Beginner
10 min

Make your devices communicate flawlessly across many standards using MRF24J40MA and ATmega1284

Where protocols converge, we connect!

BEE Click with EasyAVR v7

Published Nov 02, 2023

Click board™

BEE Click

Dev. board

EasyAVR v7

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega1284

Upgrade your IoT projects with an IEEE802.15.4-compliant 2.4GHz RF transceiver, offering ZigBee, MiWi, MiWi P2P, and proprietary wireless networking for seamless connectivity and endless innovation

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

BEE Click is based on the MRF24J40MA, a 2.4GHz RF transceiver module from Microchip. It operates at ISM Band from 2.405 to 2.48GHz over an integrated PCB antenna and matching circuitry. You can set one of the 16 channels in the frequency range. With up to 36dB of TX power control range, it can achieve data rates of up to 250Kbps. The module integrates the PHY and MAC functionality and can create a low-cost, low-power, and low-data-rate Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). To reduce the load on the host MCU, the module

features automatic packet retransmission, automatic acknowledgment, energy detection, CSMA-CA algorithm, three CCA modes, security encryption and decryption, and more. To communicate with the host MCU, the BEE Click uses a standard 4-Wire SPI serial interface and supports SPI mode 0 only, which requires that SCK idles in a low state. In addition, BEE Click features other functionalities, such as the RST pin for resetting the module with active Low. The WA pin is an external wake-up trigger disabled by default

and should be enabled in the software. This pin is in conjunction with the sleep mode. In addition, the module can signal one of eight interrupt events over the INT pin. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. Also, it comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

BEE Click hardware overview image

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.

EasyAVR v7 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

ATmega1284

Architecture

AVR

MCU Memory (KB)

128

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

40

RAM (Bytes)

16384

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

External Wake-up Trigger
PA7
AN
Global Hardware Reset
PA6
RST
SPI Chip Select
PA5
CS
SPI Clock
PB7
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PB6
MISO
SPI Data IN
PB5
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
Interrupt
PD2
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

BEE Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

EasyAVR v7 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the EasyAVR v7 as your development board.

EasyAVR v7 front image hardware assembly
Buck 22 Click front image hardware assembly
MCU DIP 40 hardware assembly
EasyAVR v7 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 DIP image step 7 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 BEE Click driver.

Key functions:

  • bee_read_rx_fifo - Read RX FIFO function

  • bee_write_tx_normal_fifo - Write TX normal FIFO function

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 Bee Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of an BEE click board by showing
 * the communication between the two click boards.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and configures the click board.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Depending on the selected application mode, it reads all the received data or 
 * sends the desired message every 3 seconds.
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "bee.h"

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

// Comment out the line below in order to switch the application mode to receiver
#define DEMO_APP_TRANSMITTER

static bee_t bee;
static log_t logger;

static uint8_t short_address1[ 2 ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t short_address2[ 2 ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t long_address1[ 8 ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t long_address2[ 8 ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t pan_id1[ 2 ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t pan_id2[ 2 ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t rx_data_fifo[ BEE_DATA_LENGHT ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t rx_data_fifo_old[ BEE_DATA_LENGHT ] = { 0 };
static uint8_t data_tx1[] = { 'M', 'i', 'k', 'r', 'o', 'E', 0 };
static uint8_t data_tx2[] = { 'B', 'E', 'E', ' ', ' ', ' ', 0 };
static uint8_t tx_data_fifo[ BEE_DATA_LENGHT + BEE_HEADER_LENGHT + 2 ] = { 0 };

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

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    bee_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.

    bee_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    BEE_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    bee_init( &bee, &cfg );
    
    for ( uint8_t cnt = 0; cnt < 2; cnt++ )
    {
        short_address1[ cnt ] = 1;
        short_address2[ cnt ] = 2;
        pan_id1[ cnt ] = 3;
        pan_id2[ cnt ] = 3;
    }

    for ( uint8_t cnt = 0; cnt < 8; cnt++ )
    {
        long_address1[ cnt ] = 1;
        long_address2[ cnt ] = 2;
    }

    log_printf( &logger, "    Reset and WakeUp     \r\n"  );
    bee_hw_reset( &bee );
    bee_soft_reset( &bee );
    bee_rf_reset( &bee );
    bee_enable_immediate_wake_up( &bee );

#ifdef DEMO_APP_TRANSMITTER
    // Transmitter mode
    log_printf( &logger, " Application Mode: Transmitter\r\n" );
    tx_data_fifo[0]  = BEE_HEADER_LENGHT;
    tx_data_fifo[1]  = BEE_HEADER_LENGHT + BEE_DATA_LENGHT;
    tx_data_fifo[2]  = 0x01;                        // control frame
    tx_data_fifo[3]  = 0x88;
    tx_data_fifo[4]  = 0x23;                        // sequence number
    tx_data_fifo[5]  = pan_id2[1];                  // destinatoin pan
    tx_data_fifo[6]  = pan_id2[0];
    tx_data_fifo[7]  = short_address2[0];           // destination address
    tx_data_fifo[8]  = short_address2[1];
    tx_data_fifo[9]  = pan_id1[0];                  // source pan
    tx_data_fifo[10] = pan_id1[1];
    tx_data_fifo[11] = short_address1[0];           // source address
    tx_data_fifo[12] = short_address1[1];
    memcpy( &tx_data_fifo[ 13 ], &data_tx1[ 0 ], BEE_DATA_LENGHT );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "    Set address and PAN ID  \r\n" );
    bee_set_long_address( &bee, &long_address1 );
    bee_set_short_address( &bee, &short_address1 );
    bee_set_pan_id( &bee, &pan_id1 );
#else
    log_printf( &logger, " Application Mode: Receiver\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    Set address and PAN ID  \r\n" );
    bee_set_long_address( &bee, &long_address2 );
    bee_set_short_address( &bee, &short_address2 );
    bee_set_pan_id( &bee, &pan_id2 );
#endif
    log_printf( &logger, "    Init ZigBee module:    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " - Set nonbeacon-enabled \r\n" );
    bee_nonbeacon_init( &bee );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " - Set as PAN coordinator\r\n" );
    bee_nonbeacon_pan_coordinator_device( &bee );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " - Set max TX power\r\n" );
    bee_set_tx_power( &bee, 31 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " - All frames 3, data frame\r\n" );
    bee_set_frame_format_filter( &bee, 1 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " - Set normal mode\r\n"  );
    bee_set_reception_mode( &bee, 1 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " - Device Wake Up\r\n"  );
    bee_hw_wake_up( &bee );
    bee_read_byte_short( &bee, BEE_INTSTAT ); // clears status register
    
    Delay_1sec( );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
#ifdef DEMO_APP_TRANSMITTER
    // Transmitter mode
    memcpy( &tx_data_fifo[ 13 ], &data_tx1[ 0 ], BEE_DATA_LENGHT);
    bee_write_tx_normal_fifo( &bee, 0, &tx_data_fifo[ 0 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, " - Sent data :   " );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.6s \r\n", data_tx1 );
    Delay_ms( 3000 );
    memcpy( &tx_data_fifo[ 13 ], &data_tx2[ 0 ], BEE_DATA_LENGHT );
    bee_write_tx_normal_fifo( &bee, 0, &tx_data_fifo[ 0 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, " - Sent data :   " );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.6s \r\n", data_tx2 );
    Delay_ms( 3000 );
#else
    // Receiver mode
    bee_read_rx_fifo( &bee, &rx_data_fifo[ 0 ] );
    
    if ( memcmp( &rx_data_fifo_old[ 0 ], &rx_data_fifo[ 0 ], BEE_DATA_LENGHT ) )
    {
        memcpy( &rx_data_fifo_old [ 0 ], &rx_data_fifo[ 0 ], BEE_DATA_LENGHT );
        log_printf( &logger, " - Received data :   " );
        log_printf( &logger, "%.6s \r\n", rx_data_fifo );
        Delay_ms( 1500 );
    }
    Delay_ms( 500 );
#endif
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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