There are cases when I need to do a reset of the device by software. For example I have loaded the application image with the bootloader, and then I need to perform a reset of the microcontroller to do a restart. As a human user I can press the reset button on the board. But how to do this from the software and application running on the board, without user manual intervention? Or if I simply want to reset the system for whatever reason?

Performing a Software System Reset with Kinetis Design Studio

Using Watchdog Timeout

In the past I have used the following approach for other microcontroller (e.g. the Freescale S08 and S12 devices):

1. Setting up a watchdog timer
2. Then when I want to do a reset, I do *not* kick (serve) the watchdog timer any more
3. As a result, the WDT (watchdog timer) or COP (Computer operating properly) will timeout, and will reset the part

That approach is working, but well is not the easiest way. Especially as on ARM Cortex-M there is a better way :-).

Using ARM System Reset

The ARM Cortex-M which includes the Freescale Kinetis series cores have a System Reset functionality available in the AICR (Application Interrupt and Reset Control Register):

AIRCR Register (Source: ARM Infocenter)

So all I need to write a 0x05FA to VECTKEY with a 1 to SYSRESETREQ :-).

The easiest way is if I used the KinetisTools Processor Expert component from SourceForge (see “McuOnEclipse Releases on SourceForge“):

KinetisTools Processor Expert Component

This componet offers a SoftwareReset() function which I can use in my application. It is defined like this in the component:

void KIN1_SoftwareReset(void)
{
  /* Generic way to request a reset from software for ARM Cortex */
  /* See https://community.freescale.com/thread/99740
     To write to this register, you must write 0x5FA to the VECTKEY field, otherwise the processor ignores the write.
     SYSRESETREQ will cause a system reset asynchronously, so need to wait afterwards.
   */
#if KIN1_IS_USING_KINETIS_SDK
  SCB->AIRCR = (0x5FA<
#else
  SCB_AIRCR = SCB_AIRCR_VECTKEY(0x5FA) | SCB_AIRCR_SYSRESETREQ_MASK;
#endif
  for(;;) {
    /* wait until reset */
  }
}

So all what you need is to have such a piece of code in your application to do a system reset.

That component features as well an optional command line interface. That way I can reset the target with a command from the shell :-)

Reset System from the Shell

Summary

To reset an ARM Cortex M by software, I can use the AIRCR register. Either I can do this directly, or using my KinetisTools component for Processor Expert :-).