Microcomputer capable of monitoring internal memory
View Patent ↗A microcomputer comprises: a CPU which sequentially executes a program; an internal memory connected to the above CPU via an internal bus; a debug support unit, which monitors the internal state in response to an externally provided command; a monitor memory, which stores data stored in the internal memory, for being accessed by the debug support unit; and a monitor memory control unit, connected to the internal bus, which at a concurrent copy mode performs a control to concurrently write, to the monitor memory, data which is written to the internal memory in response to access from the internal bus, and at a monitor mode performs a control to read data in the monitor memory in response to access from the debug support unit.
1. A microcomputer comprising:
a CPU which sequentially executes a program;
an internal memory connected to said CPU via an internal bus;
a debug support unit, which monitors an internal state in response to an externally provided command;
a monitor memory, which stores data stored in said internal memory, for being accessed by said debug support unit; and
a monitor memory control unit, connected to said internal bus, which at a concurrent copy mode performs a control to connect the internal bus to the monitor memory and concurrently write, to said monitor memory, data which is written to said internal memory in response to an access from said CPU, and which at a monitor mode performs a control to connect the debug support unit to the monitor memory,
wherein at the monitor mode, said CPU continues to access the internal memory via the internal bus, while the monitor memory control unit performs a control to read data in said monitor memory and transfers the read data to said debug support unit.
2. The microcomputer according to claim 1 , wherein said monitor memory control unit has a monitor address register in which is set an address in said internal memory for the data for said concurrent writing, said monitor memory control unit performs control so as to write data supplied to said internal bus to said monitor memory when an address supplied to the internal bus coincides with the address set in said monitor address register, and the address in said monitor address register is set by said debug support unit.
3. The microcomputer according to claim 1 , wherein said monitor memory control unit has a concurrent copy flag register in which is stored a concurrent copy flag for distinguishing said concurrent copy mode and said monitor mode, and performs a control of said concurrent copy mode or said monitor mode according to the concurrent copy flag, and the value in said concurrent copy flag register is set by said debug support unit.
4. The microcomputer according to claim 1 , wherein said monitor memory control unit forbids access from said debug support unit when in said concurrent copy mode, and forbids access from said internal bus when in said monitor mode.
5. The microcomputer according to claim 1 , wherein said monitor memory control unit has a mode switching setting register which sets a condition for switching from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode, and when the condition set in the mode switching setting register is satisfied, switches from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode, and wherein the value in said mode switching setting register is set by said debug support unit.
6. The microcomputer according to claim 5 , wherein a prescribed program address is set in said mode switching setting register, and when a program address supplied to said internal bus coincides with the program address set in the mode switching setting register, said monitor memory control unit switches from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode.
7. The microcomputer according to claim 1 , wherein said monitor memory has first and second monitor memory areas, said monitor memory control unit controls switching to said concurrent copy mode and to said monitor mode for each of said first and second monitor memory areas, and said monitor memory control unit performs a control so as to concurrently write data written to said internal memory to said first and second monitor memory areas when the first and second monitor memory areas are both in concurrent copy mode, performs control so as to halt concurrent writing to said first monitor memory area and so as to perform concurrent writing to said second monitor memory area when said first monitor memory area is in monitor mode and said second monitor memory area is in concurrent copy mode, and performs a control so as to halt concurrent writing to said first and second monitor memory areas when said first and second monitor memory areas are both in monitor mode.
8. The microcomputer according to claim 7 , wherein said monitor memory control unit has first and second mode switching setting registers in which are set conditions for switching from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode, said first monitor memory area is switched from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode when the condition set in said first mode switching setting register is satisfied, said second monitor memory area is switched from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode when the condition set in said second mode switching setting register is satisfied, and values in said first and second mode switching setting registers are set by said debug support unit.
9. The microcomputer according to claim 8 , wherein prescribed first and second program addresses are set in said first and second mode switching setting registers, and said monitor memory control unit switches said first monitor memory area from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode when a program address supplied to said internal bus coincides with the first program address set in the first mode switching setting register, and switches said second monitor memory area from said concurrent copy mode to said monitor mode when a program address supplied to said internal bus coincides with the second program address set in the second mode switching setting register.
10. A microcomputer comprising:
a CPU which sequentially executes a program;
an internal memory connected to said CPU via an internal bus;
a debug support unit, which monitors the internal state in response to an externally provided command;
a first and second monitor memories, which store data stored in said internal memory, for being read from said debug support unit; and
a monitor memory control unit, connected to said internal bus, which performs a control to forbid an access from said CPU to the first monitor memory, connect the debug support unit to the first monitor memory, connect the internal bus to the second monitor memory, and concurrently write, to said second monitor memory, data which is written to said internal memory in response to access from said CPU,
wherein said CPU continues to access the internal memory via the internal bus, while the monitor memory control unit performs a control to read data in said first monitor memory in response to access from said debug support unit, and the data read from said first monitor memory is output to an external device via said debug support unit.
11. The microcomputer according to claim 10 , wherein said monitor memory control unit has a monitor address register in which is set an address in said internal memory for the data for said concurrent writing, said monitor memory control unit performs control so as to write data supplied to said internal bus to said second monitor memory when an address supplied to the internal bus coincides with the address set in said monitor address register, and the address in said monitor address register is set by said debug support unit.