Intermediate
30 min

Achieve high-precision color sensing with VD6283TX and STM32F107VCT6

Eliminate flicker and capture true colors

Spectrometer 2 Click with EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32

Published Apr 20, 2023

Click board™

Spectrometer 2 Click

Dev. board

EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F107VCT6

An advanced color filtering technology with accurate computation of correlated color temperature and Lux information for your applications

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Spectrometer 2 Click is based on the VD6283TX, a color sensor with advanced light flicker extraction from STMicroelectronics. It performs fast and accurate light measurements thanks to an individual ADC with a resolution of 24 bits (16 + 8 bits for high accuracy under low light) and a readout for six color channels: red, green, blue, IR, clear, and visible. Through a serial interface, the color channels can be individually enabled to optimize power consumption alongside 15 programmable gains for a high-dynamic range. Six channels can operate with independent, parallel reading for ALS or flicker operations, one represents a dedicated fast channel for light flicker measurement, and one stands for an internal dark channel. The VD6283TX uses hybrid color filters with precise responses allowing accurate computation of the

correlated color temperature (CCT) and Lux information. Its patented architecture and a high-performance photodiode design can also extract light-flickering frequencies from a minimum of 100Hz and a maximum frequency of 2kHz, including LED square signals, to avoid “banding effects” or check that they are safe for the human eye. Spectrometer 2 Click communicates with MCU using the standard I2C 2-Wire interface with a maximum clock frequency of 1MHz, fully adjustable through software registers. The VD6283TX does not require a specific Power-Up sequence but requires a voltage of 1.8V for its interface and logic part to work correctly. Therefore, a small regulating LDO, the ADP151, provides a 1.8V out of 3.3V mikroBUS™ power rail. Since the sensor for operation requires a power supplyof 1.8V, this Click board™ also

features the PCA9306 voltage-level translator allowing the VD6283TX to work with 3.3V MCU properly. The VD6283TX can stream the following data continuously: ALS color data over the I2C interface and raw flicker data over the AN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket. It also possesses an additional interrupt signal, routed on the INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket labeled as INT, indicating when a specific interrupt event occurs. This Click board™ can only be operated with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

Spectrometer 2 Click top side image
Spectrometer 2 Click lateral side image
Spectrometer 2 Click bottom side image

Features overview

Development board

EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32 is the seventh generation of ARM development boards specially designed for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. It supports a wide range of 32-bit ARM microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics and a broad set of unique functions, such as a powerful onboard mikroProg programmer and In-Circuit debugger over USB-B. The development board is well organized and designed so that the end-user has all the necessary elements, such as switches, buttons, indicators, connectors, and others, in one place. With two different connectors for each port, EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32 allows you to connect accessory boards, sensors, and custom electronics

more efficiently than ever. Each part of the EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32 development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. An integrated mikroProg, a fast USB 2.0 programmer with mikroICD hardware In-Circuit Debugger, offers many valuable programming/debugging options and seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment. Besides it also includes a clean and regulated power supply block for the development board. It can use a wide range of external power sources, including an external 12V power supply, 7-23V AC or 9-32V DC via DC connector/screw terminals, and a power source via the USB Type-B (USB-B) connector. Communication options such

as USB-UART, USB-HOST/DEVICE, CAN, and Ethernet are also included, including the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, one display option for the TFT board line of products, and a standard TQFP socket for the seventh-generation MCU cards. This socket covers a wide range of 32-bit ARM MCUs, like STM32 Cortex-M3 and -M4 MCUs. EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32 is an integral part of the Mikroe ecosystem for rapid development. Natively supported by Mikroe software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping and development thanks to a considerable number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing every day.

EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

7th Generation

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M3

MCU Memory (KB)

10

Silicon Vendor

STMicroelectronics

Pin count

100

RAM (Bytes)

100

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

Raw Flicker Data
PA4
AN
NC
NC
RST
NC
NC
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
Interrupt
PD10
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PB6
SCL
I2C Data
PB7
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Spectrometer 2 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

EasyMx PRO v7a for STM32 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the EasyMx PRO v7 for STM32 as your development board.

EasyMx PRO v7a for STM32 front image hardware assembly
Buck 22 Click front image hardware assembly
EasyMx PRO? v7 for STM32 MCUcard with STM32F407VGT6 front image hardware assembly
v7 TQFP 2SOC MB 1 - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
NECTO Compiler Selection Step Image hardware assembly
NECTO Output Selection Step Image hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
EasyPIC PRO v7a MCU Selection Necto Step hardware assembly
EasyPIC PRO v7a Display Selection Necto Step hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Necto PreFlash Image hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output

1. Application Output - In Debug mode, the 'Application Output' window enables real-time data monitoring, offering direct insight into execution results. Ensure proper data display by configuring the environment correctly using the provided tutorial.

2. UART Terminal - Use the UART Terminal to monitor data transmission via a USB to UART converter, allowing direct communication between the Click board™ and your development system. Configure the baud rate and other serial settings according to your project's requirements to ensure proper functionality. For step-by-step setup instructions, refer to the provided tutorial.

3. Plot Output - The Plot feature offers a powerful way to visualize real-time sensor data, enabling trend analysis, debugging, and comparison of multiple data points. To set it up correctly, follow the provided tutorial, which includes a step-by-step example of using the Plot feature to display Click board™ readings. To use the Plot feature in your code, use the function: plot(*insert_graph_name*, variable_name);. This is a general format, and it is up to the user to replace 'insert_graph_name' with the actual graph name and 'variable_name' with the parameter to be displayed.

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for Spectrometer 2 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • spectrometer2_get_data This function reads data from 6 ALS channels (Red, Visible, Blue, Green, IR, and Clear).

  • spectrometer2_rgbc_to_hsl This function converts RGBC (red, green, blue, clear) to HSL (hue, saturation, lightness) color value.

  • spectrometer2_get_color This function returns the color name flag from the input HSL color.

Open Source

Code example

The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.

/*!
 * @file main.c
 * @brief Spectrometer2 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of Spectrometer 2 click board by reading data
 * from 6 ALS channels and converting them to HSL color and displaying those data as 
 * well as the detected color name on the USB UART.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Waits for the data ready interrupt, then reads the values of all ALS channels and converts
 * them to HSL color and displays those data as well as the detected color name on the USB UART
 * every 200ms approximately.
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "spectrometer2.h"

static spectrometer2_t spectrometer2;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    spectrometer2_cfg_t spectrometer2_cfg;  /**< Click config object. */

    /** 
     * Logger initialization.
     * Default baud rate: 115200
     * Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
     * @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX 
     * are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will 
     * need to define them manually for log to work. 
     * See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
     */
    LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
    log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Init " );

    // Click initialization.
    spectrometer2_cfg_setup( &spectrometer2_cfg );
    SPECTROMETER2_MAP_MIKROBUS( spectrometer2_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == spectrometer2_init( &spectrometer2, &spectrometer2_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( SPECTROMETER2_ERROR == spectrometer2_default_cfg ( &spectrometer2 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    // Wait for the data ready interrupt indication
    while ( !spectrometer2_get_int_pin ( &spectrometer2 ) );
    
    spectrometer2_als_channels_t als_channels;
    if ( ( SPECTROMETER2_OK == spectrometer2_clear_interrupt ( &spectrometer2 ) ) &&
         ( SPECTROMETER2_OK == spectrometer2_get_data ( &spectrometer2, &als_channels ) ) )
    {
        spectrometer2_hsl_t hsl;
        spectrometer2_rgbc_to_hsl( &als_channels, &hsl );
        log_printf ( &logger, "\r\n Hue: %.1f deg\r\n", hsl.hue );
        log_printf ( &logger, " Saturation: %.1f %%\r\n", hsl.saturation );
        log_printf ( &logger, " Lightness: %.1f %%\r\n", hsl.lightness );
        switch ( spectrometer2_get_color ( &hsl ) )
        {
            case SPECTROMETER2_RED_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: RED\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            case SPECTROMETER2_YELLOW_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: YELLOW\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            case SPECTROMETER2_GREEN_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: GREEN\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            case SPECTROMETER2_CYAN_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: CYAN\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            case SPECTROMETER2_BLUE_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: BLUE\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            case SPECTROMETER2_MAGENTA_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: MAGENTA\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            case SPECTROMETER2_WHITE_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: WHITE\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            case SPECTROMETER2_BLACK_COLOR:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: BLACK\r\n" );
                break;
            }
            default:
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Color: UNKNOWN\r\n" );
                break;
            }
        }
    }
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    /* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
    #ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
    preinit();
    #endif
    
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END

Additional Support

Resources

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