Intermediate
30 min

Optimize your electrical control systems with J1031C3VDC and PIC18F4682

Lights, heaters, motors, oh my! SPDTs for all your needs.

Relay 4 Click with EasyPIC v8

Published Nov 01, 2023

Click board™

Relay 4 Click

Dev. board

EasyPIC v8

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F4682

Count on our SPDT relays to seamlessly switch between two different circuits, ensuring your devices operate efficiently and effectively

A

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Relay 4 Click is based on dual J1031C3VDC, high-current single-pole double-throw (SPDT) signal relays from CIT Relay and Switch. The J1031C3VDC relay is well known for its reliability and durability, high sensitivity, and low coil power consumption housed in a small package with PC pin mounting. Despite its size (12.5x7.5x10 millimeter (LxWxH)), the J1031C3VDC relay can withstand up to 2A and 125VAC/60VDC maximum. These relays are designed to easily activate their coils by relatively low currents and voltages, making them a perfect choice that any MCU can control. As mentioned, the contact configuration of the J1031C3VDC is a single-pole double-throw (SPDT), meaning it

has one pole and two throws. Based on the default position of the pole, one throw is considered normally open (NO) while the other is normally closed (NC), which is, in this case, its default position. When the coil is energized, it will attract the internal switching elements similar to a switch. This Click board™ uses two mikroBUS™ pins for its proper operation, the RL1 and RL2 pins routed to the RST and PWM pins of the mikroBUS™ socket. These pins control small N-channel MOSFET RET (Resistor Equipped Transistor) transistors that provide enough current for the relay coil. Two resistors are already integrated into the RET, providing the correct biasing and simplifying the

design. Also, each relay has its yellow LED indicator, which signals the state of the relay. When the current flows through the RET, the coil will be energized, and the relay will be switched from a closed to an open switch state. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V 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.

Relay 4 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

EasyPIC v8 is a development board specially designed for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. It supports many high pin count 8-bit PIC microcontrollers from Microchip, regardless of their number of pins, and a broad set of unique functions, such as the first-ever embedded debugger/programmer. The development board is well organized and designed so that the end-user has all the necessary elements, such as switches, buttons, indicators, connectors, and others, in one place. Thanks to innovative manufacturing technology, EasyPIC v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access anywhere and under any

circumstances at any time. Each part of the EasyPIC v8 development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. In addition to the advanced integrated CODEGRIP programmer/debugger module, which offers many valuable programming/debugging options and seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment, the board also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development board. It can use a wide range of external power sources, including a battery, an external 12V power supply, and a power source via the USB Type-C (USB-C) connector.

Communication options such as USB-UART, USB DEVICE, and CAN are also included, including the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, two display options (graphical and character-based LCD), and several different DIP sockets. These sockets cover a wide range of 8-bit PIC MCUs, from the smallest PIC MCU devices with only eight up to forty pins. EasyPIC v8 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.

EasyPIC v8 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

PIC18F4682

Architecture

PIC

MCU Memory (KB)

80

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

40

RAM (Bytes)

3328

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
Relay 1 Control
RE0
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
Relay 2 Control
RC0
PWM
NC
NC
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Relay 4 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

EasyPIC v8 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the EasyPIC v8 as your development board.

EasyPIC v8 front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
MCU DIP 40 hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
EasyPIC v8 Access DIPMB 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
Necto image step 8 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 Relay 4 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • relay4_set_relay1_open - This function sets the relay 1 to normally open state by setting the RL1 pin to low logic level.

  • relay4_set_relay1_close - This function sets the relay 1 to normally close state by setting the RL1 pin to high logic level.

  • relay4_set_relay2_open - This function sets the relay 2 to normally open state by setting the RL2 pin to low logic 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 Relay 4 Click Example.
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of Relay 4 Click board by toggling the relays state.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and logger.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Switches the relays 1 and 2 state every 5 seconds and displays the state on the USB UART.
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "relay4.h"

static relay4_t relay4;   /**< Relay 4 Click driver object. */
static log_t logger;    /**< Logger object. */

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    relay4_cfg_t relay4_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.
    relay4_cfg_setup( &relay4_cfg );
    RELAY4_MAP_MIKROBUS( relay4_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( DIGITAL_OUT_UNSUPPORTED_PIN == relay4_init( &relay4, &relay4_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    relay4_set_relay1_open ( &relay4 );
    log_printf( &logger, " Relay 1 set to normally open state\r\n" );
    relay4_set_relay2_close ( &relay4 );
    log_printf( &logger, " Relay 2 set to normally close state\r\n\n" );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );

    relay4_set_relay1_close ( &relay4 );
    log_printf( &logger, " Relay 1 set to normally close state\r\n" );
    relay4_set_relay2_open ( &relay4 );
    log_printf( &logger, " Relay 2 set to normally open state\r\n\n" );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    /* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
    #ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
    preinit();
    #endif
    
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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