Chapter 3

Cortex-M Architecture

Introduction

In this chapter, we will take a closer look at the Cortex-M processor architecture. The bulk of this chapter will concentrate on the Cortex-M3 processor. Once we have a firm understanding of the Cortex-M3, we will look at the key differences in the Cortex-M0, M0+, and M4. There are a number of exercises throughout the chapter. These exercises will give you a deeper understanding of each topic and can be used as a reference when developing your own code.

Cortex-M Instruction Set

As we described in Chapter 1, the Cortex-M processors are Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)-based processors and as such have a small instruction set. The Cortex-M0 has just 56 instructions, the Cortex-M3 has 74, and the ...

Get The Designer's Guide to the Cortex-M Processor Family now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.