Microcontroller Jump Instruction Handling Without Explicit NOPs
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Solution Overview
Problem
In microcontroller operations, NOP instructions often result in wasted execution cycles and increased code lines, leading to longer execution times and errors due to the need for internal NOP instructions after jump commands, which complicates code behavior and increases ROM memory usage.
Innovation Solution
Duplicating jump instructions to form a new instruction set that includes internal NOP instructions, allowing for simultaneous execution of subsequent instructions or NOP execution when the subsequent instruction is skipped, and strategically removing nonessential instructions to optimize code lines and execution speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If NOP instructions are used after jump commands, then correct timing is achieved, but execution time increases and code lines are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the NOP instruction requirement from the code and implements it internally within the microcontroller's jump instruction logic. The NOP manager unit automatically generates internal NOP signals when jump instructions are detected, eliminating the need for explicit NOP instructions in the code while maintaining correct timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The NOP manager unit acts as an intermediary between the jump instruction execution and the instruction pipeline. It monitors jump instructions and inserts internal NOP signals to synchronize the pipeline without requiring additional code lines, thus resolving the timing issue without increasing execution time.
2Stability of the object's composition
If NOP instructions are inserted after jump commands, then pipeline synchronization is achieved, but ROM memory usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The microcontroller's NOP manager unit provides self-service by automatically detecting jump instructions and generating internal NOP signals without requiring external NOP instructions in the code. This self-managing mechanism maintains pipeline synchronization while keeping the ROM memory usage minimal.
Solution Approach 2:
The NOP manager unit serves as an intermediary layer between the instruction decoder and the execution pipeline. It intercepts jump instructions and inserts synchronization signals internally, eliminating the need for additional NOP instructions in the ROM and thus reducing memory usage while maintaining pipeline stability.
3Speed
If internal NOP instructions are used, then code behavior becomes complex, but timing control is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the timing control function from the code level and relocates it to the hardware level within the NOP manager unit. This extraction simplifies the code behavior by removing NOP instructions entirely, while the hardware unit handles timing control through internal signal generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the software-based NOP instruction mechanism with a hardware-based NOP manager unit that uses internal signals and logic circuits. This substitution simplifies code behavior by eliminating the need for explicit NOP instructions while maintaining precise timing control through hardware-level operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a method for managing of NOP instructions in a microcontroller, the method comprising duplicating all jump instructions causing a NOP instruction to form a new instruction set; inserting an internal NOP instruction into each of the jump instructions; when a jump instruction is executed, executing a subsequent instruction of the new instruction set; and executing the internal NOP instruction when an execution of the subsequent instruction is skipped.