PIC18F2331/2431/4331/4431
The program memory space is 16 bits wide, while the
8.0
FLASH PROGRAM MEMORY
data RAM space is 8 bits wide. Table reads and table
writes move data between these two memory spaces
through an 8-bit register (TABLAT).
The Flash program memory is readable, writable and
erasable during normal operation over the entire VDD
range.
Table read operations retrieve data from program
memory and place it into TABLAT in the data RAM
space. Figure 8-1 shows the operation of a table read
with program memory and data RAM.
A read from program memory is executed on one byte
at a time. A write to program memory is executed on
blocks of 8 bytes at a time. Program memory is erased
in blocks of 64 bytes at a time. A bulk erase operation
may not be issued from user code.
Table write operations store data from TABLAT in the
data memory space into holding registers in program
memory. The procedure to write the contents of the
holding registers into program memory is detailed in
Section 8.5 “Writing to Flash Program Memory”.
Figure 8-2 shows the operation of a table write with
program memory and data RAM.
While writing or erasing program memory, instruction
fetches cease until the operation is complete. The
program memory cannot be accessed during the write
or erase, therefore, code cannot execute. An internal
programming timer terminates program memory writes
and erases.
Table operations work with byte entities. A table block
containing data, rather than program instructions, is not
required to be word-aligned. Therefore, a table block can
start and end at any byte address. If a table write is being
used to write executable code into program memory,
program instructions will need to be word-aligned,
(TBLPTRL<0> = 0).
A value written to program memory does not need to be
a valid instruction. Executing a program memory
location that forms an invalid instruction results in a
NOP.
8.1
Table Reads and Table Writes
In order to read and write program memory, there are
two operations that allow the processor to move bytes
between the program memory space and the data
RAM:
• Table Read (TBLRD)
• Table Write (TBLWT)
FIGURE 8-1:
TABLE READ OPERATION
Instruction: TBLRD*
(1)
Program Memory
Table Pointer
Table Latch (8-bit)
TABLAT
TBLPTRU TBLPTRH TBLPTRL
Program Memory
(TBLPTR)
Note 1: The Table Pointer points to a byte in program memory.
2010 Microchip Technology Inc.
DS39616D-page 85
MICROCHIP [ MICROCHIP ]
