Datasheet

Table 2-5. Memory Access Behavior (continued)
DescriptionExecute
Never
(XN)
Memory TypeMemory RegionAddress Range
This executable region is for data. Code
can also be stored here. This region
includes bit band and bit band alias areas
(see Table 2-6 on page 80).
-NormalSRAM0x2000.0000 - 0x3FFF.FFFF
This region includes bit band and bit band
alias areas (see Table 2-7 on page 80).
XNDevicePeripheral0x4000.0000 - 0x5FFF.FFFF
This executable region is for data.-NormalExternal RAM0x6000.0000 - 0x9FFF.FFFF
This region is for external device memory.XNDeviceExternal device0xA000.0000 - 0xDFFF.FFFF
This region includes the NVIC, system
timer, and system control block.
XNStrongly
Ordered
Private peripheral
bus
0xE000.0000- 0xE00F.FFFF
---Reserved0xE010.0000- 0xFFFF.FFFF
The Code, SRAM, and external RAM regions can hold programs. However, it is recommended that
programs always use the Code region because the Cortex-M3 has separate buses that can perform
instruction fetches and data accesses simultaneously.
The MPU can override the default memory access behavior described in this section. For more
information, see “Memory Protection Unit (MPU)” on page 101.
The Cortex-M3 prefetches instructions ahead of execution and speculatively prefetches from branch
target addresses.
2.4.4 Software Ordering of Memory Accesses
The order of instructions in the program flow does not always guarantee the order of the
corresponding memory transactions for the following reasons:
■ The processor can reorder some memory accesses to improve efficiency, providing this does
not affect the behavior of the instruction sequence.
■ The processor has multiple bus interfaces.
■ Memory or devices in the memory map have different wait states.
■ Some memory accesses are buffered or speculative.
“Memory System Ordering of Memory Accesses” on page 77 describes the cases where the memory
system guarantees the order of memory accesses. Otherwise, if the order of memory accesses is
critical, software must include memory barrier instructions to force that ordering. The Cortex-M3
has the following memory barrier instructions:
■ The Data Memory Barrier (DMB) instruction ensures that outstanding memory transactions
complete before subsequent memory transactions.
■ The Data Synchronization Barrier (DSB) instruction ensures that outstanding memory transactions
complete before subsequent instructions execute.
■ The Instruction Synchronization Barrier (ISB) instruction ensures that the effect of all completed
memory transactions is recognizable by subsequent instructions.
Memory barrier instructions can be used in the following situations:
June 18, 201278
Texas Instruments-Production Data
The Cortex-M3 Processor
NRND: Not recommended for new designs.