Beginner
10 min

Achieve high-performance DC motor control with DRV8245P and TM4C1294NCPDT

Single full-bridge or independent half-bridge driver

DC Motor 29 Click with UNI-DS v8

Published Dec 22, 2023

Click board™

DC Motor 29 Click

Dev Board

UNI-DS v8

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

TM4C1294NCPDT

Simplify the process of controlling DC motors in various automotive applications, ensuring they work smoothly and reliably for multiple functions

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

DC Motor 29 Click is based on the DRV8245P, an automotive H-Bridge driver with integrated current sense and diagnostic from Texas Instruments. The driver operates from 4.5V up to 35V and supports a wide range of output load currents for various motors and loads. It integrates an N-channel H-bridge, charge pump regulator, high-side current sensing with regulation, current proportional output, and protection circuitry. The H-bridge output power stage can be operated in different control modes, which allows you to drive a single bidirectional brushed DC motor or two unidirectional brushed DC motors over screw terminals. The driver offers voltage monitoring, load diagnostics, and protection features against overcurrent and overtemperature.

DC Motor 29 Click uses a standard 4-wire SPI serial interface to communicate with the host MCU. The TXS0104, a 4-bit bidirectional voltage-level translator from Texas Instruments, does the logic-level translation. The driver load current analog feedback is available over the IP pin. The controller input 1 for bridge operation is available over the IN1 pin. The PCA9538, an 8-bit I/O port from NXP, provides additional functionalities from the motor driver to the host MCU and can be reset over the RST pin. It provides an input of the controller input 2 for bridge operation. These two controller inputs allow you to use different control schemes. The mode scheme can be changed anytime over the software. The I/O port also allows you to disable

the motor driver. The fault conditions are also monitored over this IC. If a fault condition occurs, the host MCU will be asserted over the FLT pin. The I2C address of the I/O port can be selected over the ADDR SEL jumpers. 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.

DC Motor 29 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

UNI-DS 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 STM32, Kinetis, TIVA, CEC, MSP, PIC, dsPIC, PIC32, and AVR MCUs regardless of their number of pins, and a broad set of unique functions, such as the first-ever embedded debugger/programmer over WiFi. 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, UNI-DS v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access anywhere and under any

circumstances at any time. Each part of the UNI-DS 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. UNI-DS 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.

UNI-DS v8 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

8th Generation

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M4

MCU Memory (KB)

1024

Silicon Vendor

Texas Instruments

Pin count

128

RAM (Bytes)

262144

You complete me!

Accessories

DC Gear Motor - 430RPM (3-6V) represents an all-in-one combination of a motor and gearbox, where the addition of gear leads to a reduction of motor speed while increasing the torque output. This gear motor has a spur gearbox, making it a highly reliable solution for applications with lower torque and speed requirements. The most critical parameters for gear motors are speed, torque, and efficiency, which are, in this case, 520RPM with no load and 430RPM at maximum efficiency, alongside a current of 60mA and a torque of 50g.cm. Rated for a 3-6V operational voltage range and clockwise/counterclockwise rotation direction, this motor represents an excellent solution for many functions initially performed by brushed DC motors in robotics, medical equipment, electric door locks, and much more.

DC Motor 29 Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

Load Analog Feedback
PD0
AN
Reset / ID SEL
PK3
RST
SPI Select / ID COMM
PH0
CS
SPI Clock
PQ0
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PQ3
MISO
SPI Data IN
PQ2
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
Controller Input
PL4
PWM
Fault 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

Schematic

DC Motor 29 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 UNI-DS 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
GNSS2 Click complete accessories setup 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

After pressing the "FLASH" button on the left-side panel, it is necessary to open the UART terminal to display the achieved results. By clicking on the Tools icon in the right-hand panel, multiple different functions are displayed, among which is the UART Terminal. Click on the offered "UART Terminal" icon.

UART Application Output Step 1

Once the UART terminal is opened, the window takes on a new form. At the top of the tab are two buttons, one for adjusting the parameters of the UART terminal and the other for connecting the UART terminal. The tab's lower part is reserved for displaying the achieved results. Before connecting, the terminal has a Disconnected status, indicating that the terminal is not yet active. Before connecting, it is necessary to check the set parameters of the UART terminal. Click on the "OPTIONS" button.

UART Application Output Step 2

In the newly opened UART Terminal Options field, we check if the terminal settings are correct, such as the set port and the Baud rate of UART communication. If the data is not displayed properly, it is possible that the Baud rate value is not set correctly and needs to be adjusted to 115200. If all the parameters are set correctly, click on "CONFIGURE".

UART Application Output Step 3

The next step is to click on the "CONNECT" button, after which the terminal status changes from Disconnected to Connected in green, and the data is displayed in the Received data field.

UART Application Output Step 4

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for DC Motor 29 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • dcmotor29_register_write - DC Motor 29 data register writing function.

  • dcmotor29_port_expander_read - DC Motor 29 port ecpander read register function.

  • dcmotor29_drive_motor - DC Motor 29 drive motor function.

Open Source

Code example

This example can be found in NECTO Studio. Feel free to download the code, or you can copy the code below.

/*!
 * @file main.c
 * @brief DC Motor 29 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of the DC Motor 29 Click board by driving the 
 * motor in both directions with braking and coasting in between.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Drives the motor in both directions with coasting and braking in between, every sate is lasting 5 seconds.
 *
 * @author Stefan Ilic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "dcmotor29.h"

static dcmotor29_t dcmotor29;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    dcmotor29_cfg_t dcmotor29_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.
    dcmotor29_cfg_setup( &dcmotor29_cfg );
    DCMOTOR29_MAP_MIKROBUS( dcmotor29_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == dcmotor29_init( &dcmotor29, &dcmotor29_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( DCMOTOR29_ERROR == dcmotor29_default_cfg ( &dcmotor29 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
       
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    dcmotor29_drive_motor( &dcmotor29, DCMOTOR29_DRIVE_MOTOR_CW );
    log_printf( &logger, " Driving motor Clockwise \r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 5000 );
    
    dcmotor29_drive_motor( &dcmotor29, DCMOTOR29_DRIVE_MOTOR_BRAKE );
    log_printf( &logger, " Brake is on \r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 5000 );
    
    dcmotor29_drive_motor( &dcmotor29, DCMOTOR29_DRIVE_MOTOR_CCW );
    log_printf( &logger, " Driving motor counter-clockwise \r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 5000 );
    
    dcmotor29_drive_motor( &dcmotor29, DCMOTOR29_DRIVE_MOTOR_COASTING );
    log_printf( &logger, " Driving motor Coasting \r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 5000 );
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

    for ( ; ; )
    {
        application_task( );
    }
}

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

Additional Support

Resources