Table of Contents

Overview

The µDMA controller is a flexible and highly configurable DMA controller designed to work efficiently with the microcontroller’s Cortex-M4 processor core. It supports multiple data sizes and address increment schemes, multiple levels of priority among DMA channels, and several transfer modes to allow for sophisticated programmed data transfers.

Different transfer modes supported are:

  1. Basic mode: In Basic mode, the µDMA controller performs transfers as long as there are more items to transfer,and a transfer request is present. This mode is used with peripherals that assert a µDMA request signal whenever the peripheral is ready for a data transfer.
  2. Auto Mode: Auto mode is similar to Basic mode, except that once a transfer request is received, the transfer runs to completion, even if the µDMA request is removed. This mode is suitable for software-triggered transfers. Generally, Auto mode is not used with a peripheral.
  3. Ping-pong Mode: Ping-Pong mode is used to support a continuous data flow to or from a peripheral. To use Ping-Pong mode, both the primary and alternate data structures must be implemented. Both structures are set up by the processor for data transfer between memory and a peripheral. The transfer is started using the primary control structure. When the transfer using the primary control structure is complete,the µDMA controller reads the alternate control structure for that channel to continue the transfer.Each time this happens, an interrupt is generated, and the processor can reload the control structure for the just-completed transfer.
  4. Scatter-gather Mode: Memory Scatter-Gather mode is a complex mode used when data must be transferred to or from varied locations in memory instead of a set of contiguous locations in a memory buffer.

Application details

This application demonstrates the use of the uDMA controller to transfer data between memory buffers using Auto Mode and Scatter Gather Mode, and to transfer data to and from UART using Ping Pong Mode. In Auto and Scatter Gather mode, the data transfer is verified once the transfer is complete. In Ping Pong mode, the transfer rate is calculated and displayed.

Source Files briefly explained

Usage

  1. Setup a serial communication application. Open a serial terminal on a PC with the following settings:
    • Port: Enumerated COM port
    • Baud rate: 115200
    • Data: 8 bit
    • Parity: None
    • Stop: 1 bit
    • Flow control: None
  2. Run the reference application.
    • Open the project in CCS/IAR. Build the application and debug to load to the device, or flash the binary using UniFlash.

Limitations/Known Issues