Microchip ARM Cortex-M7
Microchip's (formerly Atmel) range of ARM®Cortex®-M7 microcontrollers deliver up to 300MHz of high performance processing, lots of memory (including multi-port SRAM) and miniature packaging options, making them idea for a range of applications where connectivity plays an important role. The SAMS70 family targets applications, such as IoT Nodes and other consumer applications, with its USB Host/Device interface, CMOS camera interface and crypto engine. External memory interfaces allow the developer to expand the amount of flash and SRAM available, leaving room to expand as the application develops.
For those interested in deeper levels of connectivity, or the ability to integrate into industrial networks, the SAME70 adds a 10/100 Ethernet MAC, featuring the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP), and dual CAN-FD interfaces. Both the SAMS70 and SAME70 are available in industrial temperature range (-40°C to 105°C) and feature a dual-precision floating point unit (FPU).
For automotive applications, the SAMV70 delivers connectivity through its dual CAN-FD interfaces, whilst both MOST25 and MOST50 can be supported over the MediaLB® 3-wire interface. For those looking to interface with automotive ethernet, the SAMV71 adds support for the Audio Video Bridging (AVB) capability through the integrated GMAC module.
Both debug and trace support are provided on these devices via ARM's CoreSight™ technology, utilizing the Serial Wire Debug (SWD) interface for pure debugging, Serial Wire Output (SWO) single-pin interface for basic trace output, and Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM) 5-pin interface for advanced trace output.
Furthermore, the following CoreSight™ features are supported by this family:
| CoreSight™ Feature | Description | SAME70 | SAMV70 | SAMV71 | iC5000 | iC5700 |
| FPB (Flash Patch Breakpoint) | Implements hardware breakpoints | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| DWT (Data Watchpoint and Trace) | Hardware comparators for program counter and data watchpoints |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ITM (Instrumentation Trace Macrocell) | Block supports printf style debugging, trace of RTOS events and output of diagnostic system information. |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ETM (Embedded Trace Macrocell) | 5-pin output for ITM or ETM trace messages | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| SWO (Serial Wire Output) | Single-pin output for ITM trace messages | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TPIU (Trace Port Interface Unit) | Bridge between on-chip trace data and either SWO or ETM interfaces. |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| SWD (Serial Wire Debug) | Two-wire CoreSight™ interface used for debugging and debug configuration. |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Via the Analyzer in winIDEA, embedded applications can be analysed for timing, even when based upon a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). If you are looking to improve code quality, the integrated testing tool testIDEA can also test your code and deliver code-coverage report directly from execution on the target microcontroller as well.
To get started, simply build your application in the "Atmel Studio" IDE, making use of the wealth of pre-existing peripheral drivers and software stacks, then import the resulting project's ELF file into winIDEA workspace. Getting started is made even easier with our Tutorial Getting started with winIDEA.