In the process of microcontroller development, debugging is an indispensable step, and the interface serves as a bridge connecting the development environment with the target microcontroller. For engineers, to achieve excellent microcontroller debugging, it is essential to understand and master various interfaces. Below, we will list the interfaces used in microcontroller debugging.
1. JTAG Interface
JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) is an international standard testing protocol primarily used for internal chip testing. The standard JTAG interface includes four lines: TMS, TCK, TDI, and TDO, which are used for mode selection, clock input, data input, and data output, respectively. The JTAG interface is widely used in debugging advanced devices such as ARM, DSP, and FPGA.
2. SWD Interface
SWD (Serial Wire Debug) is a serial debugging interface that has fewer pins and a simpler structure compared to JTAG. The SWD interface is more reliable in high-speed mode and requires fewer pins, making it suitable for situations where GPIO resources are limited or the board size is constrained.
3. RDI Interface
RDI (Remote Debug Interface) is a standard debugging interface proposed by ARM, primarily used for the emulation of ARM chips. The RDI interface enables cross-platform hardware debugging, and many IDE vendors have gradually adopted the standard RDI as the debugging interface for ARM emulators.
4. J-Link Emulator Interface
J-Link is an emulator based on JTAG launched by the German company SEGGER. Its interface uses a USB to JTAG conversion method, connecting to the computer via USB, while the target board uses the JTAG protocol. J-Link is a versatile development tool that supports multiple platforms, including KEIL, IAR, and ADS.
5. U-Link Emulator Interface
U-Link is an emulator interface launched by ARM/KEIL, which works with Keil software to achieve emulation functionality and adds support for serial debugging (SWD) among other features. However, please note that U-Link is specifically designed for use with the KEIL platform and is not suitable for ADS, IAR, or other platforms.
6. ST-Link Emulator Interface
ST-Link is an emulator interface specifically designed for STMicroelectronics’ STM8 and STM32 series chips, supporting both SWIM standard interface and JTAG/SWD standard interfaces, with dual functionality for programming and emulation.
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