Intermediate
30 min

Make your motor-controlled projects reliable with DRV8830 and PIC18F47K42TQFP

Achieve optimal motor responsiveness

DC Motor 11 Click with Curiosity Nano with PIC18F47K42

Published Feb 13, 2024

Click board™

DC Motor 11 Click

Dev.Board

Curiosity Nano with PIC18F47K42

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F47K42TQFP

Embrace brushed motor control. Control motor current limiting and current sensing using this DC motor control solution!

A

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

DC Motor 11 Click is based on the DRV8830, a low-voltage motor driver with a serial interface from Texas Instruments. This IC is an integrated H-Bridge driver with a current regulation circuit limiting the current through the connected load with a single resistor. A low ON resistance through the H-Bridge reduces the overall power dissipation, while an advanced control circuit injects dead-time intervals whenever the outputs change their state, preventing current shoot-throughs. The DRV8830 also integrates protection features, including undervoltage, overcurrent, and overtemperature protection. Each of these events will cause the H-Bridge MOSFETs to be disabled. After removing a fault condition, the device will continue its operation. The DRV8830 includes an internal reference voltage that is connected to a DAC. This DAC generates

a voltage that is used to set the PWM-regulated output voltage and, therefore, the speed and direction of the motor rotation. The DAC is controlled by the VSET bits from the I2C interface. For detailed commands for desired output voltages, refer to the DRV8830 datasheet. DC Motor 11 click uses the I2C interface to communicate with the main MCU and the fault pin (FLT), which is routed to the INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket. The I2C address can be selected using additional SMD jumpers (JP1 and JP2) labeled ADDR SEL, determining the least significant bits of the DRV8830 slave I2C address. Although the DRV8830 supports up to 1A Maximum DC/RMS or Peak Drive Current Current through the connected load, it is limited to a maximum of 0.6A. A higher current will cause the overcurrent protection to be activated.

The peak current through the motor is limited to about 1A, ensuring reliable spin-up while preventing the overcurrent protection from being activated, even if a large load torque is applied. Although there is a low resistance across the H-Bridge, the current should be monitored to prevent excessive heating in situations where the load is reasonably high. This Click board™ can only be operated with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

dc-motor-11-click-hardware-overview

Features overview

Development board

PIC18F47K42 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate the PIC18F47K42 microcontroller (MCU). Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F47K42 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 2.3V to 5.1V (limited by USB input voltage), with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.

PIC18F47K42 Curiosity Nano double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

PIC

MCU Memory (KB)

128

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

40

RAM (Bytes)

8192

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

DC Gear Motor - 430RPM (3-6V) represents an all-in-one combination of a motor and gearbox, where the addition of gear leads to a reduction of motor speed while increasing the torque output. This gear motor has a spur gearbox, making it a highly reliable solution for applications with lower torque and speed requirements. The most critical parameters for gear motors are speed, torque, and efficiency, which are, in this case, 520RPM with no load and 430RPM at maximum efficiency, alongside a current of 60mA and a torque of 50g.cm. Rated for a 3-6V operational voltage range and clockwise/counterclockwise rotation direction, this motor represents an excellent solution for many functions initially performed by brushed DC motors in robotics, medical equipment, electric door locks, and much more.

DC Motor 11 Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
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
NC
NC
PWM
Fault Indicator
PB4
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PB1
SCL
I2C Data
PB2
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Schematic

DC Motor 11 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards accessories 1 image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Curiosity Nano with PIC18F47K42 as your development board.

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards accessories 1 image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
PIC18F47K42 Curiosity Nano front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Curiosity Nano with PIC18F47XXX 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

After loading the code example, pressing the "DEBUG" button builds and programs it on the selected setup.

Application Output Step 1

After programming is completed, a header with buttons for various actions available in the IDE appears. By clicking the green "PLAY "button, we start reading the results achieved with Click board™.

Application Output Step 3

Upon completion of programming, the Application Output tab is automatically opened, where the achieved result can be read. In case of an inability to perform the Debug function, check if a proper connection between the MCU used by the setup and the CODEGRIP programmer has been established. A detailed explanation of the CODEGRIP-board connection can be found in the CODEGRIP User Manual. Please find it in the RESOURCES section.

Application Output Step 4

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for DC Motor 11 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • dcmotor11_control - Motor Control

  • dcmotor11_get_fault - Get Fault

  • dcmotor11_get_interrupt_state - Interrupt state on the INT pin

Open Source

Code example

This example can be found in NECTO Studio. Feel free to download the code, or you can copy the code below.

/*!
 * \file 
 * \brief DcMotor11 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This application is motor driver with the current limiting and current sensing.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initialization driver init and sets first motor settings.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * Waits for valid user input and executes functions based on set of valid commands.
 * 
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "dcmotor11.h"

// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES

static dcmotor11_t dcmotor11;
static log_t logger;

uint8_t motor_speed;
uint8_t motor_dir;
uint8_t f_motor_state = 1;

// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    dcmotor11_cfg_t cfg;

    /** 
     * 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.

    dcmotor11_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    DCMOTOR11_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    dcmotor11_init( &dcmotor11, &cfg );

    dcmotor11_get_fault( &dcmotor11 );
    
    // Start settings 
    motor_dir = DCMOTOR11_DIRECTION_FORWARD;
    motor_speed = DCMOTOR11_VSET_480mV;
    dcmotor11_control( &dcmotor11, DCMOTOR11_DIRECTION_FORWARD, motor_speed );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    // Speed increase 
    motor_speed += 4;
    if ( motor_speed >= DCMOTOR11_VSET_4820mV )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "---- MAX SPEED ---- \r\n" );
        motor_speed = DCMOTOR11_VSET_4820mV;
        dcmotor11_control( &dcmotor11, motor_dir, motor_speed );
    }
    else
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "---- Speed increase ---- \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, " MOTOR SPEED: %d \r\n", motor_speed );
        
        dcmotor11_control( &dcmotor11, motor_dir, motor_speed );
    }

    Delay_ms( 2000 );

    // Speed decrease 
    motor_speed -= 4;
    if ( motor_speed < DCMOTOR11_VSET_480mV )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "---- MIN SPEED ---- \r\n" );
        motor_speed = DCMOTOR11_VSET_480mV;
    }
    else
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "---- Speed decrease ---- \r\n");
        log_printf( &logger, " MOTOR SPEED: %d \r\n", motor_speed );
        
        dcmotor11_control( &dcmotor11, motor_dir, motor_speed );
    }

    Delay_ms( 2000 );

    // Stop / Start
    if( f_motor_state == 1 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger,"---- Stop Motor!!! ---- \r\n" );
        f_motor_state = 0;
        dcmotor11_stop( &dcmotor11 );
    }
    else
    {
        log_printf( &logger,"---- Start Motor ---- \r\n" );
        f_motor_state = 1;
        motor_speed = DCMOTOR11_VSET_480mV;
        dcmotor11_control( &dcmotor11, motor_dir, motor_speed );
    }

    Delay_ms ( 2000 );

    // Direction - Forward / Backword 
    if ( motor_dir == 2 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger,"---- Direction - [FORWARD] ---- \r\n" );
        motor_dir = 1;
        dcmotor11_control( &dcmotor11, motor_dir, motor_speed );
    }
    else
    {
        log_printf( &logger,"---- Direction - [BACKWARD] ---- \r\n" );
        motor_dir = 2;
        dcmotor11_control( &dcmotor11, motor_dir, motor_speed );
    }
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources