3.2 Configuring the SAM-ICE J-Link Debugger

The SAMA7D65 MPU supports the following probes:

  • ICD 4, ICD 5
  • PICkit 4, PICkit 5
  • ICE 4
  • Snap
  • PICkit Basic

The SAM-ICE J-Link debugger is a JTAG-based tool used to debug the SAMA7D65 on the Curiosity board. Configuring it in MPLAB X IDE ensures seamless programming and debugging of the project firmware.

To configure the SAM-ICE J-Link debugger:

  1. Open the project properties.
    • In MPLAB X IDE, locate your project in the Projects window.
    • Right-click the project name and select Properties or go to File > Project Properties. This opens the Project Properties window, a central hub for configuring project settings as shown in the figure below.
  2. Select the SAM-ICE J-Link debugger.
    • In the Project Properties window, under the Categories panel on the left, locate the Conf: [default] configuration (or the active configuration for your project). See the figure below.
    • Under this configuration, locate the Hardware Tool dropdown menu.
    A screenshot of a computer AI-generated content may be incorrect.
  3. Configure the J-Link debugger settings.
    • In the Project Properties window, under the Categories panel on the left, locate the J-Link configuration.
    • Under Option categories: Communication, change the JTAG method to 4-wire JTAG and the JTAG speed to 12 MHz.
    Note: The SEGGER SAM-ICE debugger only supports 4-wire JTAG, so this configuration is required.
  4. Load the bootstrap file.
    • Select the Use bootstrap checkbox and load the at91bootstrap.elf file.

      The bootstrap's main purpose is to read the third-stage binary (bootloader, operating system, or application) located in the external non-volatile memory (NVM) and store it in the external DRAM. For more details, refer to “Second-Stage Bootloader” on the SAMA7D6 Series Boot Process page.

  5. Launch MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC).
    • Open MCC from the MPLAB X IDE toolbar.
    • Ensure the MPLAB Harmony framework is installed (MPLAB Harmony v3).
    • Add peripherals (such as a timer, I2C or XLCDC) to the project graph in the MCC Resource Management window.
Important: Before generating the project, clone the following Harmony libraries into the Harmony framework path using MPLAB Code Configurator:
  • Chip Support Package (CSP)
  • Harmony 3 Core – Board Support Package (BSP), Core
  • Harmony Services
  • Microchip Graphics Suite Harmony – Graphics (GFX)

These libraries are essential for a successful project configuration and build. Note that the download may take some time. Once all libraries have been downloaded, click Finish.