Intermediate
30 min

Bring a new level of precision and adaptability to lighting control with APDS-9160-003 and TM4C1294KCPDT

Light's silent storytellers: The world of ambient sensors

Ambient 9 Click with Fusion for Tiva v8

Published Sep 24, 2023

Click board™

Ambient 9 Click

Dev Board

Fusion for Tiva v8

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

TM4C1294KCPDT

Discover how ambient light sensing solutions are reshaping the way we interact with light, delivering a brighter, smarter, and more efficient future

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Ambient 9 Click is based on the APDS-9160-003, digital proximity, and ambient light sensing sensor from Broadcom Limited. The ambient light sensor provides a photopic response to light intensity in low light conditions or behind a darkened glass. It approximates the human eye's response, providing a direct readout where the output count is proportional to the ambient light level. The proximity detection also operates well from bright sunlight to dark rooms. Additionally, the device can be put into a low-power standby mode, providing a low average power consumption. The included IR LED can be pulsed in a proximity sensing system with more than 100 mA of rapidly switching current. The number of LED pulses can be configured by using the pulse step, and the

LED modulation frequency can be set from 60kHz to 100kHz in 5 steps. Proximity sensing resolution can vary from 8 to 11 bits, and the measurement rate can vary from 6.25 ms to 400 ms. This Click board™ is easy to program and read data because it does not require an overly demanding configuration. To read ambient or proximity data, it is only necessary to enable certain registers, which can also be seen in an example code that contains easy-to-use functions that may be used as a reference for further development. Ambient 9 Click communicates with the MCU using the standard I2C 2-wire interface. Standard (100 kHz) and Fast (400 kHz) I2C communication modes are available with the device. The I2C bus lines are routed to the dual bidirectional PCA9306

voltage-level translator from Texas Instruments, allowing interfacing with 3.3V and 5V MCUs. It also generates flexible ambient and proximity programmable interrupt signals routed on the INT pin of the mikroBUS™, which are triggered if upper or lower threshold values are crossed. It is also possible to deactivate a sensor after a certain interrupt event occurs. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the VCC SEL jumper. This way, both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs can use the communication lines properly. Also, this Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing easy-to-use functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

Ambient 9 Click top side image
Ambient 9 Click bottom side image

Features overview

Development board

Fusion for TIVA v8 is a development board specially designed for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. It supports a wide range of microcontrollers, such as different 32-bit ARM® Cortex®-M based MCUs from Texas Instruments, regardless of their number of pins, and a broad set of unique functions, such as the first-ever embedded debugger/programmer over a WiFi network. 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. Thanks to innovative manufacturing technology, Fusion for TIVA v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access

anywhere and under any circumstances at any time. Each part of the Fusion for TIVA v8 development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. An advanced integrated CODEGRIP programmer/debugger module offers many valuable programming/debugging options, including support for JTAG, SWD, and SWO Trace (Single Wire Output)), and seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment. Besides, it also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development board. It can use a wide range of external power sources, including a battery, an external 12V power supply, and a power source via the USB Type-C (USB-C) connector.

Communication options such as USB-UART, USB HOST/DEVICE, CAN (on the MCU card, if supported), and Ethernet is also included. In addition, it also has the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, a standardized socket for the MCU card (SiBRAIN standard), and two display options for the TFT board line of products and character-based LCD. Fusion for TIVA v8 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.

Fusion for Tiva v8 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

8th Generation

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M4

MCU Memory (KB)

512

Silicon Vendor

Texas Instruments

Pin count

128

RAM (Bytes)

262144

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
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
PQ4
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PD2
SCL
I2C Data
PD3
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Ambient 9 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Fusion for Tiva v8 as your development board.

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
SiBRAIN for PIC32MZ1024EFK144 front image hardware assembly
v8 SiBRAIN Access 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
Necto image step 7 hardware assembly
Necto image step 8 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 Ambient 9 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • ambient9_als_data - Generic function for reading ALS data from sensor

  • ambient9_proxy_data - Generic function for reading proximity data from sensor

  • ambient9_enable_data - Function for enabeling sensor for ALS or proximity

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 
 * \brief Ambient9 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of Ambient 9 Click board.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initializes the driver then reads the device status and part ID. If there's any error occured 
 * it displays an appropriate message on the USB UART. After that, it enables the device mode
 * defined by the dev_mode variable. ALS mode is selected by default.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * Depending on the selected device mode, it reads an ambient light sensor or proximity data and 
 * displays the results on the USB UART every 100ms.
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "ambient9.h"

// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES

static ambient9_t ambient9;
static log_t logger;

static uint8_t dev_mode = 0;

// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    ambient9_cfg_t cfg;

    uint8_t status_data;

    /** 
     * 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.

    ambient9_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    AMBIENT9_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    ambient9_init( &ambient9, &cfg );

    ambient9_generic_read( &ambient9, AMBIENT9_REG_PART_ID, &status_data, 1 );
    if ( AMBIENT9_PART_ID_VAL != status_data )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " *****  ERROR ID!  ***** \r\n" );
        for( ; ; );
    }
    Delay_ms ( 500 );
    ambient9_generic_read( &ambient9, AMBIENT9_REG_MAIN_STATUS, &status_data, 1 );
    if ( AMBIENT9_POWER_ON == ( status_data & AMBIENT9_POWER_ON ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " *****  ERROR POWER ON!  ***** \r\n" );
        for( ; ; );
    }
    
    dev_mode = AMBIENT9_ALS;
    ambient9_enable_data( &ambient9, dev_mode );  

    log_printf( &logger, " ***** APP TASK ***** \r\n" );
    Delay_ms ( 500 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    uint16_t proxy_data;
    uint32_t als_data;

    if ( AMBIENT9_ALS == dev_mode )
    {
        als_data = ambient9_als_data( &ambient9 );
        log_printf( &logger, " - ALS data: %lu \r\n", als_data );
    }
    else if ( AMBIENT9_PROXY == dev_mode )
    {
        proxy_data = ambient9_proxy_data( &ambient9 );
        log_printf( &logger, " - Proximity data: %u \r\n", proxy_data );
    }
    Delay_ms ( 100 );
}

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
/*!
 * \file 
 * \brief Ambient9 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of Ambient 9 Click board.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initializes the driver then reads the device status and part ID. If there's any error occured 
 * it displays an appropriate message on the USB UART. After that, it enables the device mode
 * defined by the dev_mode variable. ALS mode is selected by default.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * Depending on the selected device mode, it reads an ambient light sensor or proximity data and 
 * displays the results on the USB UART every 100ms.
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "ambient9.h"

// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES

static ambient9_t ambient9;
static log_t logger;

static uint8_t dev_mode = 0;

// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    ambient9_cfg_t cfg;

    uint8_t status_data;

    /** 
     * 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.

    ambient9_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    AMBIENT9_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    ambient9_init( &ambient9, &cfg );

    ambient9_generic_read( &ambient9, AMBIENT9_REG_PART_ID, &status_data, 1 );
    if ( AMBIENT9_PART_ID_VAL != status_data )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " *****  ERROR ID!  ***** \r\n" );
        for( ; ; );
    }
    Delay_ms ( 500 );
    ambient9_generic_read( &ambient9, AMBIENT9_REG_MAIN_STATUS, &status_data, 1 );
    if ( AMBIENT9_POWER_ON == ( status_data & AMBIENT9_POWER_ON ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " *****  ERROR POWER ON!  ***** \r\n" );
        for( ; ; );
    }
    
    dev_mode = AMBIENT9_ALS;
    ambient9_enable_data( &ambient9, dev_mode );  

    log_printf( &logger, " ***** APP TASK ***** \r\n" );
    Delay_ms ( 500 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    uint16_t proxy_data;
    uint32_t als_data;

    if ( AMBIENT9_ALS == dev_mode )
    {
        als_data = ambient9_als_data( &ambient9 );
        log_printf( &logger, " - ALS data: %lu \r\n", als_data );
    }
    else if ( AMBIENT9_PROXY == dev_mode )
    {
        proxy_data = ambient9_proxy_data( &ambient9 );
        log_printf( &logger, " - Proximity data: %u \r\n", proxy_data );
    }
    Delay_ms ( 100 );
}

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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