Intermediate
30 min

Manage fan speeds with MAX6615 and PIC18F57Q43 for a better tomorrow

Where comfort meets control

Fan 8 Click with Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Published Feb 13, 2024

Click board™

Fan 8 Click

Dev. board

Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F57Q43

Enhance workplace productivity with our fan speed management solution, maintaining a comfortable and conducive environment for everyone

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Fan 8 Click is based on the MAX6615, a compliant fan controller, and accurately two temperature-channels monitors from Analog Devices. The MAX6615 monitors either the internal die temperature or the temperature of external thermistors connected on the onboard headers labeled as TH and reports temperature values in digital form using a 2-wire serial interface. To adjust the speed of the cooling fans, the temperature data controls the duty cycle of a PWM output signal, which minimizes noise when the system is running cool but provides maximum cooling when power dissipation increases. Fan 8 Click communicates with MCU using the standard I2C 2-Wire interface to read data and configure settings with a maximum frequency of 400kHz. Besides, it also allows the choice of the least significant bit of its I2C slave address by

positioning the SMD jumpers labeled ADDR SEL to an appropriate position marked as 0 and 1. This way, the MAX6616 provides the opportunity of the nine possible different I2C addresses by positioning the SMD jumper to an appropriate position. The MAX6615 monitors the fans’ tachometer signals to detect fan failure. When the fan tachometer count is larger than the fan tachometer limit, the fan is considered failing. If that happens, the FAN_FAIL output represented by the FF pin, routed on the PWM pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, is asserted. Also, the MAX6615 features an over-temperature indicator routed on the AN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, which sets high when a thermal fault occurs and can be used as a warning flag to initiate the system shutdown or to throttle clock frequency. In case of any irregularities, the MCU will also receive information

from an FLT pin (fault indicator), routed on the INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, in case further necessary configurations are necessary for proper operation. The Fan 8 Click supports an external fan power supply, connected to the input terminal labeled as VFAN with the value of 5V or 12V, while the fan connection wires can be connected to the onboard headers labeled as FAN1 and FAN2. This Click board™ can operate with both 3.3V and 5V logic voltage levels selected via the VCC SEL jumper. This way, it is allowed for both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs to use the I2C 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.

Fan 8 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

Overtemperature Indicator
PA0
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
Fan-Fail Indicator
PB0
PWM
Fault Indicator
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

Fan 8 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 Fan 8 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • fan8_set_duty_cycle - This function sets the duty cycle of the selected fan channel and waits until the duty cycle is set at the PWM output

  • fan8_measure_rpm - This function measures the RPM of the selected fan channel

  • fan8_read_temperature - This function reads the temperature from the thermistor attached to the selected temperature channel

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 FAN8 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of FAN 8 click board.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Changes the speed of fans at both channels by changing the PWM duty cycle, then calculates 
 * the fans RPM from measured tachometer signal. It also reads the temperature of two thermistors.
 * The results are being displayed via USB UART where you can track their changes.
 * 
 * @note
 * The MAX6615 measures the tachometer signal every 67s, therefore 
 * the fan RPM value will be updated once per 67s.
 * An NTC 10K3 thermistor is required for proper temperature measurements.
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "fan8.h"

static fan8_t fan8;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;    /**< Logger config object. */
    fan8_cfg_t fan8_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.
    fan8_cfg_setup( &fan8_cfg );
    FAN8_MAP_MIKROBUS( fan8_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    err_t init_flag = fan8_init( &fan8, &fan8_cfg );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
        log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );

        for ( ; ; );
    }

    init_flag = fan8_default_cfg ( &fan8 );
    if ( FAN8_ERROR == init_flag ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default Config Error. " );
        log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );

        for ( ; ; );
    }

    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    static uint8_t duty_cnt = FAN8_MIN_DUTY_CYCLE;
    static int8_t duty_inc = FAN8_DUTY_CYCLE_STEP_10;
    uint16_t fan_rpm = 0;
    float temperature = 0;

    if ( duty_cnt == FAN8_MAX_DUTY_CYCLE )
    {
        duty_inc = -FAN8_DUTY_CYCLE_STEP_10;
    }
    else if ( duty_cnt == ( FAN8_MIN_DUTY_CYCLE + FAN8_DUTY_CYCLE_STEP_10 ) )
    {
        duty_inc = FAN8_DUTY_CYCLE_STEP_10;
    }
    duty_cnt += duty_inc;

    log_printf( &logger, " - Channel 1 values -\r\n" );
    fan8_set_duty_cycle ( &fan8, FAN8_FAN_CHANNEL_1, duty_cnt );
    log_printf( &logger, " PWM Duty Cycle : %d\r\n", ( uint16_t ) duty_cnt );
    fan8_measure_rpm ( &fan8, FAN8_FAN_CHANNEL_1, FAN8_2_PULSES_PER_REVOLUTION, &fan_rpm );
    log_printf( &logger, " Last measured fan RPM : %u\r\n", fan_rpm );
    fan8_read_temperature ( &fan8, FAN8_TEMP_CHANNEL_1, &temperature );
    log_printf( &logger, " Temperature : %.2f C\r\n\r\n", temperature );

    log_printf( &logger, " - Channel 2 values -\r\n" );
    fan8_set_duty_cycle ( &fan8, FAN8_FAN_CHANNEL_2, duty_cnt );
    log_printf( &logger, " PWM Duty Cycle : %d\r\n", ( uint16_t ) duty_cnt );
    fan8_measure_rpm ( &fan8, FAN8_FAN_CHANNEL_2, FAN8_2_PULSES_PER_REVOLUTION, &fan_rpm );
    log_printf( &logger, " Last measured fan RPM : %u\r\n", fan_rpm );
    fan8_read_temperature ( &fan8, FAN8_TEMP_CHANNEL_2, &temperature );
    log_printf( &logger, " Temperature : %.2f C\r\n\r\n", temperature );

    if ( !fan8_check_fault_indicator ( &fan8 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " Fault detected!\r\n\r\n", temperature );
    }

    Delay_ms( 500 );
}

void main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

Love this project?

'Buy This Kit' button takes you directly to the shopping cart where you can easily add or remove products.