5.1Revision History ................................................................................................................. 5-1
iiEvaluation Kit (EK) User Guide
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
1.1Scope
Section 1
Introduction
This User Guide introduces the Evaluation Kit and describes the development and debugging capabilities running on an AT91SAM9 ARM®-based Embedded MPUs as listed below:
SAM9G15
SAM9G25
SAM9X25
SAM9G35
SAM9X35
The User Guide pertains to the following Evaluation Kit references:
SAM9G15-EK
SAM9G25-EK
SAM9X25-EK
SAM9G35-EK
SAM9X35-EK
This User Guide gives design details on the Evaluation Kit and is made up of 5 sections:
Section 1 includes a photo of the board, device and kit references and applicable documents.
Section 2 describes the kit contents, its main features.
Section 3 provides instructions to power up the Evaluation Kit and describes how to use it.
Section 4 describes the CPU Module (CM), the Main Board (MB) and optional Display Module (DM).
Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide1-1
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
Introduction
Figure 1-1.Board Photo (Display module is optional)
EK (Evaluation Kit)
CM (Computer Module)
DM (Display Module)
-10° to +50° C
-40° to +85° C
165 mm x 135 mm
67.6 mm x 35 mm
135 mm x 80 mm
RoHS statusCompliant
2-2Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
2.3Electrostatic Warning
The Evaluation Kit is shipped in a protective anti-static package. The board system must not be subjected to high electrostatic potentials. A grounding strap or similar ESD protective device should be worn
when handling the board in hostile ESD environments (offices with synthetic carpet, for example). Avoid
touching the component pins or any other metallic element on the board.
Kit Contents
Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide2-3
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
3.1Power Up the Board
Unpack the board taking care to avoid electrostatic discharge. Unpack the power supply, select the right
power plug adapter corresponding to that of your country, and insert it in the power supply.
Connect the power supply DC connector to the board and plug the power supply to an AC power plug.
The board LCD should light up and display a welcome page. Then, click or touch icons displayed on the
screen and enjoy the demo.
3.2DevStart
The on-board NAND Flash contains an installation guide named: “SAM9x5-EK DevStart”.
It is stored in the “SAM9x5-EK DevStart” folder on the USB Flash disk available when the Evaluation Kit
is connected to a host computer.
Click the file “welcome.html” in this folder to launch the SAM9x5-EK DevStart.
Section 3
Power Up
DevStart guides the user through the installation processes of IAR™ EWARM, Keil™ MDK and GNU
toolkits. Then, it gives step-by-step instructions on how to rebuild a single example project and how to
program it into the Evaluation Kit. Optionally, if the user has a SAM-ICE™ interface, instructions are also
given about how to debug the code.
It is strongly recommended that users backup the “SAM9x5-EK DevStart” folder on their computer before launching it.
Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide3-1
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
Power Up
3.3Recovery Procedure
The DevStart ends by giving step-by-step instructions on how to recover the Evaluation Kit to the state
as it was when shipped by Atmel.
Follow the instructions if contents of the NAND Flash or the SPI DataFlash®have been deleted, in order
to recover from this situation.
3.4Sample Code and Technical Support
After boot up, designers can run sample code or their own application, on the development kit. Users
can download sample code and get technical support from the Atmel web site:
Note: Different interfaces on the EK boards share the same connections to the CPU module. Therefore the actual
usage depends on the CPU module featured in the evaluation kit.
3-2Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
4.1Introduction
The Evaluation Kit is a fully-featured evaluation platform for the Atmel MPU. The Evaluation Kit enables
users to extensively evaluate, prototype and create application-specific designs.
The Evaluation Kit is a new platform architecture based on a Main Board (MB), a CPU Module (CM)
equipped with one of the five processors and an optional Display Module (DM).
The Evaluation Kit consists of three boards:
1. The CPU Module (CM) board, is a single-board computer that integrates all the core components
and is mounted onto an application-specific carrier board (EK board). The CPU Module has specified pinouts based on the SODIMM200 connector. It provides the functional requirements for an
embedded application. These functions include, but are not limited to, graphics, audio, mass storage,
network and multiple serial and USB ports. A single SODIMM200 connector provides an interface for
the carrier board to carry all the I/O signals to and from the CPU Module.
2. The Evaluation Kit board (EK Main Board) provides all the interface connectors required to attach
the system to the application specific peripherals. This versatility allows the designer to create a
densely packed solution, which results in a more reliable product while simplifying system
integration.
3. The optional Display Module (DM) board integrates LCD, TouchScreen and Qtouch®technology.
Section 4
Evaluation Kit Hardware
Table 4-1, on the page that follows, lists the features provided on the Evaluation Kit:
Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide4-1
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
Evaluation Kit Hardware
Table 4-1. Evaluation Kit Features
Supported modulesSAM9 products
Expansion SlotSO-DIMM200
Processor options
LAN
USART/UART
CANCAN interface Shared interface
USB
SMDSoftware Modem DeviceXXXXX
Memory Card Support
MII/RMII Ethernet 10/100 w/PHY and three
Led status
RMII Ethernet 10/100 w/PHY and three Led
status
RS232 four wires/RS485
Shared interface
SAM9
G15
ETH0XXXX
ETH1X
COM0XXXXX
SAM9
G25
SAM9
G35
SAM9
X25
SAM9
X35
RS232 four wiresCOM3XX
RS232 two wiresDBGUXXXXX
CAN0XX
CAN1XX
2 * USB 2.0 HostXXXXX
1 * USB 2.0 Host/DeviceXXXXX
µSD Card Slot Onboard
MMC/MMC+/SD/SDIO/CE-ATA
HSMCI
0
HSMCI
1
XXXXX
XXXXX
ISIX
LCD + Touch Screen24-bit Output ModeXXX
ZigBee
®
XXXXX
SPIXXXXX
TWIXXXXX
DEBUGJTAG Test Access PortXXXXX
4-2Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
4.2Computer Module (CM)
4.2.1CM Board Overview
The CM board is the CPU module at the heart of the system. It connects to the EK board through a SODIMM200 interface. It carries the processor and external memories. The CM board serves as a minimal
CPU sub-system. All five processors:SAM9G15, SAM9G25, SAM9X25,SAM9G35 and SAM9X35 share
the same CM circuitry with minor configuration settings.
Note:There are three CM boards from three different manufacturers. The five processors are
implemented as shown in Table 4-2 below:
Table 4-2. CM Board Implementation
Evaluation Kit Hardware
Manufacturer &
Module kind
mfg 1xx
mfg 2xx
mfg3xxxxx
The three CM boards share the same circuitry design but with different designator information and PCB layouts. The
circuitry reference in this guide, for common design parts, refers to schematics from SAM9G25-CM (mfg 3). All the
other schematics are provided in
The CM board is built around the integration of an ARM926-based microcontroller (BGA217 package)
with external memory and optional Ethernet PHYsical Layer Transceiver.
Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide4-3
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
Evaluation Kit Hardware
4.2.2.1Devices
Following is the list of the CM board components:
One SAM9 Embedded MPU from the list below
– SAM9G15
– SAM9G25
– SAM9G35
– SAM9X25
– SAM9X35
12 MHz crystal
32.768 KHz crystal
1 Gbit DDR2 memory
2 Gits NAND Flash memory with Chip Selection control switch
32 Mbits SPI Serial DataFlash with Chip Selection control switch
512 Kbits EEPROM
1 Kbyte 1-Wire EEPROM
On-board power regulation
Two user LEDs
Optional PHY
4.2.2.2Interface Connection
SODIMM200 card edge interface
4.2.2.3Configuration Items
Dual ON/OFF switch for NAND Flash and SPI DataFlash Chip Select connection
Figure 4-2.CM Board Layout Commented
DDR2 SDRAM
NAND Flash
Sodimm200 card edge
SAM9 chip
PHY
4-4Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
4.2.3Function Blocks
4.2.3.1Processor
The CM Board is equipped with an Atmel ARM-based embedded MPU, as listed below, in a 217-ball
BGA package. The five devices share an identical footprint. All five share the same CM Board PCB with
minor configuration differences.
The five devices are:
SAM9G15
SAM9G25
SAM9G35
SAM9X25
SAM9X35
As different interfaces can be defined using the same pins, it depends on the actual configuration of the
CPU as to which functions are in fact available to the EK board.
Refer to Section 4.2.4.1 ”Chip Identification” for details. The processor runs at a nominal frequency of
400 MHz for the core and 133 MHz for the system bus.
The peripheral configuration possibilities and implementation requirements of the CM are dependent on
the module's chipset. Two configuration resistors are implemented on board in order to select the mode
of configuration.
Evaluation Kit Hardware
4.2.3.2Clock Circuitry
The CM includes 3 clock sources:
Two are alternatives for the processor main clock
One crystal and one crystal oscillator are used for the Ethernet MII/RMII chip
Table 4-3. Main Components Associated with the Clock Systems
QuantityDescriptionComponent assignment
4.2.3.3Reset Circuitry
The reset sources for the CM board are:
Power on reset
Push button reset (Push button is equipped on EK board)
JTAG reset from an in-circuit emulator (JTAG interface is equipped on EK board)
1Crystal for Internal Clock, 12 MHzY1
1Crystal for RTC Clock, 32.768 kHzY2
1Oscillator for Ethernet Clock RMII, 50 MHzY3
Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide4-5
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
Evaluation Kit Hardware
4.2.3.4Power Supplies
The CM Board is driven by +3V3 input power rail from the EK board through the SODIMM200 connector.
The CM Board embeds all the necessary power rails required for the micro processor.
When additional voltages are required, for example VDDCORE, they are generated on board from the
3.3V supply. The detailed power supply requirements for any given module are specified within the cor-
responding product documentation. The following table summarizes the power specifications.
Table 4-4. Power Rails Associated with the Systems
the NAND Flash I/O and control, D16-D32 and
multiplexed SMC lines
the Slow Clock oscillator, the internal 32 kHz
RC, the internal 12 MHz RC and a part of the
System Controller
DC Supply UDPHS and UHPHS UTMI+
Interface
the core, including the processor, the
embedded memories and the peripherals
From SODIMM200 connector
From SODIMM200 connector
From SODIMM200 connector
on-board
4-6Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
Figure 4-3.CM Power Supply
+3V3MN3
4
C10
4.7uF
1
PWR_EN
AS1301EHT-adj
IN
GND
EN
2
LX
FB
3
2.2uH 3D 16
5
Evaluation Kit Hardware
L2
C7
C11
22pF
R2
39.2K 1%
R4
59K 1%
C12
10uF
C3
4.7uF
C6
100nF
100nF
C8
100nF
VDDCORE
PWR_EN
C1
4.7uF
MN1
AS1301EHT-adj
4
IN
1
EN
L1
3
LX
2.2uH 3D 16
R1
C9
118K 1%
5
GND
FB
2
120 OHM@100MHZ
22pF
R3
59K 1%
B2
21
C38
100nF
C41
100nF
C2
10uF
L5
10uH/150m A
L6
10uH/150m A
C39
4.7uF
C43
4.7uF
C4
100nF
R22
1R
R25
1R
C5
100nF
C13
100nF
C14
100nF
C15
100nF
C40
100nF
C42
100nF
VDDIOM
VDDNF
VDDUTMII
VDDOSC
C27
100nF
L4
10uH/150m A
L3
10uH/150m A
C34
4.7uF
C28
4.7uF
R17
1R
R10
1R
C25
100nF
C33
100nF
C30
100nF
C26
100nF
VDDPLLA
VDDUTMIC
VDDAN A
ADVREF
C35
100nF
VDDI OP0
C20
100nF
C21
100nF
C17
1uF
VDDBU
VDDIOP1
PWR_EN
C36
1uF
C23
100nF
MN4
TPS71710DCK
IN1OUT
GND
EN3NR
2
C37
100nF
5
4
ADVREF
VDDBU
VDDI OP0
VDDI OP1
C18
10nF
+1V
C16
1uF
C32
100nF
VDDANA
Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide4-7
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
Evaluation Kit Hardware
4.2.3.5Memory
The Device serial processor features a DDR/SDR memory interface and an External Bus Interface (EBI)
to enable interfacing to a wide range of external memories and to almost any kind of parallel peripheral.
The External Bus Interface (EBI) is connected to two kinds of memory devices:
One 1 Gbyte DDR2 SDRAM
One 2 Gbytes (or 4 Gbytes depending on supplier) NAND Flash
The serial processor provides two high-speed Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) controllers. One port is
used to interface with the on-board serial DataFlash
Figure 4-5.SPI
PA14
4.2.3.7Two Wire Interface (TWI)
The serial processor has a full speed (400 kHz) master/slave TWI Serial Controller. The controller is
mostly compatible with industry standard I2C and SMBus Interfaces. This port is used to interface with
the on-board Serial EEPROM, ISI, QTouch device and audio codec interface.
Figure 4-6.TWI
SW1B
SWITCH -2-1.27mm
23
ON
2
PA12
PA11
PA13
(SPI0_MOSI)
(SPI0_MIS0)
(SPI0_SPCK)
(SPI0_NPC S0)
VDDI OP0
®
.
VDDI OP0
R56
470K
MN7
AT25DF321
R570R
R580R
R590R
VDDI OP0VDDIOP0
5
2
6
1
SI
SO
SCK
CS
VCC
WP
HOLD
GND
VDDIOP0
8
3
7
4
C69
100nF
4.2.3.81-Wire EEPROM
The Evaluation Kit uses a 1-Wire device as “firmware label” to store the information such as chip type,
manufacturer’s name, production date etc.
Figure 4-7.1-Wire Device
PA31
PA30
PB18
(TWCKO)
(TWDO)
R61
4.7K
VDDI OP0R64
R660R
C70
100nF
R62
4.7K
VDDAN A
6
5
8
4
MN8
AT24C512BN-SH25-B
MN9
DS2431P+
2
IO
WP
A0
A1
A3
R65
1.5K
SCL
SDA
VCC
GND
1
2
3
7
NC1
NC2
NC3
GND
NC4
1
R63
10K
DNP
3
4
5
6
4-10Evaluation Kit (EK) User Guide
11115A–ATARM–27-Jul-11
4.2.3.9Optional PHY
Some of the device modules provide a location for a 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY interface.
For more information about the Ethernet controller device, refer to the Davicom DM9161 controller manufacturer's datasheet.
The CM board may be equipped with any of the five processors, all sharing an identical BGA217 footprint. There are two resistors on the CM board for the purpose of identifying which of the five is the one
actually mounted.
The tables below show in detail how the CM board, relative to different processors, determines the dedicated “SELCONFIG” logic.