3.
Xplained Pro
Xplained Pro is an evaluation platform that provides the full microcontroller experience. The platform
consists of a series of Microcontroller (MCU) boards and extension boards, which are integrated with
Atmel Studio, have Atmel Software Framework (ASF)/Atmel START drivers and demo code, support data
streaming, and more. Xplained Pro MCU boards support a wide range of Xplained Pro extension boards,
which are connected through a set of standardized headers and connectors. Each extension board has
an identification (ID) chip to uniquely identify which boards are connected to an Xplained Pro MCU board.
This information is used to present relevant user guides, application notes, data sheets, and example
code through Atmel Studio.
3.1
Embedded Debugger
The SAMC21N Xplained Pro contains the Embedded Debugger (EDBG) for on-board debugging. The
EDBG is a composite USB device of three interfaces; a debugger, Virtual COM Port, and a Data Gateway
Interface (DGI).
Together with Atmel Studio, the EDBG debugger interface can program and debug the ATSAMC21N18A.
On SAMC21N Xplained Pro, the SWD interface is connected between the EDBG and the
ATSAMC21N18A.
The Virtual COM Port is connected to a UART on the ATSAMC21N18A and provides an easy way to
communicate with the target application through terminal software. It offers variable baud rate, parity, and
stop bit settings. Note that the settings on the ATSAMC21N18A must match the settings given in the
terminal software.
Info:
The Virtual COM Port in the EDBG requires the terminal software to set the data terminal
ready (DTR) signal to enable the UART pins connected to the ATSAMC21N18A. If the DTR
signal is not enabled the UART pins on the EDBG is kept in high-z (tristate) rendering the COM
port unusable. The DTR signal is set automatically by some terminal software, but it may have
to be manually enabled in your terminal.
The DGI consists of several physical interfaces for communication with the host computer.
Communication over the interfaces is bidirectional. It can be used to send events and values from the
ATSAMC21N18A or as a generic printf-style data channel. Traffic over the interfaces can be timestamped
on the EDBG for more accurate tracing of events. Note that timestamping imposes an overhead that
reduces maximal throughput.
is used to send and receive data through DGI.
The EDBG controls two LEDs on SAMC21N Xplained Pro; a power LED and a status LED. The table
below shows how the LEDs are controlled in different operation modes.
SAMC21N Xplained Pro
©
2017 Microchip Technology Inc.
User Guide
DS70005318A-page 8
