Extend the battery life of non-rechargeable primary batteries with NBM7100A and PIC18F57Q43
Coin-cell battery-life booster with adaptive power optimization
Published Oct 09, 2024
Click board™
BATT Boost 2 Click
Dev. board
Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
PIC18F57Q43
Extend battery life in low-power devices with smart power management perfect for IoT sensors, industrial devices, and wearables
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
BATT Boost 2 Click is based on the NBM7100A, a coin-cell battery-life booster with adaptive power optimization from Nexperia, designed to extend the battery life of non-rechargeable, primary batteries in low-voltage, low-power applications. This innovative solution is specifically designed to address the voltage drops and battery life limitations typically associated with high pulse current demands from primary batteries like the CR2032 coin cell attached to the back of the board. The NBM7100A's adaptive learning algorithm monitors the system's energy consumption and optimizes the internal DC-DC conversion process to manage the remaining charge in the storage capacitor efficiently, reducing energy waste. This makes BATT Boost 2 Click ideal for powering wireless IoT sensors, industrial devices, and wearable consumer electronics where efficient battery usage is crucial, especially in applications with high internal battery impedance and frequent bursts of power demand. As mentioned, the NBM7100A integrates two high-efficiency DC-DC conversion stages and employs an intelligent learning algorithm to maximize the usable capacity of primary batteries. The first stage draws energy at a low, steady current from the battery and stores it in a capacitor. This stored energy is then released
during the second stage of DC-DC conversion to supply a stable, regulated voltage with high pulse load capability on the VDH output terminal. This design allows the device to handle bursts of current, up to 200mA, without directly taxing the battery with large pulse currents, ensuring a longer, more predictable battery lifespan. In addition to the VDH terminal, BATT Boost 2 Click features another output labeled VDP, which serves as a 'permanent' supply terminal with a maximum output current of 5mA. The VDP terminal is ideal for powering 'Always-ON' system components, such as the core and I/O of a host MCU. On the power supply side, the main power supply for the NBM7100A can be sourced either from the 3.3V mikroBUS™ socket or the attached coin battery on the back of the board, with the selection made via the VBAT SEL jumper. The NBM7100A offers three distinct operating modes: Continuous, On-demand, and Auto mode. Continuous mode suits applications requiring immediate pulse load capability, ensuring the system can respond quickly to power demands. On-demand mode, on the other hand, is optimized for extending battery life in low-duty cycle applications, where the system remains in sleep mode for extended periods. Auto mode automates the process of managing power transitions between
charging and active states without requiring constant oversight from the serial bus, using a HIGH logic level from the ON pin on the mikroBUS™ socket for control. BATT Boost 2 Click uses a standard 2-wire I2C communication protocol, allowing the host MCU to control the NBM7100A, modify default configuration settings, and retrieve system information. The I2C interface supports clock frequencies up to 1MHz, with the device address selectable via the ADDR SEL jumper, which can be set to either position 0 or 1, corresponding to I2C addresses 0x2E or 0x2F. Additionally, several pins from the mikroBUS™ socket are used for further control of the NBM7100A: the ON pin manages the above-mentioned Auto mode, while the RDY pin provides a HIGH logic signal indicating that the NBM7100A is ready to deliver full power to the connected load. 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.
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.
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 BATT Boost 2 Click driver.
Key functions:
battboost2_set_vset- This function is used to control the output voltage levels of the NBM7100ABQX, Coin cell battery life booster with adaptive power optimization on the BATT Boost 2 Click.battboost2_high_impedance_mode- This function is used to configures the VDH high-impedance mode in Standby and Active states of the NBM7100ABQX, Coin cell battery life booster with adaptive power optimization on the BATT Boost 2 Click.battboost2_set_on_pin_state- This function sets the desired states of the ON (RST) pin of the NBM7100ABQX, Coin cell battery life booster with adaptive power optimization on the BATT Boost 2 Click.
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 BATT Boost 2 Click example
*
* # Description
* This library contains API for the BATT Boost 2 Click driver.
* This driver provides the functions to control battery energy management
* device designed to maximize usable capacity from non-rechargeable.
*
* 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,
* sets the output voltage to 1.8V, charge current to 16mA,
* and early warning voltage to 2.6V.
*
* ## Application Task
* This example demonstrates the use of the BATT Boost 2 Click board.
* The demo application uses two operations in two states:
* the charging state and the active state. First, when the device is in a Charge state,
* the external storage capacitor is charging from VBT using a constant current
* and displays storage capacitor voltage levels and charge cycle count.
* Upon completion of a Charge state, the device transitions to the Active state
* at which time VDH becomes a regulated voltage output of 1.8V (default configuration),
* displays storage capacitor voltage level, and monitors alarms
* for low output voltage (below 1.8V) and early warning (below 2.4V).
* Results are being sent to the UART Terminal, where you can track their changes.
*
* @author Stefan Ilic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "battboost2.h"
static battboost2_t battboost2;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
battboost2_cfg_t battboost2_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.
battboost2_cfg_setup( &battboost2_cfg );
BATTBOOST2_MAP_MIKROBUS( battboost2_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == battboost2_init( &battboost2, &battboost2_cfg ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
if ( BATTBOOST2_ERROR == battboost2_default_cfg ( &battboost2 ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
Delay_ms ( 100 );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
float vcap = 0;
uint8_t status = 0;
uint32_t chenergy = 0;
if ( BATTBOOST2_STATUS_READY != battboost2_get_ready( &battboost2 ) )
{
if ( BATTBOOST2_OK == battboost2_set_op_mode( &battboost2, BATTBOOST2_OP_MODE_CHARGE ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, "\nOperating state: Charge\r\n" );
}
if ( BATTBOOST2_OK == battboost2_get_vcap( &battboost2, &vcap ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Capacitor Voltage: %.2f V \r\n", vcap );
}
if ( BATTBOOST2_OK == battboost2_get_chenergy( &battboost2, &chenergy ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Charge cycle count: %lu \r\n", chenergy );
}
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}
else
{
if ( BATTBOOST2_OK == battboost2_set_op_mode( &battboost2, BATTBOOST2_OP_MODE_ACTIVE ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, "\nOperating state: Active\r\n" );
if ( BATTBOOST2_OK == battboost2_get_vcap( &battboost2, &vcap ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Capacitor Voltage: %.2f V \r\n", vcap );
}
if ( BATTBOOST2_OK == battboost2_get_status( &battboost2, &status ) )
{
if ( BATTBOOST2_STATUS_EW & status )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Status: Early warning.\r\n" );
}
if ( BATTBOOST2_STATUS_ALRM & status )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Status: Low output voltage in the Active state.\r\n" );
}
}
}
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}
}
int main ( void )
{
/* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
#ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
preinit();
#endif
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
return 0;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
