Beginner
10 min

Control and limit the amount of electrical current with NPS4053 and ATmega328P

Load switch with adjustable current limit

Current Limit 9 Click with Arduino UNO Rev3

Published Feb 14, 2024

Click board™

Current Limit 9 Click

Dev. board

Arduino UNO Rev3

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega328P

Ensure that your projects receive the right amount of power and are protected from potential damage due to excessive current

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Current Limit 9 Click is based on the NPS4053, a load switch with a precision adjustable current limit from Nexperia. It limits the output current to a constant current using a constant-current mode when the output load exceeds the current limit threshold or is shorted. An internal voltage comparator turns off the load switch to protect devices on the input side of the switch when the output voltage is higher than the input. The other protections include active reverse voltage protection, ILIM pin protection, ESD protection, and more. The current to which you can set the limit over the Current Limit 9 Click board™ can be

selected between external supply or 5V from the mikroBUS™ socket via the VIN SEL jumper. The external voltage can be in the range of 2.5 – 5.5V. It can use the MAX5419, a 256-tap 200K nonvolatile digital potentiometer from Analog Devices, to set the current limit threshold to the NPS4053 over the ILIM pin. It can also use an onboard R9 resistor for a fixed 0.5A at 5V supply. The selection can be made over the ILIM SEL. Current Limit 9 Click uses a standard 2-Wire I2C interface of the MAX5419 to allow the host MCU to set the desired current limit threshold, which supports a fast I2C interface. You can turn the

current limit IC on or off over the ON pin. The FLT is an interrupt pin, and it is asserted to a low logic level during overcurrent, overtemperature, and reverse-voltage conditions. 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. Also, this 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.

Current Limit 9 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Arduino UNO is a versatile microcontroller board built around the ATmega328P chip. It offers extensive connectivity options for various projects, featuring 14 digital input/output pins, six of which are PWM-capable, along with six analog inputs. Its core components include a 16MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an

ICSP header, and a reset button, providing everything necessary to power and program the board. The Uno is ready to go, whether connected to a computer via USB or powered by an AC-to-DC adapter or battery. As the first USB Arduino board, it serves as the benchmark for the Arduino platform, with "Uno" symbolizing its status as the

first in a series. This name choice, meaning "one" in Italian, commemorates the launch of Arduino Software (IDE) 1.0. Initially introduced alongside version 1.0 of the Arduino Software (IDE), the Uno has since become the foundational model for subsequent Arduino releases, embodying the platform's evolution.

Arduino UNO Rev3 double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

AVR

MCU Memory (KB)

32

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

28

RAM (Bytes)

2048

You complete me!

Accessories

Click Shield for Arduino UNO has two proprietary mikroBUS™ sockets, allowing all the Click board™ devices to be interfaced with the Arduino UNO board without effort. The Arduino Uno, a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P, provides an affordable and flexible way for users to try out new concepts and build prototypes with the ATmega328P microcontroller from various combinations of performance, power consumption, and features. The Arduino Uno has 14 digital input/output pins (of which six can be used as PWM outputs), six analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic resonator (CSTCE16M0V53-R0), a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and reset button. Most of the ATmega328P microcontroller pins are brought to the IO pins on the left and right edge of the board, which are then connected to two existing mikroBUS™ sockets. This Click Shield also has several switches that perform functions such as selecting the logic levels of analog signals on mikroBUS™ sockets and selecting logic voltage levels of the mikroBUS™ sockets themselves. Besides, the user is offered the possibility of using any Click board™ with the help of existing bidirectional level-shifting voltage translators, regardless of whether the Click board™ operates at a 3.3V or 5V logic voltage level. Once you connect the Arduino UNO board with our Click Shield for Arduino UNO, you can access hundreds of Click boards™, working with 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels.

Click Shield for Arduino UNO accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
Current Limit Enable
PD2
RST
ID COMM
PB2
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
Fault Interrupt
PC3
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PC5
SCL
I2C Data
PC4
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Current Limit 9 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Arduino UNO front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Arduino UNO Rev3 as your development board.

Click Shield for Arduino UNO front image hardware assembly
Arduino UNO Rev3 front image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Arduino UNO Rev3 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
Arduino UNO 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 Current Limit 9 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • currentlimit9_set_limit - This function sets the desired current limit threshold using the I2C serial interface.

  • currentlimit9_get_fault - This function gets the state of the fault flag to indicate overcurrent, overtemperature, or reverse-voltage conditions.

  • currentlimit9_enable - This function turns on the power switch and enables the internal MOSFET.

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 Current Limit 9 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This library contains API for the Current Limit 9 Click driver.
 * This driver provides the functions to set the current limiting conditions 
 * in order to provide the threshold of the fault conditions.
 *
 * 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
 * and sets the current limit threshold of 460 mA.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * This example demonstrates the use of the Current Limit 9 Click board. 
 * The demo application checks the fault flag for overcurrent conditions.
 * Results are being sent to the UART Terminal, where you can track their changes.
 *
 * @author Nenad Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "currentlimit9.h"

static currentlimit9_t currentlimit9;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    currentlimit9_cfg_t currentlimit9_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.
    currentlimit9_cfg_setup( &currentlimit9_cfg );
    CURRENTLIMIT9_MAP_MIKROBUS( currentlimit9_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == currentlimit9_init( &currentlimit9, &currentlimit9_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( CURRENTLIMIT9_ERROR == currentlimit9_default_cfg ( &currentlimit9 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( CURRENTLIMIT9_ERROR == currentlimit9_set_limit( &currentlimit9, CURRENTLIMIT9_LIMIT_0_46_A ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Current limit threshold." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
    Delay_ms( 100 );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    if ( CURRENTLIMIT9_FAULT_FLAG == currentlimit9_get_fault( &currentlimit9 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "Fault flag: Overcurrent\r\n" );
    }
    else
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " Current limit is 460 mA\r\n" );
    }
    Delay_ms( 1000 );
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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