ST72104G, ST72215G, ST72216G, ST72254G
6 CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (Cont’d)
Stack Pointer (SP)
Read/Write
The least significant byte of the Stack Pointer
(called S) can be directly accessed by a LD in-
struction.
Reset Value: 01 7Fh
Note: When the lower limit is exceeded, the Stack
Pointer wraps around to the stack upper limit, with-
out indicating the stack overflow. The previously
stored information is then overwritten and there-
fore lost. The stack also wraps in case of an under-
flow.
15
8
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
0
The stack is used to save the return address dur-
ing a subroutine call and the CPU context during
an interrupt. The user may also directly manipulate
the stack by means of the PUSH and POP instruc-
tions. In the case of an interrupt, the PCL is stored
at the first location pointed to by the SP. Then the
other registers are stored in the next locations as
shown in Figure 7.
0
SP6
SP5
SP4
SP3
SP2
SP1
SP0
The Stack Pointer is a 16-bit register which is al-
ways pointing to the next free location in the stack.
It is then decremented after data has been pushed
onto the stack and incremented before data is
popped from the stack (see Figure 7).
– When an interrupt is received, the SP is decre-
mented and the context is pushed on the stack.
Since the stack is 128 bytes deep, the 9 most sig-
nificant bits are forced by hardware. Following an
MCU Reset, or after a Reset Stack Pointer instruc-
tion (RSP), the Stack Pointer contains its reset val-
ue (the SP6 to SP0 bits are set) which is the stack
higher address.
– On return from interrupt, the SP is incremented
and the context is popped from the stack.
A subroutine call occupies two locations and an in-
terrupt five locations in the stack area.
Figure 7. Stack Manipulation Example
CALL
Subroutine
RET
or RSP
PUSH Y
POP Y
IRET
Interrupt
Event
@ 0100h
SP
SP
SP
Y
CC
A
CC
A
CC
A
X
X
X
PCH
PCL
PCH
PCL
PCH
PCL
PCH
PCL
PCH
PCL
PCH
PCL
SP
SP
PCH
PCL
PCH
PCL
SP
@ 017Fh
Stack Higher Address = 017Fh
0100h
Stack Lower Address =
16/140
ETC [ ETC ]
