Memory Map Control (S12PMMCV1)
3.6
Initialization/Application Information
3.6.1
CALL and RTC Instructions
CALL and RTC instructions are uninterruptable CPU instructions that automate page switching in the
program page window. The CALL instruction is similar to the JSR instruction, but the subroutine that is
called can be located anywhere in the local address space or in any Flash or ROM page visible through the
program page window. The CALL instruction calculates and stacks a return address, stacks the current
PPAGE value and writes a new instruction-supplied value to the PPAGE register. The PPAGE value
controls which of the 256 possible pages is visible through the 16 Kbyte program page window in the
64 Kbyte local CPU memory map. Execution then begins at the address of the called subroutine.
During the execution of the CALL instruction, the CPU performs the following steps:
1. Writes the current PPAGE value into an internal temporary register and writes the new instruction-
supplied PPAGE value into the PPAGE register
2. Calculates the address of the next instruction after the CALL instruction (the return address) and
pushes this 16-bit value onto the stack
3. Pushes the temporarily stored PPAGE value onto the stack
4. Calculates the effective address of the subroutine, refills the queue and begins execution at the new
address
This sequence is uninterruptable. There is no need to inhibit interrupts during the CALL instruction
execution. A CALL instruction can be performed from any address to any other address in the local CPU
memory space.
The PPAGE value supplied by the instruction is part of the effective address of the CPU. For all addressing
mode variations (except indexed-indirect modes) the new page value is provided by an immediate operand
in the instruction. In indexed-indirect variations of the CALL instruction a pointer specifies memory
locations where the new page value and the address of the called subroutine are stored. Using indirect
addressing for both the new page value and the address within the page allows usage of values calculated
at run time rather than immediate values that must be known at the time of assembly.
The RTC instruction terminates subroutines invoked by a CALL instruction. The RTC instruction unstacks
the PPAGE value and the return address and refills the queue. Execution resumes with the next instruction
after the CALL instruction.
During the execution of an RTC instruction the CPU performs the following steps:
1. Pulls the previously stored PPAGE value from the stack
2. Pulls the 16-bit return address from the stack and loads it into the PC
3. Writes the PPAGE value into the PPAGE register
4. Refills the queue and resumes execution at the return address
This sequence is uninterruptable. The RTC can be executed from anywhere in the local CPU memory
space.
The CALL and RTC instructions behave like JSR and RTS instruction, they however require more
execution cycles. Usage of JSR/RTS instructions is therefore recommended when possible and
S12P-Family Reference Manual, Rev. 1.13
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