CMSIS-DAP is a specification and a implementation of a Firmware that supports access to the CoreSight Debug Access Port (DAP).ARM Cortex processors provide CoreSight Debug and Trace. CMSIS-DAP supports target Devices that contain one or more Cortex processors. A Device provides a Debug Access Port (DAP) typically either with a 5-pin JTAG or with a 2-pin Serial Wired Debug (SWD) interface that connects to a Debug Unit. CMSIS-DAP is the interface firmware for a Debug Unit that connects the Debug Port to USB. Debuggers that execute on a host computer connect via USB and the Debug Unit to the Device which runs the application software.

CMSIS-DAP Overview

Benefits of CMSIS-DAP

Provides a standardized interface for debuggers.
- Interfaces to many standard debuggers is already available. This includes also ARM DS-5 and Keil MDK-ARM.
Access to CoreSight registers of all Cortex processor architectures (Cortex-A/R/M).
Connects via 5-pin JTAG or 2-pin Serial Wire Debug (SWD).
Supports multi-core debugging.
Supports Serial Wire Output of Cortex-M devices (new in CMSIS-DAP Version 1.10).
Easy to deploy to Debug Units based on Cortex-M microcontrollers.
Debug Unit may be integrated on an evaluation board.
USB using HID (Human Interface Device) driver class that avoids driver installation on host PC.
Supports time-critical JTAG or SWD command execution (new in CMSIS-DAP Version 1.10).

CMSIS-DAP Firmware

The CMSIS-DAP Firmware is provided as source code and is fully configurable to a new Debug Unit. A source code template and several reference implementations for popular Debug Units are provided. Refer to Firmware Configuration for more information.

The CMSIS-DAP Software Stack is composed of the following components:

CMSIS-DAP Firmware that interfaces to JTAG or SWD Debug pins using standard I/O pins of the Cortex-M device.
CMSIS-Driver USART that connects the UART of the Cortex-M device to the SWO output from the target.
USB Communication Stack that interfaces to the USB Port of the Host Computer using the HID class.
- The USB Device middleware may require CMSIS-RTOS and a CMSIS-Driver USB.

CMSIS-DAP Software Stack

In the examples provided the MDK Version 5 USB Communication Stack has been used. However it is possible to use alternative USB stacks instead.

The CMSIS-DAP Firmware is provided in the following directory structure.

Directory	Description
.\CMSIS\DAP\Firmware\Config	CMSIS-DAP Firmware configuration
.\CMSIS\DAP\Firmware\Examples	CMSIS-DAP Firmware adapted to various Debug Units
.\CMSIS\DAP\Firmware\Include	CMSIS-DAP Firmware header file
.\CMSIS\DAP\Firmware\Source	CMSIS-DAP Firmware source code
.\CMSIS\DAP\Firmware\Template	Interface Templates for MDK Version 5 middleware

Debug Access

Note: ARM plans to provide the RDDI-DAP Access DLL that connects a debugger to the CMSIS-DAP Firmware. However as the DAP registers are standard in all Cortex devices, the debug access is well understood by the industry.

Validation

CMSIS-DAP compliant Debug Units must be validated using the scripts provided in Validate Debug Unit.

License

The CMSIS-DAP is provided free of charge by ARM and can be freely distributed as part of Cortex-M processor-based Debug Units that are stand-alone or integrated evaluation boards. used for all Cortex-M based devices. View the LICENCE AGREEMENT for CMSIS-DAP in detail.