Beginner
10 min

Ensure secure I2C data exchange with ISO1540 and PIC18F46K80

Completely isolated, completely bidirectional I2C

I2C Isolator Click with Curiosity HPC

Published Nov 01, 2023

Click board™

I2C Isolator Click

Dev Board

Curiosity HPC

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F46K80

Take your engineering solution to the next level with isolated bidirectional I2C-compatible communication

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

I2C Isolator Click is based on the ISO1540, a 2.5kVrms I2C digital isolator from Texas Instruments. The ISO1540 enables a completely isolated I2C interface, supporting Fast Mode Plus up to 1MHz, with two isolated bidirectional channels for clock and data lines. It provides advantages such as performance, size, and power consumption compared to optocouplers, which makes it suitable for multi-master and applications where slave clock stretching is possible. Isolated bidirectional communication is accomplished by offsetting the low-level output

voltage on the MCU side to a value greater than its high-level input voltage, preventing an internal logic latch that would occur with standard digital isolators. The ISO1540 has logic input and output buffers separated by Texas Instruments Capacitive Isolation technology using a silicon dioxide (SiO2) barrier. Also, the ISO1540 internally splits a bidirectional line into two unidirectional lines, each isolated through a single-channel digital isolator. This way, each channel output is made open-drain to comply with the open-drain technology of I2C. When used with isolated

power supplies, the ISO1540 blocks high voltages, isolates grounds, and prevents noise currents from entering the local ground and interfering with or damaging sensitive circuitry. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the VCC1 SEL jumper. Therefore, both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs to use the communication lines properly. The 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.

I2C Isolator Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Curiosity HPC, standing for Curiosity High Pin Count (HPC) development board, supports 28- and 40-pin 8-bit PIC MCUs specially designed by Microchip for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. This board has two unique PDIP sockets, surrounded by dual-row expansion headers, allowing connectivity to all pins on the populated PIC MCUs. It also contains a powerful onboard PICkit™ (PKOB), eliminating the need for an external programming/debugging tool, two mikroBUS™ sockets for Click board™ connectivity, a USB connector, a set of indicator LEDs, push button switches and a variable potentiometer. All

these features allow you to combine the strength of Microchip and Mikroe and create custom electronic solutions more efficiently than ever. Each part of the Curiosity HPC development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. An integrated onboard PICkit™ (PKOB) allows low-voltage programming and in-circuit debugging for all supported devices. When used with the MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE, version 3.0 or higher) or MPLAB® Xpress IDE, in-circuit debugging allows users to run, modify, and troubleshoot their custom software and hardware

quickly without the need for additional debugging tools. Besides, it includes a clean and regulated power supply block for the development board via the USB Micro-B connector, alongside all communication methods that mikroBUS™ itself supports. Curiosity HPC development board allows you to create a new application in just a few steps. Natively supported by Microchip software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping thanks to many number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing daily.

Curiosity HPC double image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

PIC

MCU Memory (KB)

64

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

40

RAM (Bytes)

3648

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
NC
NC
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
NC
NC
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
RC3
SCL
I2C Data
RC4
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Schematic

I2C Isolator Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Curiosity HPC front no-mcu image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Curiosity HPC as your development board.

Curiosity HPC front no-mcu image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
MCU DIP 40 hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Curiosity HPC Access 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 image step 5 hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
Necto DIP image step 7 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

After loading the code example, pressing the "DEBUG" button builds and programs it on the selected setup.

Application Output Step 1

After programming is completed, a header with buttons for various actions available in the IDE appears. By clicking the green "PLAY "button, we start reading the results achieved with Click board™.

Application Output Step 3

Upon completion of programming, the Application Output tab is automatically opened, where the achieved result can be read. In case of an inability to perform the Debug function, check if a proper connection between the MCU used by the setup and the CODEGRIP programmer has been established. A detailed explanation of the CODEGRIP-board connection can be found in the CODEGRIP User Manual. Please find it in the RESOURCES section.

Application Output Step 4

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for I2C Isolator Click driver.

Key functions:

  • i2cisolator_generic_write - Generic write function

  • i2cisolator_generic_read - Generic read function

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 
 * \brief I2Cisolator Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This is an example which demonstrates the use of I2C Isolator Click board.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initialization driver enables - I2C,
 * sets configuration of TMP007 sensor on IrThermo 2 click and start to write log.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * In this example we use IrThermo 2 click, measures the temperature with,
 * and calculate the temperature in degrees Celsius [ C ].
 * Results are being sent to the USART Terminal where you can track their changes.
 * All data logs on usb uart each second.
 * 
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "i2cisolator.h"

/* Register Address */
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CONFIGURATION                       0x02
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_OBJECT_TEMPERATURE              0x03
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_STATUS_MASK_AND_ENABLE       0x05

/* Commands */       
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_MODEON                           0x1000
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_ALERTEN                           0x0100
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_TRANSC                            0x0040
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_16SAMPLE                         0x0800
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_STAT_ALERTEN                         0x8000
#define I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_STAT_CRTEN                            0x4000

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

static i2cisolator_t i2cisolator;
static log_t logger;
static float temperature;

// ------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

void i2cisolator_get_temperature ( void )
{
    uint8_t temp_data[ 2 ];
    uint16_t temp;
    
    i2cisolator_generic_read( &i2cisolator, I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_OBJECT_TEMPERATURE, temp_data, 2 );
    
    temp = temp_data[ 0 ];
    temp <<= 8;
    temp |= temp_data[ 1 ];
    temp >>= 2;
    temperature = ( float ) temp;
    temperature *= 0.03125;
}

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

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    i2cisolator_cfg_t cfg;
    uint8_t tmp;

    /** 
     * 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.

    i2cisolator_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    I2CISOLATOR_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    i2cisolator_init( &i2cisolator, &cfg );

    log_printf( &logger, "    Driver  Initialized\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------------\r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 100 );
    
    tmp =    I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_MODEON |
                I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_ALERTEN | 
                I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_TRANSC | 
                I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CFG_16SAMPLE;
    i2cisolator_generic_write( &i2cisolator, I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_CONFIGURATION, &tmp, 1 );

    tmp =    I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_STAT_ALERTEN | 
                I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_STAT_CRTEN;
    i2cisolator_generic_write( &i2cisolator, I2CISOLATOR_IRTHERMO2_STATUS_MASK_AND_ENABLE, &tmp, 1 );    
    
    log_printf( &logger, "       Configuration\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "      IrThermo 2 Click\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------------\r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 100 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    i2cisolator_get_temperature( );   
    
    log_printf( &logger, " Temperature : %0.2f C\r\n", temperature );
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------------\r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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


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

Additional Support

Resources