Beginner
10 min

Control the movement of two DC motors or one bipolar stepper motor with DRV8834 and MK64FN1M0VDC12

Dual H-bridge current-control motor driver

H-Bridge 15 Click with Clicker 2 for Kinetis

Published Dec 26, 2023

Click board™

H-Bridge 15 Click

Dev. board

Clicker 2 for Kinetis

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

MK64FN1M0VDC12

Compact and adaptable solution for managing motor-driven functions in various applications

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

H-Bridge 15 Click is based on the DRV8834, a dual-bridge stepper or DC motor driver from Texas Instruments. The output driver block of each H-Bridge consists of N-channel power MOSFETs configured as an H-Bridge to drive the motor windings. Each H-Bridge includes circuitry to regulate or limit the winding current. There are two general control modes. The indexer logic with simple step/direction control and up to 1/32-step micro-stepping is one. The other is a phase/enable control that can drive external references for more than 1/32-step micro-stepping. The PCA9538, a low-voltage 8-bit I/O port from NXP, controls the logic states of the motor driver inputs. By setting the CONFIG input pin of the motor driver to a HIGH

state, you can select the indexer mode. Otherwise, you can select the phase/enable mode. Please note that you can drive DC motors only in phase/enable mode, while a stepper motor can be driven in any of these. The PCA9538 allows you to control the enable inputs of both bridges, micro-step modes, step inputs, direction, sleep mode, and more. It even takes the fault outputs of the motor driver. The voltage reference for both bridges is provided by the motor driver voltage reference output and two onboard potentiometers labeled VREF A and VREF B. Over those potentiometers, you can set the winding current for both bridges. The decay modes for both bridges are left for you to set over unpopulated jumper resistors. H-Bridge

15 Click uses a standard 2-wire I2C interface of the PCA9538 to allow the host MCU to control the motor driver inputs. It also notifies the host MCU if any fault condition occurs over the INT pin. The RST pin allows you to reset the PCA9538. The i2c address for this I/O port can be set over the I2C ADDR jumpers. There is also the ENA pin, which, in indexer mode, can turn all outputs on or off. 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 for further development.

H-Bridge 15 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Clicker 2 for Kinetis 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 ARM Cortex-M4F microcontroller, the MK64FN1M0VDC12 from NXP Semiconductors, two mikroBUS™ sockets for Click board™ connectivity, a USB connector, LED indicators, buttons, a JTAG programmer connector, and two 26-pin headers for interfacing with external electronics. Its compact design with clear and easily recognizable silkscreen markings allows you to build gadgets with unique functionalities and

features quickly. Each part of the Clicker 2 for Kinetis development kit contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. In addition to the possibility of choosing the Clicker 2 for Kinetis programming method, using a USB HID mikroBootloader or an external mikroProg connector for Kinetis programmer, the Clicker 2 board also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development kit. It provides two ways of board-powering; through the USB Micro-B cable, where onboard voltage regulators provide the appropriate voltage levels to each component on the board, or

using a Li-Polymer battery via an onboard battery connector. All communication methods that mikroBUS™ itself supports are on this board, including the well-established mikroBUS™ socket, reset button, and several user-configurable buttons and LED indicators. Clicker 2 for Kinetis 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.

Clicker 2 for Kinetis dimensions image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M4

MCU Memory (KB)

1024

Silicon Vendor

NXP

Pin count

121

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.

H-Bridge 15 Click accessories image

The 28BYJ-48 is an adaptable 5VDC stepper motor with a compact design, ideal for various applications. It features four phases, a speed variation ratio of 1/64, and a stride angle of 5.625°/64 steps, allowing precise control. The motor operates at a frequency of 100Hz and has a DC resistance of 50Ω ±7% at 25°C. It boasts an idle in-traction frequency greater than 600Hz and an idle out-traction frequency exceeding 1000Hz, ensuring reliability in different scenarios. With a self-positioning torque and in-traction torque both exceeding 34.3mN.m at 120Hz, the 28BYJ-48 offers robust performance. Its friction torque ranges from 600 to 1200 gf.cm, while the pull-in torque is 300 gf.cm. This motor makes a reliable and efficient choice for your stepper motor needs.

H-Bridge 15 Click accessories 2 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
Reset / ID SEL
PB11
RST
Enable / ID COMM
PC4
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
Interrupt
PB13
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PD8
SCL
I2C Data
PD9
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

H-Bridge 15 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Clicker 2 for PIC32MZ front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Clicker 2 for Kinetis as your development board.

Clicker 2 for PIC32MZ front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Micro B Connector Clicker 2 Access - 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

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 H-Bridge 15 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • hbridge15_set_pins - H-Bridge 15 set pins function.

  • hbridge15_set_sleep - H-Bridge 15 set sleep function.

  • hbridge15_set_out_state - H-Bridge 15 set output 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 H-Bridge 15 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of the H-Bridge 15 click board by
 * driving the motor in both directions with braking and freewheeling. 
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * This example is driving a motor in both directions with 
 * motor braking and freewheeling in between.
 *
 * @author Stefan Ilic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "hbridge15.h"

static hbridge15_t hbridge15;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    hbridge15_cfg_t hbridge15_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.
    hbridge15_cfg_setup( &hbridge15_cfg );
    HBRIDGE15_MAP_MIKROBUS( hbridge15_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == hbridge15_init( &hbridge15, &hbridge15_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( HBRIDGE15_ERROR == hbridge15_default_cfg ( &hbridge15 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    log_printf( &logger, " Motor in forward mode. \r\n" );
    hbridge15_set_out_state( &hbridge15, HBRIDGE15_DRIVE_MOTOR_FORWARD );
    Delay_ms( 5000 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Motor brake is on \r\n" );
    hbridge15_set_out_state( &hbridge15, HBRIDGE15_DRIVE_MOTOR_BRAKE );
    Delay_ms( 2000 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Motor in reverse mode. \r\n" );
    hbridge15_set_out_state( &hbridge15, HBRIDGE15_DRIVE_MOTOR_REVERSE );
    Delay_ms( 5000 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Motor is coasting \r\n" );
    hbridge15_set_out_state( &hbridge15, HBRIDGE15_DRIVE_MOTOR_FREEWHEEL );
    Delay_ms( 2000 );
}

void main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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