Intermediate
30 min

Make informed choices by obtaining trustworthy weight data with PGA302 and ATmega644

Where every gram counts!

Load Cell 3 Click with EasyAVR v7

Published Aug 29, 2023

Click board™

Load Cell 3 Click

Dev. board

EasyAVR v7

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega644

Enable fair and reliable trade through dependable weight measurements.

A

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Load Cell 3 Click is based on the PGA302, a high accuracy, low drift, low noise, low power, and versatile signal conditioner automotive grade-qualified device for resistive bridge pressure and temperature-sensing applications from Texas Instruments. The PGA302 provides bridge excitation voltages of 2.5V. The PGA302 conditions sensing and temperature signals by amplifying and digitizing through the analog front-end chain and performing linearization and temperature compensation. The conditioned signals can be output in analog form, and besides that, the signal data can be accessed by an I2C digital interface. The PGA302 contains two separated analog-front

end (AFE) chains with their gain amplifiers for resistive bridge and temperature sensing inputs. The resistive bridge input AFE chain consists of a programmable gain with eight steps from 1.33V/V to 200V/V. For the temperature-sensing input AFE chain, the PGA302 provides a current source of up to 1mA for the optional external temperature sensing available on the onboard terminal labeled with TMP+ and TMP-. After the ADC decimation filters, the digitalized signals are sent to the linearization and compensation calculation digital signal logic. All required parameters for the linearization algorithm and other user data are stored in the integrated EEPROM memory.

At the device's output, a 14-bit DAC is followed by a ratiometric-voltage supply output buffer with a gain of 4 V/V, allowing a 0-5V ratiometric voltage system output available on the AN pin on the mikroBUS™ socket. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 5V 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.

Load Cell 3 Click top side image
Load Cell 3 Click bottom side 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

ATmega644

Architecture

AVR

MCU Memory (KB)

64

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

40

RAM (Bytes)

4096

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

Analog Output
PA7
AN
NC
NC
RST
NC
NC
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
NC
NC
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
NC
NC
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PC0
SCL
I2C Data
PC1
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Load Cell 3 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
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
MCU DIP 40 hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
EasyAVR v7 Access DIP 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 Load Cell 3 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • loadcell3_tare - Load Cell 3 tare the scales function

  • loadcell3_calibration - Load Cell 3 calibration function

  • loadcell3_get_weight - Load Cell 3 get weight 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 main.c
 * @brief LoadCell3 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This library contains API for the Load Cell 3 click driver.
 * The library also includes a function for tare and calibration and weight measurement.
 * This demo application shows an example of weight measurement.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initialization of I2C module and log UART.
 * After driver initialization and default settings, the app sets tare the scale, 
 * calibrate scale and start measurements. 
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * This is an example that shows the use of a Load Cell 3 click board™.
 * The Load Cell 3 click board can be used to measure weight,
 * shows the measurement of scales in grams [ g ].
 * Results are being sent to the Usart Terminal where you can track their changes.
 *
 * @author Nenad Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "loadcell3.h"

static loadcell3_t loadcell3;
static log_t logger;

static loadcell3_data_t cell_data;
static float weight_val;

void application_init ( void ) {
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;              /**< Logger config object. */
    loadcell3_cfg_t loadcell3_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.

    loadcell3_cfg_setup( &loadcell3_cfg );
    LOADCELL3_MAP_MIKROBUS( loadcell3_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    err_t init_flag = loadcell3_init( &loadcell3, &loadcell3_cfg );
    if ( init_flag == I2C_MASTER_ERROR ) {
        log_error( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
        log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );

        for ( ; ; );
    }

    loadcell3_default_cfg ( &loadcell3 );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
    Delay_ms( 100 );

    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     Tare the scale :    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " >> Remove all object << \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " In the following 10 sec \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " please remove all object\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     from the scale.     \r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 10000 );

    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    Start tare scales    \r\n" );
    loadcell3_tare ( &loadcell3, &cell_data );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   Tarring is complete   \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    Calibrate Scale :    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   >>> Load etalon <<<   \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " In the following 10 sec \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "place 100g weight etalon \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    on the scale for     \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   calibration purpose.  \r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 10000 );

    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    Start calibration    \r\n" );

    if ( loadcell3_calibration ( &loadcell3, LOADCELL3_WEIGHT_100G, &cell_data ) == LOADCELL3_OK ) {
        log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "    Calibration  Done    \r\n" );

        log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "  >>> Remove etalon <<<  \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, " In the following 10 sec \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "   remove 100g weight    \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "   etalon on the scale.  \r\n" );
        Delay_ms( 10000 );
    }
    else {
        log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "   Calibration  Error    \r\n" );
        for ( ; ; );
    }

    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   Start measurements :  \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
}

void application_task ( void ) {
    weight_val = loadcell3_get_weight( &loadcell3, &cell_data );
    log_printf( &logger, "   Weight : %.2f g\r\n", weight_val );
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
}

void main ( void ) {
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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