2 SAM-BA® Communication Interfaces

SAM-BA relies on the SAM-BA Monitor running on the target device, while the SAM-BA tools operate on the host computer, as illustrated in the following figure.

Figure 2-1. SAM-BA Block Diagram

The SAM-BA application runs on the host computer. The host sends binary applets through commands to the target through a serial connection.

The target part is a hardware design running on Arm®-based Microchip MPUs. The SAM-BA host and SAM-BA Monitor load and execute binary applet programs in the target RAM to provide additional features and capabilities.

Connection Type Recommendations

USB: preferred for SAM-BA programming due to high speed and ease of use.
UART: can be used when USB is unavailable. When the UART connection is selected, it cannot be used by the target for debug traces.
JTAG: not recommended for SAM-BA programming. JTAG is significantly slower than USB or UART and is primarily intended for debugging, boundary-scan operations and low-level device access.