Beginner
10 min

Create dynamic color effects, LED displays, and ambient lighting setups with IN-PC20TBT5R5G5B and PIC32MX470F512H

10x10 matrix of "smart" RGB LEDs for various creative and commercial lighting projects

10x10 RGB 2 Click with 6LoWPAN clicker

Published Apr 15, 2024

Click board™

10x10 RGB 2 Click

Dev Board

6LoWPAN clicker

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC32MX470F512H

Make vibrant, customizable LED displays and lighting systems, perfect for dynamic visual effects and ambient illumination

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

10x10 RGB 2 Click is based on the IN-PC20TBT5R5G5B, an RGB LED with integrated IC from Inolux. At its core, the 10x10 RGB 2 Click showcases a dynamic grid of 100 "smart" RGB LEDs configured into a compact 10x10 display. These LEDs stand out for their dual-wire transmission capability, encompassing a three-channel (RGB) smart control circuit for driving and illumination. Noteworthy features include a signal decoding module, a data buffering system, an inbuilt constant current circuit, and an RC oscillator. The whole solution is tailor-made for various applications, such as LED-based display screens, vibrant LED string lighting, and ambient scene illumination. The IN-PC20TBT5R5G5B is made with

CMOS technology, ensuring minimal voltage requirements and reduced power consumption. It supports 256 grayscale levels for PWM dimming and offers 32 levels of brightness control. The RGB LEDs on the board exhibit distinct characteristics for each color: the red LED operates within a wavelength range of 620-630nm and delivers a light intensity between 100-200mcd, the green LED features a wavelength span of 520-530nm with a brightness of 300-500mcd, and the blue LED emits light in the 460-475nm range with an intensity ranging from 50-100mcd. The diodes are designed to function exclusively on a 5V supply sourced from the mikroBUS™ 5V power rail. To accommodate this, their control is managed through the LSD0102,

a bidirectional voltage-level translator from Texas Instruments. This design choice ensures compatibility with both 3.3V and 5V MCUs, enhancing the board's versatility. A special feature of these diodes is the existence of two output signals, data, and clock, routed on test points next to 5V and GND test points on the back of the board. 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.

10x10 RGB 2 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

6LoWPAN Clicker is a compact starter development board that brings the flexibility of add-on Click boards™ to your favorite microcontroller, making it a perfect starter kit for implementing your ideas. It comes with an onboard 32-bit PIC microcontroller, the PIC32MX470F512H from Microchip, a USB connector, LED indicators, buttons, a mikroProg connector, and a header for interfacing with external electronics. Along with this microcontroller, the board also contains a 2.4GHz ISM band transceiver, allowing you to add wireless communication to your target application. Its compact design provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access anywhere

and under any circumstances. Each part of the 6LoWPAN Clicker development kit contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. In addition to the possibility of choosing the 6LoWPAN Clicker programming method, using USB HID mikroBootloader, or through an external mikroProg connector for PIC, dsPIC, or PIC32 programmer, the Clicker board also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development kit. The USB Micro-B connection can provide up to 500mA of current for the Clicker board, which is more than enough to operate all onboard and additional modules, or it can power

over two standard AA batteries. All communication methods that mikroBUS™ itself supports are on this board, including the well-established mikroBUS™ socket, reset button, and several buttons and LED indicators. 6LoWPAN Clicker is an integral part of the Mikroe ecosystem, allowing you to create a new application in minutes. Natively supported by Mikroe software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping thanks to a considerable number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing every day.

6LoWPAN clicker double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

PIC32

MCU Memory (KB)

512

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

64

RAM (Bytes)

131072

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
ID COMM
RE5
CS
SPI Clock
RD2
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
SPI Data IN
RD4
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
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

10x10 RGB 2 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

PIC32MZ clicker front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the 6LoWPAN clicker as your development board.

PIC32MZ clicker front image hardware assembly
Thermo 26 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Micro B Connector clicker - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
Necto image step 5 hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
Flip&Click PIC32MZ MCU step hardware assembly
Necto No Display image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Debug Image Necto Step hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output via Debug Mode

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

2. After the programming is completed, a header with buttons for various actions within the IDE becomes visible. Clicking the green "PLAY" button starts reading the results achieved with the Click board™. The achieved results are displayed in the Application Output tab.

DEBUG_Application_Output

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for 10x10 RGB 2 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • c10x10rgb2_write_char - This function writes a single ASCII character in a 8x8 font size

  • c10x10rgb2_write_string - This function writes a text string in a 8x8 font size by scrolling characters to the left side

  • c10x10rgb2_draw_picture - This function draws a 10x10px picture on the screen

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 10x10 RGB 2 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of the 10x10 RGB 2 click board by showing
 * a practical example of using the implemented functions.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Displays digits 0-9 first, then writes RGB chars and demonstrates the rotation of characters.
 * After that, scrolls the text, displays the MIKROE logo image, and showcases a rainbow demo.
 * All data is logged on the USB UART where you can track the program flow.
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "c10x10rgb2.h"
#include "c10x10rgb2_resources.h"

static c10x10rgb2_t c10x10rgb2;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    c10x10rgb2_cfg_t c10x10rgb2_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.
    c10x10rgb2_cfg_setup( &c10x10rgb2_cfg );
    C10X10RGB2_MAP_MIKROBUS( c10x10rgb2_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == c10x10rgb2_init( &c10x10rgb2, &c10x10rgb2_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( C10X10RGB2_ERROR == c10x10rgb2_default_cfg ( &c10x10rgb2 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    log_printf( &logger, " Writing digits\r\n\n" );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_MAROON, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_0 );
    for ( uint8_t digit = '0'; digit <= '9'; digit++ )
    {
        c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, digit );
        Delay_ms ( 500 );
    }

    log_printf( &logger, " Writing RGB chars\r\n\n" );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_RED, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_0 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'R' );
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_GREEN, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_0 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'G' );
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLUE, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_0 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'B' );
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Rotating char\r\n\n" );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_PURPLE, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_0 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'R' );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_PURPLE, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_H_180 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'R' );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_PURPLE, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_180 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'R' );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_PURPLE, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_H_0 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'R' );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_PURPLE, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_0 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_char ( &c10x10rgb2, 'R' );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Writing text\r\n\n" );
    c10x10rgb2_set_pen ( &c10x10rgb2, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_OLIVE, C10X10RGB2_COLOR_BLACK, C10X10RGB2_ROTATION_V_0 );
    c10x10rgb2_write_string ( &c10x10rgb2, "MIKROE 10x10 RGB 2", 50 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );

    log_printf( &logger, " Drawing MIKROE logo\r\n\n" );
    c10x10rgb2_draw_picture ( &c10x10rgb2, c10x10rgb_img_mikroe );
    Delay_ms( 2000 );

    log_printf( &logger, " Rainbow demo\r\n\n" );
    c10x10rgb2_demo_rainbow ( &c10x10rgb2, 10, 10, 500 );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

Love this project?

'Buy This Kit' button takes you directly to the shopping cart where you can easily add or remove products.