Improve data representation with PIC18LF27K40 and TLC5926
Bring life to your app's numbers and codes
Published Nov 01, 2023
Click board™
AlphaNum G Click
Dev. board
EasyPIC v8
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
PIC18LF27K40
Illuminate your app with vibrant green numbers and hex codes. Try our solution!
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
AlphaNum G Click is based on one green two digits 14-segment alphanumeric display with leading dots and two TLC5926s, 16-bit constant-current LED-sink drivers from Texas Instruments. This display consists of two sets of 14 LEDs arranged in a rectangular starburst fashion, where each of the 14 LEDs is called a segment. The segment forms part of a numerical digit (decimal and hex) or ISO basic Latin alphabet to be displayed when illuminated. The fifteenth segment of each set is a comma, suitable for displaying a decimal number. Two TLC5926s drive this display with constant currents in the sink
configuration. The TLC5926 is a 256-step programmable global current gain with constant current adjusted by an external resistor; in this case, it is kept around 8mA per segment. This Click board™ uses the SPI serial interface of the mikroBUS™ socket to communicate with the host MCU. There are four additional pins, two for each TLC5926: data latch pins marked as LE1 and LE2, routed to the CS and RST pins of the mikroBUS™ socket, and display segment select pins labeled as NS and NS# routed to the INT and PWM pins of the mikroBUS™ socket. Those latch pins are data strobe input pins where serial data is transferred to
the respective latch when they are in a high logic state. The data is latched when those pins are in a low logic state. Output enable pins are active LOW with enabled output drivers; otherwise, with a high state, the display is turned OFF. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the PWR SEL jumper. This way, it is allowed for both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs to use the communication lines properly. However, 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.
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.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
PIC
MCU Memory (KB)
128
Silicon Vendor
Microchip
Pin count
28
RAM (Bytes)
3728
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 EasyPIC v8 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 AlphaNum G Click driver.
Key functions:
alphanumg_write_character- This function displays characters on the left and right LED segmentsalphanumg_write_number- This function displays numbers on the left and right LED segments
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 AlphaNumG Click example
*
* # Description
* This example showcases the initialization and configuration of the logger and click modules
* and shows how to display characters and numbers on both LED segments of the click.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* This function initializes and configures the logger and click modules.
*
* ## Application Task
* This function sets the time interval at which the symbols are displayed on the LED
* segments and shows a few characters and numbers.
*
* @author Stefan Ilic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "alphanumg.h"
static alphanumg_t alphanumg;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void ) {
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
alphanumg_cfg_t alphanumg_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.
alphanumg_cfg_setup( &alphanumg_cfg );
ALPHANUMG_MAP_MIKROBUS( alphanumg_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
err_t init_flag = alphanumg_init( &alphanumg, &alphanumg_cfg );
if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) {
log_error( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void ) {
alphanumg_set_display_interval( &alphanumg, 1000 );
alphanumg_write_character( &alphanumg, 'M', 'E' );
alphanumg_write_character( &alphanumg, '@', '?' );
alphanumg_write_number( &alphanumg, 0, 1 );
alphanumg_write_number( &alphanumg, 1, 2 );
alphanumg_write_number( &alphanumg, 2, 3 );
alphanumg_write_number( &alphanumg, 3, 4 );
}
void main ( void ) {
application_init( );
for ( ; ; ) {
application_task( );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
