Achieve reliable stepper motor control with TB67S261 and PIC18F57Q43
Put some pep in your machine's step
Published Feb 13, 2024
Click board™
Multi Stepper Click - TB67S261
Dev. board
Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
PIC18F57Q43
Upgrade your motion control system with our powerful and most efficient stepper motor driver
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Multi Stepper Click is based on the TB67S261FTG, a two-phase bipolar stepping motor driver using a PWM chopper (customized by external resistance R2 and capacitor C1) from Toshiba Semiconductor. The TB67S261FTG incorporates a low on-resistance MOSFET output stage, which can deliver a 1.4A current with a motor output voltage rating of 47V, in addition to integrated protection mechanisms such as over-current and over-temperature detection. In addition, it supports full-, half-, and quarter-step resolution, with the help of which motor noise can be significantly reduced with smoother operation and more precise control. As mentioned in the product description, this stepping motor driver is PHASE-in controlled. These control signals are provided through the PCA9555A port expander, which establishes communication with the MCU via the I2C serial interface. This Click board™ also allows a connection of external control signals on the onboard header J1 on pins labeled as P1 and P2 for the device's PHASE-in control. The PCA9555A also allows choosing the least significant bit (LSB) of its I2C slave address by positioning SMD jumpers labeled
ADDR SEL to an appropriate position marked as 0 and 1. In addition to PHASE signals, four A/B channel logic signals, INA1, INB1, INB2, and INA2, are used to control the motor, adjusting the desired step resolution. AN, CLK, and EN pins of the mikroBUS™ socket control the first three signals. The INA2 signal allows dual control selected by positioning the SMD jumper labeled JP5 to an appropriate position marked as P6 or INT, which chooses control via the expander or INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket. In the case of the selected INT position of the JP5 jumper, the JP10 jumper needs to be unpopulated. Also, this Click board™ has a Standby function routed to the RST pin of the mikroBUS™ socket used to switch to Standby mode by setting all motor control pins to a low logic state. When the Standby mode is active, the TB67S261FTG stops supplying the power to the internal oscillating circuit and motor output part (the motor drive cannot be performed). This Click board™ also has an additional LED for anomaly indication, but since this version of the stepper driver does not support this feature, this indicator cannot be used.
The motor A/B channel current output value can be set manually using an onboard trimmer labeled VR1, which sets the reference voltage from 0V to 3.3V. The default configuration of the JP4 jumper is the VREF position that sets both channels' output current via the VR1 trimmer. In this case, avoid position P4 on a jumper JP4 since the VREFA pin requires an analog signal for setting. Multi Stepper Click supports an external power supply for the TB67S261FTG, which can be connected to the input terminal labeled as VM and should be within the range of 10V to 47V, while the stepper motor coils can be connected to the terminals labeled as B+, B-, A-, and A+. 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. 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
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.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
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.
The 28BYJ-48 is an adaptable 5VDC stepper motor with a compact design, ideal for various applications. It features four phases, a speed variation ratio of 1/64, and a stride angle of 5.625°/64 steps, allowing precise control. The motor operates at a frequency of 100Hz and has a DC resistance of 50Ω ±7% at 25°C. It boasts an idle in-traction frequency greater than 600Hz and an idle out-traction frequency exceeding 1000Hz, ensuring reliability in different scenarios. With a self-positioning torque and in-traction torque both exceeding 34.3mN.m at 120Hz, the 28BYJ-48 offers robust performance. Its friction torque ranges from 600 to 1200 gf.cm, while the pull-in torque is 300 gf.cm. This motor makes a reliable and efficient choice for your stepper motor needs.
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 Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43 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 Multi Stepper TB67S261 Click driver.
Key functions:
multisteppertb67s261_set_step_modeThis function sets the step mode resolution settings in ctx->step_mode.multisteppertb67s261_drive_motorThis function drives the motor for the specific number of steps at the selected speed.multisteppertb67s261_set_directionThis function sets the motor direction to clockwise or counter-clockwise in ctx->direction.
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 MultiStepperTB67S261 Click example
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of the Multi Stepper TB67S261 click board by driving the
* motor in both directions for a desired number of steps.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration.
*
* ## Application Task
* Drives the motor clockwise for 200 steps and then counter-clockiwse for 100 steps with
* 2 seconds delay before changing the direction.
* Each step will be logged on the USB UART where you can track the program flow.
*
* @author Stefan Filipovic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "multisteppertb67s261.h"
static multisteppertb67s261_t multisteppertb67s261;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
multisteppertb67s261_cfg_t multisteppertb67s261_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.
multisteppertb67s261_cfg_setup( &multisteppertb67s261_cfg );
MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_MAP_MIKROBUS( multisteppertb67s261_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == multisteppertb67s261_init( &multisteppertb67s261, &multisteppertb67s261_cfg ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
if ( MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_ERROR == multisteppertb67s261_default_cfg ( &multisteppertb67s261 ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
multisteppertb67s261_set_direction ( &multisteppertb67s261, MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_DIR_CW );
if ( MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_OK == multisteppertb67s261_drive_motor ( &multisteppertb67s261, 200,
MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_SPEED_FAST ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Move 200 steps clockwise \r\n\n" );
Delay_ms ( 2000 );
}
multisteppertb67s261_set_direction ( &multisteppertb67s261, MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_DIR_CCW );
if ( MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_OK == multisteppertb67s261_drive_motor ( &multisteppertb67s261, 100,
MULTISTEPPERTB67S261_SPEED_FAST ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Move 100 steps counter-clockwise \r\n\n" );
Delay_ms ( 2000 );
}
}
void main ( void )
{
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
