1. A method for processing a virtual address in a process for programming a DMA controller, the process being performed in user mode on a system on a chip that includes a central processing unit, a memory management unit, and a DMA controller, the virtual address being a source virtual address or a destination virtual address and having a size of N bits, said method comprising the steps of: dividing the virtual address into at least two fields of bits; for each of the fields, creating an N-bit address word comprising the field, and a prefix of a given value associated with the field and having more than 1 bit; and programming the DMA controller using a plurality of store instructions, the store instructions including one store instruction relating to each of the N-bit address words created.