Datasheet
transferred to the two-level receive buffer. The transfer takes place in the same clock cycle as the last
data bit is shifted in. And the Receive Complete Interrupt flag in the Interrupt Flag Status and Clear
register (INTFLAG.RXC) will be set. The received data can be retrieved by reading DATA.
When the last character has been transmitted and there is no valid data in DATA, the Transmit Complete
Interrupt flag in the Interrupt Flag Status and Clear register (INTFLAG.TXC) will be set. When the
transaction is finished, the master must pull the SS line high to notify the slave. If Master Slave Select
Enable (CTRLB.MSSEN) is set to '0', the software must pull the SS line high.
27.6.2.6.2 Slave
In slave mode (CTRLA.MODE=0x2), the SPI interface will remain inactive with the MISO line tri-stated as
long as the SS pin is pulled high. Software may update the contents of DATA at any time as long as the
Data Register Empty flag in the Interrupt Status and Clear register (INTFLAG.DRE) is set.
When SS is pulled low and SCK is running, the slave will sample and shift out data according to the
transaction mode set. When the content of TxDATA has been loaded into the shift register,
INTFLAG.DRE will be set, and new data can be written to DATA.
Similar to the master, the slave will receive one character for each character transmitted. A character will
be transferred into the two-level receive buffer within the same clock cycle its last data bit is received. The
received character can be retrieved from DATA when the Receive Complete interrupt flag
(INTFLAG.RXC) is set.
When the master pulls the SS line high, the transaction is done and the Transmit Complete Interrupt flag
in the Interrupt Flag Status and Clear register (INTFLAG.TXC) will be set.
After DATA is written it takes up to three SCK clock cycles until the content of DATA is ready to be loaded
into the shift register on the next character boundary. As a consequence, the first character transferred in
a SPI transaction will not be the content of DATA. This can be avoided by using the preloading feature.
Refer to 27.6.3.2 Preloading of the Slave Shift Register.
When transmitting several characters in one SPI transaction, the data has to be written into DATA register
with at least three SCK clock cycles left in the current character transmission. If this criteria is not met, the
previously received character will be transmitted.
Once the DATA register is empty, it takes three CLK_SERCOM_APB cycles for INTFLAG.DRE to be set.
27.6.2.7 Receiver Error Bit
The SPI receiver has one error bit: the Buffer Overflow bit (BUFOVF), which can be read from the Status
register (STATUS). Once an error happens, the bit will stay set until it is cleared by writing '1' to it. The bit
is also automatically cleared when the receiver is disabled.
There are two methods for buffer overflow notification, selected by the immediate buffer overflow
notification bit in the Control A register (CTRLA.IBON):
If CTRLA.IBON=1, STATUS.BUFOVF is raised immediately upon buffer overflow. Software can then
empty the receive FIFO by reading RxDATA until the receiver complete interrupt flag in the Interrupt Flag
Status and Clear register (INTFLAG.RXC) goes low.
If CTRLA.IBON=0, the buffer overflow condition travels with data through the receive FIFO. After the
received data is read, STATUS.BUFOVF and INTFLAG.ERROR will be set along with INTFLAG.RXC,
and RxDATA will be zero.
SAM D21 Family
SERCOM SPI – SERCOM Serial Peripheral Interface
© 2018 Microchip Technology Inc.
Datasheet Complete
DS40001882D-page 517