Word Size and Data Types

Embedded Software Essentials

C2M1V2
Architecture [S1]
Flash
• Architecture designed to Instruction_a
implement assembly instructions CPU Instruction_b
Instruction_c
General Instruction_d
Purpose Stack pointer
…
• Complex Instruction Set Registers Program Counter

Computer (CISC) Instruction

Register
Arithmetic Logical Instruction_c
Unit (ALU)
• Reduced Instruction Set
Computer (RISC)
Result

• Advanced RISC Machine (ARM)

Units of Operation [S2]
• Instruction – Fundamental unit of work Inside a CPU
or operation General
Stack pointer
• Arithmetic Purpose
Registers Program Counter
• Logical
• Instruction
Program Flow Control Register
• Load/Store Arithmetic Logical Instruction_c
Unit (ALU)

• Word – fundamental operand size for Result

each operation
Example: 32-bit Machines are built to
do 32-bit math most optimally
Units of Operation [S3]
Core CPU Registers

• General Purpose Registers in CPU

will be size of the Word
CPU N-bit architecture
ARM 32-bit Word = 32-bit registers

N-bit
• Cortex-M Processors has General Registers
N-bit ALU
and Special Purpose CPU Core
registers
• R0-R12 General Purpose N-bit Data Bus (internal)
• R13-R15 Reserved Role
• Program Status Registers
CPU operand size = data size of registers
• Exception Mask Registers
N-bits wide
• Control Register
Instruction Sizes [S4]
• Instruction size can vary
• ARM Instruction Set ARMv6-M  16-Bit and 32-Bit
• Thumb-2 Instruction Set  16-Bit

000104c8 <main>:
104c8: b5b0 push {r4, r5, r7, lr}
16-Bit
Example Output with 104ca: b096 sub sp, #88
Instructions
Machine Code and 104cc: af00 add r7, sp, #0
Assembly Code 32-Bit 104ce: f241 0330 movw r3, #4144
Instructions 104d2: f2c0 0302 movt r3, #2

Instruction Machine Assembly

Address Code Code
Units of Operation [S5] CPU N-bit architecture

• There are a lot of Busses in a

Microcontroller N-bit
Registers
• Internal System Busses N-bit ALU

• Example: ARM AHB

• External Peripheral Busses
N-bit Internal
• Example: ARM APB Data Bus
• Bus is at least the size of the Bus Fabric

instruction M-bit External

Peripheral Data
Bus or Crossbar

Analog GPIO Timer UART

C-Programming Types [S6]
Type Size Value Range (min)
• Sizes of C data types signed char
At least 8-bits [-27, +27 – 1]
are ambiguous and vary int8_t

between architectures unsigned char

At least 8-bits [0, +28 – 1]
uint8_t

signed short int

At least 16-bits [-215, +215 – 1]
• C-Standard Specifies a int16_t

minimum each variable unsigned short int

uint16_t
At least 16-bits [0, +216 – 1]

can be
signed long int
At least 32-bits [-215, +215 – 1]
int32_t

unsigned long int

At least 32-bits [0, +232 – 1]
uint32_t
Standard Integer Sizes[S7]
• Variable length Types can cause
portability issues int8_t Exactly 8-bits
int16_t Exactly 16-bits
• Explicitly defined types that specify int32_t Exactly 32-bits
int64_t Exactly 64-bits
storage and sign
uint8_t Exactly 8-bits
• Provide exact size, fast size, and minimum
uint16_t Exactly 16-bits
size
uint32_t Exactly 32-bits
uint64_t Exactly 64-bits
• Defined in the stdint.h header file
Standard Integer Sizes[S8] #ifndef __STDINT_H__
#define __STDINT_H__

• Explicitly defined types that specify /* 8-bit signed/unsigned Integers */

typedef signed char int8_t;
exact size and sign typedef unsigned char uint8_t;
• U = Unsigned
uint8_t var1; /* 16-bit signed/unsigned Integers */
• Int = Integer type int32_t var3 = -100; typedef signed short int int16_t;
• _t = type typedef unsigned short int uint16_t;

/* 32-bit signed/unsigned Integers */

uint16_t int32_t typedef signed long int int32_t;
typedef unsigned long int uint32_t;

/* 64-bit signed/unsigned Integers */

typedef signed long long int int64_t;
unsigned 16-bits signed 32-bits
typedef unsigned long long int uint64_t;

integer integer #endif /* __STDINT_H__ */

Standard Integer Sizes [S9]
• You need a data size that allows for the
fastest access while having at least N bits int_fast8_t int_least8_t
 Fast Types int_fast16_t int_least16_t
int_fast32_t int_least32_t
• Typically rounds up to word size
• Most optimum size for operations
int_fast64_t int_least64_t
uint_fast8_t uint_least8_t
uint_fast16_t uint_least16_t
• You need the smallest data size that has a uint_fast32_t uint_least32_t
minimum size N bits uint_fast64_t uint_least64_t
 Least Types int_fast8_t var1;
uint_least16_t var2 = 12;
Typedef [S10] #ifndef __STDINT_H__
#define __STDINT_H__

• Typedef keyword allows programmer to /* 8-bit signed/unsigned Integers */

typedef signed char int8_t;
create own types (like an alias) typedef unsigned char uint8_t;
• Can apply to standard types or derived types
/* 16-bit signed/unsigned Integers */
typedef signed short int int16_t;
typedef unsigned short int uint16_t;

typedef enum Color { typedef struct Data { /* 32-bit signed/unsigned Integers */

typedef signed long int int32_t;
COLOR_BLUE = 0, int32_t temperature; typedef unsigned long int uint32_t;
COLOR_RED = 1, unt32_t date;
COLOR_GREEN = 2, unt32_t time; /* 64-bit signed/unsigned Integers */
} Color_t; } Data_t; typedef signed long long int int64_t;
typedef unsigned long long int uint64_t;

#endif /* __STDINT_H__ */