Beginner
10 min

Control and limit the amount of electrical current with NPS4053 and PIC18F57Q43

Load switch with adjustable current limit

Current Limit 9 Click with Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Published Feb 13, 2024

Click board™

Current Limit 9 Click

Dev. board

Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F57Q43

Ensure that your projects receive the right amount of power and are protected from potential damage due to excessive current

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Current Limit 9 Click is based on the NPS4053, a load switch with a precision adjustable current limit from Nexperia. It limits the output current to a constant current using a constant-current mode when the output load exceeds the current limit threshold or is shorted. An internal voltage comparator turns off the load switch to protect devices on the input side of the switch when the output voltage is higher than the input. The other protections include active reverse voltage protection, ILIM pin protection, ESD protection, and more. The current to which you can set the limit over the Current Limit 9 Click board™ can be

selected between external supply or 5V from the mikroBUS™ socket via the VIN SEL jumper. The external voltage can be in the range of 2.5 – 5.5V. It can use the MAX5419, a 256-tap 200K nonvolatile digital potentiometer from Analog Devices, to set the current limit threshold to the NPS4053 over the ILIM pin. It can also use an onboard R9 resistor for a fixed 0.5A at 5V supply. The selection can be made over the ILIM SEL. Current Limit 9 Click uses a standard 2-Wire I2C interface of the MAX5419 to allow the host MCU to set the desired current limit threshold, which supports a fast I2C interface. You can turn the

current limit IC on or off over the ON pin. The FLT is an interrupt pin, and it is asserted to a low logic level during overcurrent, overtemperature, and reverse-voltage conditions. 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 as a reference for further development.

Current Limit 9 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive

mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI

GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

PIC

MCU Memory (KB)

128

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

48

RAM (Bytes)

8196

You complete me!

Accessories

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards is a versatile hardware extension platform created to streamline the integration between Curiosity Nano kits and extension boards, tailored explicitly for the mikroBUS™-standardized Click boards and Xplained Pro extension boards. This innovative base board (shield) offers seamless connectivity and expansion possibilities, simplifying experimentation and development. Key features include USB power compatibility from the Curiosity Nano kit, alongside an alternative external power input option for enhanced flexibility. The onboard Li-Ion/LiPo charger and management circuit ensure smooth operation for battery-powered applications, simplifying usage and management. Moreover, the base incorporates a fixed 3.3V PSU dedicated to target and mikroBUS™ power rails, alongside a fixed 5.0V boost converter catering to 5V power rails of mikroBUS™ sockets, providing stable power delivery for various connected devices.

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
Current Limit Enable
PA7
RST
ID COMM
PD4
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
Fault Interrupt
PA6
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PB2
SCL
I2C Data
PB1
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Current Limit 9 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43 as your development board.

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards front image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
PIC18F47Q10 Curiosity Nano front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Curiosity Nano with PICXXX 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
PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity 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 Current Limit 9 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • currentlimit9_set_limit - This function sets the desired current limit threshold using the I2C serial interface.

  • currentlimit9_get_fault - This function gets the state of the fault flag to indicate overcurrent, overtemperature, or reverse-voltage conditions.

  • currentlimit9_enable - This function turns on the power switch and enables the internal MOSFET.

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 Current Limit 9 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This library contains API for the Current Limit 9 Click driver.
 * This driver provides the functions to set the current limiting conditions 
 * in order to provide the threshold of the fault conditions.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initialization of I2C module and log UART.
 * After driver initialization, the app executes a default configuration
 * and sets the current limit threshold of 460 mA.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * This example demonstrates the use of the Current Limit 9 Click board. 
 * The demo application checks the fault flag for overcurrent conditions.
 * Results are being sent to the UART Terminal, where you can track their changes.
 *
 * @author Nenad Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "currentlimit9.h"

static currentlimit9_t currentlimit9;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    currentlimit9_cfg_t currentlimit9_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.
    currentlimit9_cfg_setup( &currentlimit9_cfg );
    CURRENTLIMIT9_MAP_MIKROBUS( currentlimit9_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == currentlimit9_init( &currentlimit9, &currentlimit9_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( CURRENTLIMIT9_ERROR == currentlimit9_default_cfg ( &currentlimit9 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( CURRENTLIMIT9_ERROR == currentlimit9_set_limit( &currentlimit9, CURRENTLIMIT9_LIMIT_0_46_A ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Current limit threshold." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
    Delay_ms( 100 );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    if ( CURRENTLIMIT9_FAULT_FLAG == currentlimit9_get_fault( &currentlimit9 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "Fault flag: Overcurrent\r\n" );
    }
    else
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " Current limit is 460 mA\r\n" );
    }
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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