Cortex-A Series Programmer’s Guide Version: 3.0
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Cortex-A Series Programmer’s Guide

Version: 3.0

This document introduces application programmers to processors that implement the ARMv7-A architecture profile, including the Cortex-A8, Cortex-A9, Cortex-A5, Cortex-A7 and Cortex-A15 processors. It complements other documentation, such as Technical Reference Manuals and the ARM Architecture Reference Manual, ARMv7-A and ARMv7-R edition. It is ideally suited for programmers with a desktop PC or x86 background taking their first steps into the world of ARM processors. Familiarity with C coding and some knowledge of microprocessor architectures is assumed, although no ARM processor-specific background is needed.

Topics that are covered include:

  • the ARM architecture

  • tools, operating systems, and boards

  • ARM assembly language programming, and instruction sets

  • registers and modes

  • caches

  • memory management and ordering

  • handling interrupts and other exceptions

  • boot code

  • porting

  • Application Binary Interfaces

  • profiling and optimizing code

  • the Floating\u2013point Extension

  • the Advanced SIMD Extension (NEON)

  • power management

  • SMP multiprocessing

  • The Security Extensions (TrustZone)

  • The Virtualization Extensions

  • big.LITTLE

  • hardware debug features

  • building ARM Linux

This document is only available in a PDF version and only to registered ARM customers.

Copyright © 2012 ARM Limited. All rights reserved. ARM DEN0013C
Non-Confidential Restricted Access
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