The USB Type-C™ standard allows you to change the connector configuration and assign non-USB functions to pins. This enables the creation of special configurations that assign debugging and tracing functions to pins. In its simplest form, this only involves two pins for debugging via SWD. Fully implemented, this can include two debugging pins and four serial tracing paths. USB Type-C™ pins not required for debugging and tracing can continue to function normally. For example, a fully functional USB 3.1 interface can run alongside a two-pin debugging solution.
Lauterbach offers two types of TRACE32 USB-C modules:
• A debugging solution, based on the Lauterbach TRACE32 PowerDebug module, that enables a 2-pin debugging interface without sacrificing any of the functionality of the SuperSpeed USB 3.1 lanes.
• A complete solution, based on the combination of Lauterbach TRACE32 PowerDebug and PowerTrace Serial, that enables 2-pin debugging and 4-way serial tracing.
Both modules include the functional connections, as well as the debug/trace connection. They also have the capability to manage the configuration channel and can supply power to the board.
The implementation example shows the complete solution that provides both SWD and 4-way HSSTP debugging. The implementation is not limited to a single debug/trace configuration. It is fully configurable via the debugger GUI. The advantage for the system developer is the ability to reuse an existing connector in the final product for debugging and tracing purposes.
