10.1.2 Integrated Configurable Debug

The Cortex-M4 processor implements a complete hardware debug solution. This provides high system visibility of the processor and memory through a 2-pin Serial Wire Debug (SWD) port that is ideal for microcontrollers and other small package devices.

For system trace the processor integrates an Instrumentation Trace Macrocell (ITM) alongside data watchpoints and a profiling unit. The Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM) delivers unrivaled instruction trace capture in an area far smaller than traditional trace units, enabling many low cost MCUs to implement full instruction trace for the first time.

To enable simple and cost-effective profiling of the system events these generate, a stream of software-generated messages, data trace, and profiling information is exported over three different ways:

• Output off chip using the TPIU, through a single pin, called Serial Wire Viewer (SWV). Limited to ITM system trace
• Output off chip using the TPIU, through a 4-bit pin interface. Bandwidth is limited
• Internally stored in RAM, using the CoreSight ETB. Bandwidth is then optimal but capacity is limited

The Flash Patch and Breakpoint Unit (FPB) provides up to 8 hardware breakpoint comparators that debuggers can use. The comparators in the FPB also provide remap functions of up to 8 words in the program code in the CODE memory region. This enables applications stored on a non-erasable, ROM-based microcontroller to be patched if a small programmable memory, for example flash, is available in the device. During initialization, the application in ROM detects, from the programmable memory, whether a patch is required. If a patch is required, the application programs the FPB to remap a number of addresses. When those addresses are accessed, the accesses are redirected to a remap table specified in the FPB configuration, which means the program in the non-modifiable ROM can be patched.