is developed based on the PowerPC instruction set, so one option for the customer is to purchase a PowerPC-based FPGA, but there is no such FPGA at present, another option is to use the application program based on the PowerPC instruction set Porting to the microcontroller core based on the ARM instruction set, but it will take a certain amount of time. The last method is to implement the microcontroller core based on the PowerPC instruction set through a programmable gate array, but when customers use FPGA, generally A microcontroller core will not be implemented using a programmable gate array. If this is done, the microcontroller core in the FPGA will never be used, which will cause a waste of hardware resources.

[0007] For a certain kind of microcontroller core, if this kind of microcontroller core is very popular at present and is used in SOC / ASIC / FPGA in various occasions, it will cause hardware assimilation. The so-called hardware assimilation is It is said that the core components (that is, cores) of products from different manufacturers are basically the same, and there is basically no difference, and products based on this type of microcontroller core have been accepted by customers, then when customers purchase products, they will directly choose based on this microcontroller core. If there is only one microcontroller core product, then this will reduce the competitiveness of other products, and all products are developed based on the microcontroller core of the same instruction set, which will also make people develop new microcontroller cores Less interesting, resulting in less innovative

Images