Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device 2 comprising a radio transmitter hardware section 10 and a processor 4, the device 2 being arranged to transmit information via said transmitter hardware section 10 from a first application running on the processor 4 in accordance with a first communication protocol or from a second application running on the processor 4 or a further processor using a second communication protocol, wherein the first application is configured to generate a first transmit request 24 when it requires to send a data packet and wherein the second application is configured to generate a second transmit request 34 when the second application requires to send a data packet, the device further comprising control logic 22 for allocating a transmission timeslot for said transmitter section 10 to said first or second application upon receipt of said first 24 or second 34 transmit requests respectively.

Abstract: A radio communication system comprises a radio transmitter (2), and a radio receiver (12) configured to receive radio transmissions from the transmitter. The transmitter (2) uses a transmitter clock signal to transmit a succession of connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?, 22c?) according to a predetermined schedule. The receiver (12) enters a sleep state between receiving successive connection-event data packets from the transmitter (2), in which it does not receive and process radio transmissions from the transmitter. It uses a receiver clock signal to determine when a predetermined number of receiver clock cycles has elapsed after receiving one of the connection-event data packets (22b?), and then enters a ready state. The predetermined number of receiver clock cycles is the number of receiver clock cycles (34a) that elapsed between the respective receipts of two of the connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?) received by the receiver (12) minus a correction factor (38).

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device 2 comprising a radio transmitter hardware section 10 and a processor 4, the device 2 being arranged to transmit information via said transmitter hardware section 10 from a first application running on the processor 4 in accordance with a first communication protocol or from a second application running on the processor 4 or a further processor using a second communication protocol, wherein the first application is configured to generate a first transmit request 24 when it requires to send a data packet and wherein the second application is configured to generate a second transmit request 34 when the second application requires to send a data packet, the device further comprising control logic 22 for allocating a transmission timeslot for said transmitter section 10 to said first or second application upon receipt of said first 24 or second 34 transmit requests respectively.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device 2 comprising a radio transmitter hardware section 10 and a processor 4, the device 2 being arranged to transmit information via said transmitter hardware section 10 from a first application running on the processor 4 in accordance with a first communication protocol or from a second application running on the processor 4 or a further processor using a second communication protocol, wherein the first application is configured to generate a first transmit request 24 when it requires to send a data packet and wherein the second application is configured to generate a second transmit request 34 when the second application requires to send a data packet, the device further comprising control logic 22 for allocating a transmission timeslot for said transmitter section 10 to said first or second application upon receipt of said first 24 or second 34 transmit requests respectively.

Abstract: An integrated-circuit radio communication device (1) comprises processing means (7), memory (13), and radio communication logic (17). The memory (13) stores (i) a boot-loader (22), (ii) a firmware module (23) in a firmware memory region, and (iii) a software application (27) in a software-application memory region. The firmware module (23) comprises instructions for controlling the radio communication logic (17) according to a predetermined radio protocol, and the software application (27) comprises instructions for invoking a radio-communication function of the firmware module (23). The boot-loader (22) or the firmware module (23) comprises instructions for using the radio communication logic (17) to receive a new firmware module (40), and the boot-loader (22) or the firmware module (23) comprises instructions for storing the new firmware module (40) in the software-application memory region such that at least a portion of the software application (27) is overwritten by the new firmware module (40).

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device 2 comprising a radio transmitter hardware section 10 and a processor 4, the device 2 being arranged to transmit information via said transmitter hardware section 10 from a first application running on the processor 4 in accordance with a first communication protocol or from a second application running on the processor 4 or a further processor using a second communication protocol, wherein the first application is configured to generate a first transmit request 24 when it requires to send a data packet and wherein the second application is configured to generate a second transmit request 34 when the second application requires to send a data packet, the device further comprising control logic 22 for allocating a transmission timeslot for said transmitter section 10 to said first or second application upon receipt of said first 24 or second 34 transmit requests respectively.

Abstract: An integrated-circuit device (1) comprises a processor (7), memory (13) for storing executable code, and memory protection logic (9). The memory protection logic (9) is configured to: determine the state of a read protection flag for a protected region of the memory (13); detect a memory read request by the processor (7); determine whether the read request is for an address in the protected region of the memory (13); determine whether the processor (7) issued the read request while executing code stored in the protected region of the memory (13); and deny read requests for addresses in the protected region if the read protection flag for the protected region is set, unless at least one of one or more access conditions is met, wherein one of the access conditions is that the processor (7) issued the read requests while executing code stored in the protected region.

Abstract: A radio communication system comprises a radio transmitter (2), and a radio receiver (12) configured to receive radio transmissions from the transmitter. The transmitter (2) uses a transmitter clock signal to transmit a succession of connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?, 22c?) according to a predetermined schedule. The receiver (12) enters a sleep state between receiving successive connection-event data packets from the transmitter (2), in which it does not receive and process radio transmissions from the transmitter. It uses a receiver clock signal to determine when a predetermined number of receiver clock cycles has elapsed after receiving one of the connection-event data packets (22b?), and then enters a ready state. The predetermined number of receiver clock cycles is the number of receiver clock cycles (34a) that elapsed between the respective receipts of two of the connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?) received by the receiver (12) minus a correction factor (38).

Abstract: An integrated-circuit radio communication device (1) comprises processing means (7), memory (13), and radio communication logic (17). The memory (13) stores (i) a boot-loader (22), (ii) a firmware module (23) in a firmware memory region, and (iii) a software application (27) in a software-application memory region. The firmware module (23)comprises instructions for controlling the radio communication logic (17) according to a predetermined radio protocol, and the software application (27) comprises instructions for invoking a radio-communication function of the firmware module (23). The boot-loader (22) or the firmware module (23) comprises instructions for using the radio communication logic (17) to receive a new firmware module (40), and the boot-loader (22) or the firmware module (23) comprises instructions for storing the new firmware module (40) in the software-application memory region such that at least a portion of the software application (27) is overwritten by the new firmware module (40).

Abstract: A radio communication system comprises a radio transmitter (2), and a radio receiver (12) configured to receive radio transmissions from the transmitter. The transmitter (2) uses a transmitter clock signal to transmit a succession of connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?, 22c?) according to a predetermined schedule. The receiver (12) enters a sleep state between receiving successive connection-event data packets from the transmitter (2), in which it does not receive and process radio transmissions from the transmitter. It uses a receiver clock signal to determine when a predetermined number of receiver clock cycles has elapsed after receiving one of the connection-event data packets (22b?), and then enters a ready state. The predetermined number of receiver clock cycles is the number of receiver clock cycles (34a) that elapsed between the respective receipts of two of the connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?) received by the receiver (12) minus a correction factor (38).

Abstract: An integrated-circuit radio communication device (1) comprises a processor (7), memory (13), and radio communication logic (17). The memory (13) has a firmware module (23) stored at a firmware memory address, the firmware module (23) comprising instructions for controlling the radio communication logic (17) according to a predetermined radio protocol. The processor (7) is configured to receive supervisor call instructions, each having an associated supervisor call number, and to respond to a supervisor call instruction by (i) invoking a supervisor call handler in the firmware module (23), and (ii) making the supervisor call number available to the call handler. A software application (27) is loaded into the memory (13) of the device (1), and stored at a predetermined application memory address.

Abstract: An integrated-circuit radio communication device (1) comprises a processor (7), memory (13), and radio communication logic (17). The memory (13) has a firmware module (23) stored at a firmware memory address, the firmware module (23) comprising instructions for controlling the radio communication logic (17) according to a predetermined radio protocol. The processor (7) is configured to receive supervisor call instructions, each having an associated supervisor call number, and to respond to a supervisor call instruction by (i) invoking a supervisor call handler in the firmware module (23), and (ii) making the supervisor call number available to the call handler. A software application (27) is loaded into the memory (13) of the device (1), and stored at a predetermined application memory address.

Abstract: A radio communication system comprises a radio transmitter (2), and a radio receiver (12) configured to receive radio transmissions from the transmitter. The transmitter (2) uses a transmitter clock signal to transmit a succession of connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?, 22c?) according to a predetermined schedule. The receiver (12) enters a sleep state between receiving successive connection-event data packets from the transmitter (2), in which it does not receive and process radio transmissions from the transmitter. It uses a receiver clock signal to determine when a predetermined number of receiver clock cycles has elapsed after receiving one of the connection-event data packets (22b?), and then enters a ready state. The predetermined number of receiver clock cycles is the number of receiver clock cycles (34a) that elapsed between the respective receipts of two of the connection-event data packets (22a?, 22b?) received by the receiver (12) minus a correction factor (38).

Abstract: An integrated-circuit radio communication device (1) comprises a processor (7), memory (13), and radio communication logic (17). The memory (13) has a firmware module (23) stored at a firmware memory address, the firmware module (23) comprising instructions for controlling the radio communication logic (17) according to a predetermined radio protocol. The processor (7) is configured to receive supervisor call instructions, each having an associated supervisor call number, and to respond to a supervisor call instruction by (i) invoking a supervisor call handler in the firmware module (23), and (ii) making the supervisor call number available to the call handler. A software application (27) is loaded into the memory (13) of the device (1), and stored at a predetermined application memory address.

Abstract: An integrated-circuit device (1) comprises a processor (7), memory (13) for storing executable code, and memory protection logic (9). The memory protection logic (9) is configured to: determine the state of a read protection flag for a protected region of the memory (13); detect a memory read request by the processor (7); determine whether the read request is for an address in the protected region of the memory (13); determine whether the processor (7) issued the read request while executing code stored in the protected region of the memory (13); and deny read requests for addresses in the protected region if the read protection flag for the protected region is set, unless at least one of one or more access conditions is met, wherein one of the access conditions is that the processor (7) issued the read requests while executing code stored in the protected region.