Abstract: An electronic device, typically a microcontroller, which is divided into a multiplicity of power domains comprising one or more intelligent peripherals, is provided with an on-board power management module for switching power to one or more domains for pre-determined time periods and in a predetermined sequence. The values of the predetermined time periods and sequence may be pre-programmed by the design engineer or user of the device. In one example, power is switched to domains in a round robin fashion. An optional interrupt capability permits selective application of power to a dormant intelligent peripheral requesting it at the expense of others and based on a priority scheme. Consumption of current supplied to power domains may be monitored by a power watchdog or alternatively via a dedicated power monitor associated with each intelligent peripheral. The invention helps to reduce device power consumption without any associated reduction in processing performance.

Abstract: A safety system comprising: a safety apparatus adapted to be mounted at the rear of a bicycle and comprising a processor, a motion sensor, a threat sensing device and a user alert device, all coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is adapted to: control the driver alert device based on a threat position value and/or the threat speed value; control the user alert device based on at least one of a motion-based value, an ambient light-based value, the threat position value and the threat speed value. It is also claimed the safety apparatus and a collaborative safety system comprising a plurality of safety systems, each being coupled to a communication device through which the processor is further adapted to control the driver alert device and/or the user alert device of the others of the plurality in response to the sensing of a threat.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) module comprising at least one memory mapped resource, at least one port arranged to be coupled to a further IC module, and an address decoding component. Upon receipt of a resource access request by the IC module, the address decoding component is arranged to extract at least one position parameter from an address field of the received resource access request, determine if the at least one position parameter indicates a target resource as residing within the IC module, and if it is determined that the at least one position parameter indicates the target resource as not residing within the IC module, modify the at least one position parameter to represent a change of one position and forward the resource access request with the modified position parameter over the port to the further IC module.

Abstract: An interrupt controlled prefetching and caching technique includes transferring peripheral data from a peripheral to a peripheral cache via direct memory access in response to receiving an interrupt request from the peripheral. The technique includes executing an interrupt service routine prologue in response to completion of transferring of peripheral data. The technique may include providing a base address and a transfer trigger to initiate the transferring of the peripheral data. The technique may include executing a peripheral interrupt service routine after executing the interrupt service routine prologue. The technique may include executing an interrupt service routine epilogue after executing the peripheral interrupt service routine, the interrupt service routine epilogue including resetting an interrupt status flag associated with the interrupt request.

Abstract: A method of controlling an operating mode of at least one processing module. The method comprises receiving an indication of the execution of at least one background task by the at least one processing module, aggregating an execution duration for the at least one background task on the at least one processing module, and configuring a lower power mode for the at least one processing module when the at least one background task is allocated to the at least one processing module for execution thereon if the aggregated execution duration for the at least one background task exceeds a threshold duration within an evaluation period.

Abstract: A method of establishing pre-fetch control information from an executable code is described. The method comprises inspecting the executable code to find one or more instructions corresponding to an unconditional change in program flow during an execution of the executable code when the executable code is retrieved from a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of NVM lines.

Abstract: An interrupt controlled prefetching and caching technique includes transferring peripheral data from a peripheral to a peripheral cache via direct memory access in response to receiving an interrupt request from the peripheral. The technique includes executing an interrupt service routine prologue in response to completion of transferring of peripheral data. The technique may include providing a base address and a transfer trigger to initiate the transferring of the peripheral data. The technique may include executing a peripheral interrupt service routine after executing the interrupt service routine prologue. The technique may include executing an interrupt service routine epilogue after executing the peripheral interrupt service routine, the interrupt service routine epilogue including resetting an interrupt status flag associated with the interrupt request.

Abstract: A signal processing system comprising at least one master device at least one memory element and prefetch module arranged to perform prefetching from at least one memory element upon a memory access request to the at least one memory element from the at least one master device. Upon receiving a memory access request from the at least one master device, the prefetch module is arranged to configure the enabling of prefetching of at least one of instruction information and data information in relation to that memory access request based at least partly on an address to which the memory access request relates.

Abstract: A method for setting one or more breakpoints within executable program code of an embedded device is described. The method comprises copying at least one area of non-volatile memory (NVM) of the embedded device, comprising at least one instruction at which a breakpoint is to be set, into at least one area of overlay memory replacing within the overlay memory the at least one instruction at which a breakpoint is to be set with a breakpoint operation code, and enabling a mapping of the at least one area of NVM, comprising the at least one instruction at which a breakpoint is to be set, to the at least one area of overlay memory during execution of the program code within the embedded device.

Abstract: A data bus network interface module for enabling reception and transmission of application messages to/from at least one host processing module of an integrated digital signal processing device via a data bus network is described. The data bus network interface module being arranged to receive at least one data bus message from at least one remote network node via the data bus network, read an identifier field of the received at least one data bus message, and make data content of the received at least one data bus message available to at least one debug module if the identifier field comprises an identifier value defined for debug use.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) module comprising at least one memory mapped resource, at least one port arranged to be coupled to a further IC module, and an address decoding component. Upon receipt of a resource access request by the IC module, the address decoding component is arranged to extract at least one position parameter from an address field of the received resource access request, determine if the at least one position parameter indicates a target resource as residing within the IC module, and if it is determined that the at least one position parameter indicates the target resource as not residing within the IC module, modify the at least one position parameter to represent a change of one position and forward the resource access request with the modified position parameter over the port to the further IC module.

Abstract: A method for enabling calibration during start-up of a micro controller unit device is provided. The method comprises, within the MCU device, reading overlay initialization data from at least one memory element within an external support device operably coupled to the MCU device, and configuring memory mapping functionality of the MCU device to overlay data stored within at least a part of device memory of the MCU device with calibration data stored within the at least one memory element of the external support device in accordance with the overlay initialization data.

Abstract: A system performance control component, and method therefor, for configuring at least one system performance parameter within a signal processing system. The system performance control component is arranged to receive an indication of an address of a memory access performed by at least one signal processing component, compare the received indication of an address of a memory access to at least one address value, and configure at least one system performance parameter based at least partly on the comparison of the received indication of an address of a memory access to at least one address value.

Abstract: An electronic device, typically a microcontroller, which is divided into a multiplicity of power domains comprising one or more intelligent peripherals, is provided with an on-board power management module for switching power to one or more domains for pre-determined time periods and in a predetermined sequence. The values of the predetermined time periods and sequence may be pre-programmed by the design engineer or user of the device. In one example, power is switched to domains in a round robin fashion. An optional interrupt capability permits selective application of power to a dormant intelligent peripheral requesting it at the expense of others and based on a priority scheme. Consumption of current supplied to power domains may be monitored by a power watchdog or alternatively via a dedicated power monitor associated with each intelligent peripheral. The invention helps to reduce device power consumption without any associated reduction in processing performance.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of replicated IC modules. Each replicated IC module is capable of forming an individual IC die. The semiconductor wafer further comprises inter-module cross-wafer electrical connections, and the replicated IC modules are further arranged to be cut into IC dies comprising multiple replicated IC modules. There is further provided a method of fabricating an IC die. The method comprises fabricating such a semiconductor wafer, determining a required configuration of replicated IC modules, identifying inter-module boundaries along which to cut the semiconductor wafer to achieve the required configuration of replicated IC modules, and cutting the semiconductor wafer along the identified inter-module boundaries to produce at least one IC die comprising the required configuration of replicated IC modules.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of replicated IC modules. Each replicated IC module is capable of forming an individual IC die. The semiconductor wafer further comprises inter-module cross-wafer electrical connections, and the replicated IC modules are further arranged to be cut into IC dies comprising multiple replicated IC modules. There is further provided a method of fabricating an IC die. The method comprises fabricating such a semiconductor wafer, determining a required configuration of replicated IC modules, identifying inter-module boundaries along which to cut the semiconductor wafer to achieve the required configuration of replicated IC modules, and cutting the semiconductor wafer along the identified inter-module boundaries to produce at least one IC die comprising the required configuration of replicated IC modules.

Abstract: A method of controlling an operating mode of at least one processing module. The method comprises receiving an indication of the execution of at least one background task by the at least one processing module, aggregating an execution duration for the at least one background task on the at least one processing module, and configuring a lower power mode for the at least one processing module when the at least one background task is allocated to the at least one processing module for execution thereon if the aggregated execution duration for the at least one background task exceeds a threshold duration within an evaluation period.

Abstract: A safety system comprising: a safety apparatus adapted to be mounted at the rear of a bicycle and comprising a processor, a motion sensor, a threat sensing device and a user alert device, all coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is adapted to: control the driver alert device based on a threat position value and/or the threat speed value; control the user alert device based on at least one of a motion-based value, an ambient light-based value, the threat position value and the threat speed value. It is also claimed the safety apparatus and a collaborative safety system comprising a plurality of safety systems, each being coupled to a communication device through which the processor is further adapted to control the driver alert device and/or the user alert device of the others of the plurality in response to the sensing of a threat.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring general purpose input output, GPIO, signals at GPIO pins of a GPIO port of a system on chip, SoC. The apparatus comprises a first checksum generation unit adapted to generate a first checksum on the basis of GPIO bits stored in GPIO registers of the SoC, being connected via corresponding input output, IO, pad circuits to provide analog GPIO signals at the GPIO pins. A second checksum generation unit is adapted to generate a second checksum on the basis of the analog GPIO signals at the GPIO pins representing the GPIO bits. Checker logic is adapted to compare the first checksum generated by the first checksum generation unit with a second checksum generated by the second checksum generation unit.

Abstract: A method of establishing pre-fetch control information from an executable code is described. The method comprises inspecting the executable code to find one or more instructions corresponding to an unconditional change in program flow during an execution of the executable code when the executable code is retrieved from a non-volatile memory [NVM] comprising a plurality of NVM lines.