Beginner
10 min

Translate digital information into real-world impact with MCP4726 and PIC18F57Q43

Redefine data interpretation

DAC 3 Click with Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Published Feb 13, 2024

Click board™

DAC 3 Click

Dev. board

Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F57Q43

From binary to brilliance, our DAC technology takes your digital inputs and transforms them into tangible outcomes

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

DAC 3 Click is based on the MCP4726, a 12-bit voltage output digital-to-analog converter with EEPROM from Microchip. The MCP4726 uses a resistor ladder architecture with an analog output provided on the VOUT screw terminal. The VOUT can swing from approximately 0V to approximately VCC voltage, in the case of this Click board™, 3.3V and 5V. The resistor ladder DAC is driven from a software-selectable voltage reference source. The reference voltage can be selected between the VCC and the 4.096V given by the MCP1541 via the REF SEL jumper. The VCC

on this jumper is selected by default and depends on the voltage selection over the PWR SEL jumper, with 3.3V set by default. To communicate with the host MCU, the DAC 3 Click uses the I2C interface over the mikroBUS™ socket for standard (100KHz), fast (400KHz), or High-Speed (3.4MHz) mode. The 16-bit data is sent to the DAC through the I2C interface. This interface is also used to store desired Power-on Reset (POR)/Brown-out Reset (BOR) values of the DAC register and device configuration bits. During operation, the internal POR/BOR circuit monitors the power supply

voltage (VCC) and ensures the correct device Start-Up sequence at system power-up and power-down events. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the PWR 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.

DAC 3 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
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
PB2
SCL
I2C Data
PB1
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

DAC 3 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 DAC 3 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • dac3_write_all_mem - This function configures the click module

  • dac3_send_command - This function sends a command to the click module using SPI communication

  • dac3_set_out_voltage - This function sets the output voltage on the click module terminal.

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 
 * \brief DAC3 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This example showcases how to initialize, configure and use the DAC 3 click module. The click
 * performs digital to analog conversion and the output voltage can be read on the output termi-
 * nal using a multimeter. An oscilloscope is required to read the analog signal.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * This function configures and initializes the click and logger modules. The write_all_mem(...)
 * function configures DAC settings.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * This function resets and wakes up the click module and then changes the output voltage on the
 * output terminal a few times in a loop with a 5 second delay. It does so every 1 second.
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "dac3.h"

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

static dac3_t dac3;
static log_t logger;

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

void application_init ( )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    dac3_cfg_t cfg;

    /** 
     * 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.

    dac3_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    DAC3_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    dac3_init( &dac3, &cfg );

    dac3.dac_cfg.vrl = 0;
    dac3.dac_cfg.power = 0;
    dac3.dac_cfg.gain = 0;

    dac3_write_all_mem( &dac3, 0 );
    Delay_100ms( );
}

void application_task ( )
{
    uint8_t cnt;
    uint32_t output_value;

    output_value = 500;

    dac3_send_command( &dac3, DAC3_RESET );
    Delay_100ms( );

    dac3_send_command( &dac3, DAC3_WAKE_UP );
    Delay_100ms( );

    for ( cnt = 1; cnt < 9; cnt ++ )
    {
        dac3_set_out_voltage( &dac3, output_value * cnt );

        log_printf( &logger, " .current DAC value: %d\r\n", output_value * cnt );
        log_printf( &logger, " .output voltage: %d mV\r\n", ( ( output_value * cnt ) * 79 ) / 64 );
        log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------------\r\n" );

        Delay_ms( 5000 );
    }

    log_printf( &logger, "###############################\r\n" );
    Delay_1sec( );
}

void main ( )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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