Datasheet

■ Usage Fault. A usage fault is an exception that occurs because of a fault related to instruction
execution, such as:
– An undefined instruction
– An illegal unaligned access
– Invalid state on instruction execution
– An error on exception return
An unaligned address on a word or halfword memory access or division by zero can cause a
usage fault when the core is properly configured.
■ SVCall. A supervisor call (SVC) is an exception that is triggered by the SVC instruction. In an
OS environment, applications can use SVC instructions to access OS kernel functions and device
drivers.
■ Debug Monitor. This exception is caused by the debug monitor (when not halting). This exception
is only active when enabled. This exception does not activate if it is a lower priority than the
current activation.
■ PendSV. PendSV is a pendable, interrupt-driven request for system-level service. In an OS
environment, use PendSV for context switching when no other exception is active. PendSV is
triggered using the Interrupt Control and State (INTCTRL) register.
■ SysTick. A SysTick exception is an exception that the system timer generates when it reaches
zero when it is enabled to generate an interrupt. Software can also generate a SysTick exception
using the Interrupt Control and State (INTCTRL) register. In an OS environment, the processor
can use this exception as system tick.
■ Interrupt (IRQ). An interrupt, or IRQ, is an exception signaled by a peripheral or generated by
a software request and fed through the NVIC (prioritized). All interrupts are asynchronous to
instruction execution. In the system, peripherals use interrupts to communicate with the processor.
Table 2-9 on page 86 lists the interrupts on the LM3S8962 controller.
For an asynchronous exception, other than reset, the processor can execute another instruction
between when the exception is triggered and when the processor enters the exception handler.
Privileged software can disable the exceptions that Table 2-8 on page 85 shows as having
configurable priority (see the SYSHNDCTRL register on page 140 and the DIS0 register on page 115).
For more information about hard faults, memory management faults, bus faults, and usage faults,
see “Fault Handling” on page 91.
Table 2-8. Exception Types
ActivationVector Address or
Offset
b
Priority
a
Vector
Number
Exception Type
Stack top is loaded from the first
entry of the vector table on reset.
0x0000.0000-0-
Asynchronous0x0000.0004-3 (highest)1Reset
Asynchronous0x0000.0008-22Non-Maskable Interrupt
(NMI)
-0x0000.000C-13Hard Fault
Synchronous0x0000.0010programmable
c
4Memory Management
85June 18, 2012
Texas Instruments-Production Data
Stellaris
®
LM3S8962 Microcontroller
NRND: Not recommended for new designs.