Make a voltage-controlled oscillator with AD7740 and PIC18F57Q43
Voltage-to-Frequency converter
Published Feb 13, 2024
Click board™
V to Hz 3 Click
Dev. board
Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
PIC18F57Q43
Provides accurate output frequency proportional to its input voltage
A
A
Hardware Overview
How does it work?
V to Hz 3 Click is based on the AD7740, a CMOS synchronous Voltage-to-Frequency Converter (VFC), which uses a charge-balanced conversion technique from Analog Devices. The input voltage signal from 0V up to 5V from its VIN terminal is applied to a proprietary front-end based around an analog modulator that converts the input voltage into an output pulse train. Depending on the analog input value, the output frequency goes from 10% to 90% of the input frequency provided by the SPI-configurable LTC6903 programmable oscillator, with a maximum input frequency of 1MHz. The analog input signal to the AD7740 is continuously sampled by a switched capacitor modulator whose sampling rate
is set by a master clock (primary input frequency of the AD7740). The input signal may also be buffered, setting the BUF pin of the mikroBUS™ socket to a high logic state before being applied to the sampling capacitor of the modulator, isolating the sampling capacitor charging currents from the analog input pin. The AD7740 also contains an on-chip 2.5 V default bandgap reference, the reference input to the core of the AD7740 defining the span of the VFC. Alternatively, an external reference may be used to overdrive the internal reference by applying it to an onboard header marked as REFIN. Alongside SPI communication, this Click board™ also uses several additional pins. The BUF pin mentioned above represents the
Buffered mode selection, while the AN pin indicates the presence of an external analog signal. The last of the enabled pins is the F signal, routed to the INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, which can also serve as output frequency from the AD7740 in the same way as the FOUT terminal. 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 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.
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 V to Hz 3 Click driver.
Key functions:
vtohz3_set_input_frequencyThis function enables and sets the output frequency of the programmable oscillator, which is the AD7740 input frequency.vtohz3_read_an_pin_voltageThis function reads the results of the AD conversion of the AN pin and converts them to a proportional voltage level.vtohz3_get_frequencyThis function converts voltage to the estimated output frequency in Hz.
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 VtoHz3 Click example
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of the V to Hz 3 Click board by calculating
* the estimated output frequency from the input voltage.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes the driver and sets the input frequency.
*
* ## Application Task
* Reads the input voltage from AN pin and calculates the output frequency from it.
* The results are being displayed on the USB UART approximately once per second.
*
* @author Stefan Filipovic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "vtohz3.h"
static vtohz3_t vtohz3;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
vtohz3_cfg_t vtohz3_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.
vtohz3_cfg_setup( &vtohz3_cfg );
VTOHZ3_MAP_MIKROBUS( vtohz3_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == vtohz3_init( &vtohz3, &vtohz3_cfg ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );
for ( ; ; );
}
vtohz3_set_input_frequency ( &vtohz3, VTOHZ3_DEFAULT_IN_FREQUENCY );
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
float voltage;
if ( VTOHZ3_OK == vtohz3_read_an_pin_voltage ( &vtohz3, &voltage ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Voltage : %.2f V\r\n", voltage );
log_printf( &logger, " Output frequency : %lu Hz\r\n\n",
vtohz3_get_frequency ( &vtohz3, voltage, VTOHZ3_VREF_INTERNAL_2V5 ) );
}
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
