Intermediate
30 min

Unleash your motor's full potential with MIC4605 and PIC32MZ1024EFE144

PWM motor control at its best!

DC Motor 8 Click with Fusion for PIC v8

Published Jul 25, 2023

Click board™

DC Motor 8 Click

Dev Board

Fusion for PIC v8

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC32MZ1024EFE144

With our PWM motor control solution, you can effortlessly regulate the speed and direction of your DC motors, enabling smooth and efficient operation

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

DC Motor 8 Click is based on the MIC4605, 85V half-bridge MOSFET driver with adaptive dead time and shoot-through protection from Microchip. This IC uses the input on its PWM pin to regulate the switching state of the output MOSFETs. The fact that it is 85V tolerant allows for a substantial margin against kickback voltage that appears as the result of the rotation of the motor. In practice, twice the power supply used for the motor should be considered a safe margin. This IC has more than enough to accommodate the maximum voltage allowed on its input, which is 40V. DC Motor 8 works in a half-bridge topology, which means it can only run the connected motor in one direction. However, the polarity of the connected motor can be flipped, which will change the rotational direction of the motor. The connected input voltage must not be reversed and must stay connected as labeled on the PCB. Although the maximum input voltage rating is 40V, it is a good practice never to supply the motor with the maximum allowed voltage, as it may result in overheating of the MOSFETs and other components, depending on the used motor and the mechanical load it is exposed to. The device should never be pushed to work at the maximum

allowed ratings. While the PWM input is at the HIGH logic state, the HO output pin that drives the high-side power MOSFET is active, and the circuit is closed through the high-side power MOSFET, motor coil, and the ground. When the PWM input signal goes LOW, it forces the HO output to also go low, within about 35ns. The HS pin monitors the driver state - when the HS voltage drops under 2.2V, the high side MOSFET is closed, and LO output is activated after a short delay (about 35ns of rise time). A further drop of the HS voltage causes a latch, which can only be reset by the PWM signal HIGH logic level. If the HS level fails to drop under 2.2V, the internal 250ns delay is activated, and the HS pin latches afterward. This prevents the HS ringing from causing an undetermined state of the LO output. When the PWM signal goes HIGH again, it will force the LO output to a LOW within another 35ns, after which the HO pin can start going into the HIGH level again. This mechanism ensures that no shoot-through ever occurs. Shoot-through happens when both MOSFETs are active and when the current goes right through them, from the power supply to the ground, causing dissipation, ringing, and even damage in some cases. Besides the

PWM pin routed to the mikroBUS™, the EN pin used to enable the device is also routed to the mikroBUS™ CS pin. Logic HIGH will set the device to work in normal mode, while LOW logic level will put the device into the power conservative shutdown mode. This pin is pulled HIGH with the onboard resistor. The VIN power terminal, which provides up to 40V power supply for the DC motor, is completely isolated from the driver circuitry. However, to operate correctly, the driver must provide enough voltage to activate the MOSFETs. For this purpose, DC Motor 8 click employs a boost converter made of MIC2606, a 2MHz boost regulator from Microchip. The boost regulator circuitry provides 12V out of 5V from the mikroBUS™, which allows for ideal MOSFET switching conditions, keeping the resistance through the MOSFET (RDSON) at optimal levels. VOUT terminal is used to connect a load. A small to medium-powered DC motor with two connection points and up to 40V can be used with this click board™. The voltage at the VIN terminal is used to power the motor on, while the click itself is being powered from the mikroBUS™ voltage rails. For proper operation, both 3.3V and 5V voltages must be present on the mikroBUS™.

DC Motor 8 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Fusion for PIC 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 PIC, dsPIC, PIC24, and PIC32 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, Fusion for PIC v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access anywhere and under any

circumstances at any time. Each part of the Fusion for PIC v8 development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. In addition to the advanced integrated CODEGRIP programmer/debugger module, which offers many valuable programming/debugging options and seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment, the board 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 are also included, including the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, a standardized socket for the MCU card (SiBRAIN standard), and two display options (graphical and character-based LCD). Fusion for PIC 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 PIC v8 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

8th Generation

Architecture

PIC32

MCU Memory (KB)

1024

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

144

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 8 Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
Enable
PH3
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
PWM Signal
PB8
PWM
NC
NC
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Schematic

DC Motor 8 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 PIC 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 via UART Mode

1. Once the code example is loaded, pressing the "FLASH" button initiates the build process, and programs it on the created setup.

2. After the programming is completed, click on the Tools icon in the upper-right panel, and select the UART Terminal.

3. After opening the UART Terminal tab, first check the baud rate setting in the Options menu (default is 115200). If this parameter is correct, activate the terminal by clicking the "CONNECT" button.

4. Now terminal status changes from Disconnected to Connected in green, and the data is displayed in the Received data field.

UART_Application_Output

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for DC Motor 8 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • dcmotor8_set_duty_cycle - This function sets the PWM duty cycle

  • dcmotor8_pwm_start - This function starts PWM module

  • dcmotor8_pwm_stop - This function stops PWM module

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 
 * @brief DcMotor8 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This click can drive simple DC motors with brushes, providing them with a significant amount 
 * of current and voltage up to 40V. The click has one control input, that uses the PWM signal 
 * from the host MCU. It uses the half-bridge topology to regulate the speed of the motor 
 * rotation, employs advanced dead-time circuitry that monitors the output stage, providing 
 * maximum switching efficiency and features an advanced technique to avoid shoot-through 
 * currents.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initializes the driver and enables the click board.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * This is an example that demonstrates the use of DC Motor 8 click
 * board by increasing and decreasing the motor speed.
 * DC Motor 8 Click communicates with the register via the PWM interface.
 * Results are being sent to the Usart Terminal where you can track their changes.
 * 
 * @author Nikola Peric
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "dcmotor8.h"

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

static dcmotor8_t dcmotor8;
static log_t logger;

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

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    dcmotor8_cfg_t cfg;

    /** 
     * 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.

    dcmotor8_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    DCMOTOR8_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    dcmotor8_init( &dcmotor8, &cfg );

    dcmotor8_set_duty_cycle ( &dcmotor8, 0.0 );
    dcmotor8_enable ( &dcmotor8, DCMOTOR8_ENABLE );
    dcmotor8_pwm_start( &dcmotor8 );
    log_info( &logger, "---- Application Task ----" );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    static int8_t duty_cnt = 1;
    static int8_t duty_inc = 1;
    float duty = duty_cnt / 10.0;
    
    dcmotor8_set_duty_cycle ( &dcmotor8, duty );
    log_printf( &logger, "Duty: %d%%\r\n", ( uint16_t )( duty_cnt * 10 ) );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    
    if ( 10 == duty_cnt ) 
    {
        duty_inc = -1;
    }
    else if ( 0 == duty_cnt ) 
    {
        duty_inc = 1;
    }
    duty_cnt += duty_inc;
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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