36.2 Overview

The Unified Program and Debug Interface (UPDI) is a proprietary interface for external programming and OCD of a device.

The UPDI supports the programming of Nonvolatile Memory (NVM) space, Flash, EEPROM, fuses, lock bits, and the user row. Some memory-mapped registers are accessible only with the correct access privilege enabled (key, lock bits) and only in the OCD Stopped mode or certain Programming modes. These modes are unlocked by sending the correct key to the UPDI. See the NVMCTRL - Nonvolatile Memory Controller section for programming via the NVM controller and executing NVM controller commands.

The UPDI is partitioned into three separate protocol layers: The UPDI Physical (PHY) layer, the UPDI Data Link (DL) layer, and the UPDI Access (ACC) layer. The default PHY layer handles bidirectional UART communication over the UPDI pin line towards a connected programmer/debugger and provides data recovery and clock recovery on an incoming data frame in the One-Wire Communication mode. Received instructions and corresponding data are handled by the DL layer, which sets up the communication with the ACC layer based on the decoded instruction. Access to the system bus and memory-mapped registers is granted through the ACC layer.

Programming and debugging are done through the PHY layer, which is a one-wire UART based on a half-duplex interface using a dedicated UPDI pin for data reception and transmission. The clocking of the PHY layer is done by a dedicated internal oscillator.

The ACC layer is the interface between the UPDI and the connected bus matrix. This layer grants access via the UPDI interface to the bus matrix with memory-mapped access to system blocks such as memories, NVM, and peripherals.

The Asynchronous System Interface (ASI) provides direct interface access to select features in the OCD, NVM, and System Management systems, which gives the debugger direct access to system information without requesting bus access.