Control resistance using digital signals with MCP4161 and ATmega1284P
8-bit single SPI digital potentiometer with non-volatile memory
Published Nov 01, 2023
Click board™
DIGI POT Click
Dev. board
EasyAVR v7
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
ATmega1284P
Achieve digital control of electrical parameters through this cutting-edge digital potentiometer solution, simplifying system tuning and optimization
A
A
Hardware Overview
How does it work?
DIGI POT Click is based on the MCP4161, an 8-bit single SPI digital POT with non-volatile memory from Microchip. The MCP4161 has a resistance of 10kΩ and low wiper resistance, with a typical 75Ω. It can be used as a three-terminal potentiometer or a two-terminal rheostat while floating either of the terminals (A or B). DIGI POT Click has four screw terminals: PA and PB as analog terminals A and B of the MCP4161, a PW as a wiper terminal of the digital potentiometer, and one for ground. The PA and PB terminals do not have polarity restrictions; PA can be a higher voltage than PB and vice-versa.
The position of the wiper (PB) terminal is controlled by the value in the 8-bit wiper resistance register. There are two functional modes of this Click board™. When all three terminals are used, the MCP4161 generates a voltage divider, where the voltage divider at wiper-to-PA and wiper-to-PB is proportional to the input voltage at PA to PB. It operates in rheostat mode as a variable resistor when only two terminals are used. DIGI POT Click communicates with the host MCU using the 3-Wire SPI serial interface as a write-only. The SCK timing frequency maximum is 10MHz. It features a
WiperLock™ Technology for automatically recalling saved wiper settings from EEPROM. In addition to the SMD MCP4161, this Click board™ features 6 PTHs for the DIP variant of this chip. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the PWR 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.
Features overview
Development board
EasyAVR v7 is the seventh generation of AVR development boards specially designed for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. It supports a wide range of 16-bit AVR microcontrollers from Microchip and has a broad set of unique functions, such as a powerful onboard mikroProg programmer and In-Circuit debugger over USB. The development board is well organized and designed so that the end-user has all the necessary elements in one place, such as switches, buttons, indicators, connectors, and others. With four different connectors for each port, EasyAVR v7 allows you to connect accessory boards, sensors, and custom electronics more
efficiently than ever. Each part of the EasyAVR v7 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, 7-12V AC or 9-15V DC via DC connector/screw terminals, and a power source via the USB Type-B (USB-B)
connector. Communication options such as USB-UART and RS-232 are also included, alongside the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, three display options (7-segment, graphical, and character-based LCD), and several different DIP sockets which cover a wide range of 16-bit AVR MCUs. EasyAVR v7 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.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
AVR
MCU Memory (KB)
128
Silicon Vendor
Microchip
Pin count
40
RAM (Bytes)
16384
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic
Step by step
Project assembly
Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the EasyAVR v7 as your development board.
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 DIGI POT Click driver.
Key functions:
digipot_set_wiper_positions- This function sets 8-bit wiper positions datadigipot_convert_output- This function convert 10-bit ADC value to volatage reference
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 DigiPot Click example
*
* # Description
* The demo application changes the resistance using DIGIPOT Click.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes SPI and LOG modules.
*
* ## Application Task
* This is an example which demonstrates the use of DIGI POT Click board.
* Increments the wiper position by 10 positions every 5 seconds.
*
* @author Stefan Ilic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "digipot.h"
static digipot_t digipot;
static log_t logger;
uint8_t wiper_pos;
void application_init ( void ) {
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
digipot_cfg_t digipot_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.
digipot_cfg_setup( &digipot_cfg );
DIGIPOT_MAP_MIKROBUS( digipot_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
err_t init_flag = digipot_init( &digipot, &digipot_cfg );
if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) {
log_error( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_printf( &logger, "----------------\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " DIGI POT Click\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, "----------------\r\n" );
}
void application_task ( void ) {
for ( uint16_t n_cnt = 127; n_cnt < 255; n_cnt += 10 ) {
wiper_pos = ( uint8_t ) n_cnt;
digipot_set_wiper_positions( &digipot, wiper_pos );
Delay_ms( 5000 );
}
}
void main ( void ) {
application_init( );
for ( ; ; ) {
application_task( );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
