User guide

5.9 Data Abort handler

If there is no MMU, the Data Abort handler should simply report the error and quit. If there is an MMU, the handler

should deal with the virtual memory fault.

The instruction that caused the abort is at lr_ABT - 8 because lr_ABT points two instructions beyond the

instruction that caused the abort.

Three types of instruction can cause this abort:

Single Register Load or Store (LDR or STR)

The response depends on the processor type:

• If the abort takes place on an ARM6-based processor:

— If the processor is in early abort mode and writeback was requested, the address

— If the processor is in late abort mode and writeback was requested, the address register

will have been updated. The change must be undone.

• If the abort takes place on an ARM7-based processor, including the ARM7TDMI, the address

• If the abort takes place on an ARM9™, ARM10™, or StrongARM-based processor, the

address is restored by the processor to the value it had before the instruction started. No

further action is required to undo the change.

Swap (SWP)

There is no address register update involved with this instruction.

Load Multiple or Store Multiple (LDM or STM)

The response depends on the processor type:

• If the abort takes place on an ARM6-based processor or ARM7-based processor, and

writeback is enabled, the base register will have been updated as if the whole transfer had

taken place.

In the case of an LDM with the base register in the register list, the processor replaces the

overwritten value with the modified base value so that recovery is possible. The original base

address can then be recalculated using the number of registers involved.

• If the abort takes place on an ARM9, ARM10, or StrongARM-based processor and writeback

is enabled, the base register will be restored to the value it had before the instruction started.

In each of the three cases the MMU can load the required virtual memory into physical memory. The MMU Fault

Address Register (FAR) contains the address that caused the abort. When this is done, the handler can return and

try to execute the instruction again.

You can find example Data Abort handler code in install_directory/examples/databort.

Handling Processor Exceptions