Increase (boost) a low voltage from a battery or other source to a stable 3.3V output with the XCL105B331H2-G and PIC32MZ2048EFM100
Synchronous step-up DC/DC converter with integrated switching FETs
Published Jun 04, 2024
Click board™
Boost 11 Click
Dev. board
Curiosity PIC32 MZ EF
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
PIC32MZ2048EFM100
Provide a reliable voltage boost for powering low-power sensors or other industrial electronics from low-voltage sources
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Boost 11 Click is based on the XCL105B331H2-G, a synchronous step-up DC/DC converter from TOREX Semi. This component includes a reference voltage source, ramp wave circuit, error amplifier, PWM comparator, phase compensation circuit, N-channel driver FET, P-channel synchronous switching FET, and current limiter circuit. It can start operating from an input voltage of 0.9V, making it suitable for devices using single Alkaline or Nickel-metal hydride batteries. The operating voltage range spans from 0.9V to 6V, which applies to the VIN terminal. This versatility makes it ideal for industrial equipment, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables, and any applications
prioritizing battery life. The XCL105B331H2-G operates by using the error amplifier to compare the internal reference voltage with the feedback voltage. The resulting output undergoes phase compensation and is fed to the PWM comparator. This comparator matches the signal from the error amplifier with the ramp wave circuit output, sending the resulting signal to the buffer driver circuit to control the PWM duty cycle. This continuous process stabilizes the output voltage, fixed at 3.3V and available at the VOUT terminal. Additionally, an output signal is available on the AN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket. The Boost 11 Click uses the EN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket in addition to the
AN pin. When the EN pin is set to a high logic level, the output voltage is raised via the Start-Up mode, initiating normal operation. When set to a low logic level, the IC enters Standby mode, significantly reducing current consumption. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the VIO 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.
Features overview
Development board
Curiosity PIC32 MZ EF development board is a fully integrated 32-bit development platform featuring the high-performance PIC32MZ EF Series (PIC32MZ2048EFM) that has a 2MB Flash, 512KB RAM, integrated FPU, Crypto accelerator, and excellent connectivity options. It includes an integrated programmer and debugger, requiring no additional hardware. Users can expand
functionality through MIKROE mikroBUS™ Click™ adapter boards, add Ethernet connectivity with the Microchip PHY daughter board, add WiFi connectivity capability using the Microchip expansions boards, and add audio input and output capability with Microchip audio daughter boards. These boards are fully integrated into PIC32’s powerful software framework, MPLAB Harmony,
which provides a flexible and modular interface to application development a rich set of inter-operable software stacks (TCP-IP, USB), and easy-to-use features. The Curiosity PIC32 MZ EF development board offers expansion capabilities making it an excellent choice for a rapid prototyping board in Connectivity, IOT, and general-purpose applications.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
PIC32
MCU Memory (KB)
2048
Silicon Vendor
Microchip
Pin count
100
RAM (Bytes)
524288
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic
Step by step
Project assembly
Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Curiosity PIC32 MZ EF as your development board.
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 Boost 11 Click driver.
Key functions:
boost11_active_mode- This function activates the boost operating mode.boost11_read_an_pin_voltage- This function reads results of AD conversion of the AN pin and converts them to proportional voltage level.
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 Boost 11 Click Example.
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of Boost 11 click board
* by controlling the output state.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initialization of GPIO module, log UART, and activate the boost operating mode.
*
* ## Application Task
* The demo application reads measurements of the output voltage level [V].
* Results are being sent to the UART Terminal, where you can track their changes.
*
* @author Nenad Filipovic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "boost11.h"
static boost11_t boost11; /**< Boost 11 Click driver object. */
static log_t logger; /**< Logger object. */
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
boost11_cfg_t boost11_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.
boost11_cfg_setup( &boost11_cfg );
BOOST11_MAP_MIKROBUS( boost11_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
if ( ADC_ERROR == boost11_init( &boost11, &boost11_cfg ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
boost11_active_mode( &boost11 );
Delay_ms( 100 );
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
float voltage = 0;
if ( BOOST11_OK == boost11_read_an_pin_voltage ( &boost11, &voltage ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Output Voltage : %.3f[V]\r\n\n", voltage );
Delay_ms( 1000 );
}
}
int main ( void )
{
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
return 0;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
