2002 Microchip Technology Inc.
Preliminary
DS30453D-page 9
PIC16C5X
3.0
ARCHITECTURAL OVERVIEW
The high performance of the PIC16C5X family can be
attributed to a number of architectural features com-
monly found in RISC microprocessors. To begin with,
the PIC16C5X uses a Harvard architecture in which
program and data are accessed on separate buses.
This improves bandwidth over traditional von Neumann
architecture where program and data are fetched on
the same bus. Separating program and data memory
further allows instructions to be sized differently than
the 8-bit wide data word. Instruction opcodes are 12
bits wide making it possible to have all single word
instructions. A 12-bit wide program memory access
bus fetches a 12-bit instruction in a single cycle. A two-
stage pipeline overlaps fetch and execution of instruc-
tions. Consequently, all instructions (33) execute in a
single cycle except for program branches.
The PIC16C54/CR54 and PIC16C55 address 512 x 12
of program memory, the PIC16C56/CR56 address
1K x 12 of program memory, and the PIC16C57/CR57
and PIC16C58/CR58 address 2K x 12 of program
memory. All program memory is internal.
The PIC16C5X can directly or indirectly address its
register files and data memory. All special function reg-
isters including the program counter are mapped in the
data memory. The PIC16C5X has a highly orthogonal
(symmetrical) instruction set that makes it possible to
carry out any operation on any register using any
addressing mode. This symmetrical nature and lack of
‘special optimal situations’ make programming with the
PIC16C5X simple yet efficient. In addition, the learning
curve is reduced significantly.
The PIC16C5X device contains an 8-bit ALU and work-
ing register. The ALU is a general purpose arithmetic
unit. It performs arithmetic and Boolean functions
between data in the working register and any register
file.
The ALU is 8 bits wide and capable of addition, subtrac-
tion, shift and logical operations. Unless otherwise
mentioned, arithmetic operations are two's comple-
ment in nature. In two-operand instructions, typically
one operand is the W (working) register. The other
operand is either a file register or an immediate con-
stant. In single operand instructions, the operand is
either the W register or a file register.
The W register is an 8-bit working register used for ALU
operations. It is not an addressable register.
Depending on the instruction executed, the ALU may
affect the values of the Carry (C), Digit Carry (DC), and
Zero (Z) bits in the STATUS register. The C and DC bits
operate as a borrow and digit borrow out bit, respec-
tively, in subtraction. See the SUBWF and ADDWF
instructions for examples.
A simplified block diagram is shown in
Figure 3-1, with
the corresponding device pins described in
Table 3-1(for PIC16C54/56/58) and
Table 3-2 (for PIC16C55/
57).