Intermediate
30 min

Immediately seize and safeguard essential data in the event of a power disruption with CY15B116QSN and PIC18F57Q43

Unlock the future of memory

Excelon-Ultra Click with Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Published Feb 13, 2024

Click board™

Excelon-Ultra Click

Dev. board

Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F57Q43

Boost the efficiency and speed of your design with FRAM memory technology

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Excelon-Ultra Click is based on the CY15B116QSN, a high-performance 16-Mbit nonvolatile memory employing an advanced Infineon ferroelectric process. The memory array is logically organized as 2,097,152 × 8 bits and is accessed using an industry-standard serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus. The CY15B116QSN combines a 16-Mbit F-RAM with the high-speed Quad SPI SDR and DDR interfaces, enhancing FRAM technology's nonvolatile write capability. The key differences between the CY15B116QSN and a serial flash are the FRAM's superior write performance, high endurance, and lower power consumption. The CY15B116QSN is ideal for nonvolatile memory applications requiring frequent or rapid writes. Examples range from data collection, where the number of write cycles may be critical, to demanding industrial controls, where the long

write time of serial Flash can cause data loss. Excelon-Ultra Click communicates with MCU using an industry-standard SPI interface supporting the two most common modes, SPI Mode 0 and 3, with a maximum frequency 108MHz. Data is written to the memory array immediately after each byte is successfully transferred to the device. The following bus cycle can commence without the need for data polling. It supports 1e14 read/write cycles, or 100 million times more write cycles than EEPROM. In addition, the CY15B116QSN offers substantial write endurance compared to other nonvolatile memories. Furthermore, this Click board™ provides additional hardware-controlled functions. The configurable Write Protection function routed on the PWM pin of the mikroBUS™ socket protects all registers (including status and

configuration) from write operations when the SRWD bit (SR1[7]) is set to '1'. The WP pin must be held high to inhibit all the write operations to registers. When this pin is high, all memory and register writes are prohibited, and the address counter is not incremented. Also, it has a Reset feature routed to the RST pin on the mikroBUS™ socket, which, with a low logic level, puts the CY15B116QSN into a Reset state and, with a high level, operates the module normally. 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.

Excelon-Ultra Click top side image
Excelon-Ultra Click bottom side 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
QSPI I03 / Reset
PA7
RST
SPI Chip Select
PD4
CS
SPI Clock
PC6
SCK
QSPI IO1 / SPI Data OUT
PC5
MISO
QSPI IO0 / SPI Data IN
PC4
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
QSPI IO2 / Write Protection
PB0
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

Excelon-Ultra 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
Barometer 13 Click front image hardware assembly
PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Curiosity Nano with PICXXX 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 Excelon-Ultra Click driver.

Key functions:

  • excelonultra_write_data_to_memory - Write data starting from specified memory address

  • excelonultra_read_data_from_memory - Read data starting from specified memory address

  • excelonultra_clear_data_from_memory -Clears data starting from specified memory address

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 ExcelonUltra Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example is showcase of device and it's library abillity.
 * In this example is shown device ID, ability to manipulate with memory.
 * After default configuration device IDs are logged. After that application
 * Writes data to memory, reads data from memory, clears data from memory and
 * checks if data is cleard by reading that same memory address.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes MCU modules for communication used in this application (UART, SPI).
 * Calls default configuration that resets device, reads IDs, and enables writing to
 * memory and sets all RAM memory to be free for conrol.
 * 
 * ## Application Task
 * Write data to memory, read data from memory. After that clears that memory address,
 * and checks if it's cleared by reading data. On every iteration of the fucntion 
 * writing data is changed between "MikroE" and "Excelon-Ultra Click"
 *
 * @author Luka Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "excelonultra.h"

#define MIKROE_DATA "MikroE"
#define CLICK_DATA "Excelon-Ultra Click"

static excelonultra_t excelonultra;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    excelonultra_cfg_t excelonultra_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.
    excelonultra_cfg_setup( &excelonultra_cfg );
    EXCELONULTRA_MAP_MIKROBUS( excelonultra_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    err_t init_flag  = excelonultra_init( &excelonultra, &excelonultra_cfg );
    if ( init_flag == SPI_MASTER_ERROR ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
        log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );

        for ( ; ; );
    }

    excelonultra_default_cfg ( &excelonultra );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " > Manufacturer ID: 0x%.4X\r\n", excelonultra.manufacturer_id );
    log_printf( &logger, " > Product ID: 0x%.4X\r\n", excelonultra.product_id );
    log_printf( &logger, " > Density ID: 0x%.2X\r\n", excelonultra.density_id );
    log_printf( &logger, " > Die Rev: 0x%.2X\r\n", excelonultra.die_rev );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " > Unique ID: 0x%.2X" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 7 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.2X" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 6 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.2X" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 5 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.2X" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 4 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.2X" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 3 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.2X" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 2 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.2X" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 1 ] );
    log_printf( &logger, "%.2X\r\n" , excelonultra.unique_id[ 0 ] );
    
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    static uint32_t memory_address = 0x00000055;
    static uint8_t data_selection = 1;
    static uint8_t write_len;
    char to_write[ 50 ] = { 0 };
    char read_from[ 50 ] = { 0 };
    
    if (data_selection)
    {
        strcpy( to_write, MIKROE_DATA );
        data_selection = !data_selection;
    }
    else
    {
        strcpy( to_write, CLICK_DATA );
        data_selection = !data_selection;
    }
    write_len = strlen( to_write );
    
    log_printf( &logger, " > Writing data to memory: %s\r\n", to_write );
    excelonultra_write_data_to_memory( &excelonultra, memory_address, to_write, write_len );
    
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    
    excelonultra_read_data_from_memory( &excelonultra, memory_address, read_from, write_len );
    log_printf( &logger, " > Read data from memory: %s\r\n", read_from );

    Delay_ms( 500 );

    log_printf( &logger, " > Clearing data from memory\r\n" );
    excelonultra_clear_data_from_memory( &excelonultra, memory_address, write_len );
    
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    
    excelonultra_read_data_from_memory( &excelonultra, memory_address, read_from, write_len );
    log_printf( &logger, " > Read data from memory: %s\r\n", read_from );

    log_printf( &logger, "***********************************\r\n" );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
}

void main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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