Intermediate
30 min

Achieve unmatched motor performance with L9958 and ATmega328P

Synchronize and control with finesse

DC Motor 24 Click with Arduino UNO Rev3

Published Feb 14, 2024

Click board™

DC Motor 24 Click

Dev. board

Arduino UNO Rev3

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega328P

Discover a seamless blend of power and reliability with our state-of-the-art DC brushed motor driver, empowering your creations like never before

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

DC Motor 24 Click is based on the L9958, a fully integrated motor driver for DC and stepper motors from STMicroelectronics used in safety-critical applications and under extreme environmental conditions. This Click board™ provides all the input and output capabilities necessary to drive DC or stepper motors (OUT terminal), alongside monitor diagnostic functions. The L9958 is rated for an operating voltage range from 4V to 28V (VIN terminal), with direct PWM motor control. The PWM control with simple direction control, DIR pin routed to the AN pin on the mikroBUS™ socket, allows MCU to manage the direction of the DC motor (clockwise or counterclockwise). This combination enables highly efficient motor drive

output, ensuring reliable operation for highly competitive automotive applications. This Click board™ communicates with MCU using a 4-wire SPI-compatible interface with a maximum frequency of 5MHz, for the configuration of the L9958. The SPI interface can set the current regulation threshold from 2.5A to 8.6A, typically in four steps (6.6A is a default). The L9958 also has detailed failure diagnostics on each channel provided via the SPI interface. The H-bridge is protected against temperature and short circuits and has an undervoltage/ overvoltage lockout for all the supply voltages. All malfunctions cause the output stages to go tri-state. The output can be turned off (set to tri-state) via a combination

of logic states of an onboard switch labeled as DI and enable pin routed to the EN pin on the mikroBUS™ socket. The internal H-bridge also contains integrated free-wheel diodes. In the case of the free-wheeling condition, the low-side transistor is switched ON in parallel to its diode to reduce power dissipation. 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. 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.

DC Motor 24 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

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 24 Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

Rotation Direction
PC0
AN
Bridge Enable
PD2
RST
SPI Chip Select
PB2
CS
SPI Clock
PB5
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PB4
MISO
SPI Data IN
PB3
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
PWM Signal
PD6
PWM
NC
NC
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

DC Motor 24 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 DC Motor 24 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • dcmotor24_read_diag - This function reads a diagnostics word by using SPI serial interface

  • dcmotor24_switch_direction - This function switches the direction by toggling the DIR pin state

  • dcmotor24_set_duty_cycle - This function sets the PWM duty cycle in percentages ( Range[ 0..1 ] )

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 DC Motor 24 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of the DC Motor 24 Click board by driving the 
 * motor in both directions at different speeds.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the Click default configuration.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Controls the motor speed by changing the PWM duty cycle every 500ms.
 * The duty cycle ranges from 0% to 100%. At the minimal speed, the motor switches direction.
 * It also reads and parses the diagnostics word register. 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 "dcmotor24.h"

static dcmotor24_t dcmotor24;
static log_t logger;

/**
 * @brief DC Motor 24 display diag function.
 * @details This function parses and displays a diagnostics word on the USB UART.
 * @param[in] diag : Diagnostics word to parse and display.
 * @return None.
 * @note None.
 */
static void dcmotor24_display_diag ( uint16_t diag );

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    dcmotor24_cfg_t dcmotor24_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.
    dcmotor24_cfg_setup( &dcmotor24_cfg );
    DCMOTOR24_MAP_MIKROBUS( dcmotor24_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == dcmotor24_init( &dcmotor24, &dcmotor24_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( DCMOTOR24_ERROR == dcmotor24_default_cfg ( &dcmotor24 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    static int8_t duty_pct = 10;
    static int8_t duty_step = 10;
    uint16_t diag;
    if ( DCMOTOR24_OK == dcmotor24_set_duty_cycle ( &dcmotor24, ( float ) duty_pct / 100 ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "\r\n Duty: %u%%\r\n", ( uint16_t ) duty_pct );
    }
    if ( DCMOTOR24_OK == dcmotor24_read_diag ( &dcmotor24, &diag ) )
    {
        dcmotor24_display_diag ( diag );
    }
    Delay_ms ( 500 );
    if ( ( 100 == duty_pct ) || ( 0 == duty_pct ) ) 
    {
        duty_step = -duty_step;
        if ( 0 == duty_pct )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, "\r\n Switch direction\r\n" );
            dcmotor24_switch_direction ( &dcmotor24 );
            Delay_ms ( 500 );
        }
    }
    duty_pct += duty_step;
}

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;
}

static void dcmotor24_display_diag ( uint16_t diag )
{
    log_printf( &logger, " --- Diagnostics ---\r\n" );
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_OL_OFF )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Open Load in OFF condition\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_OL_ON )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Open Load in ON condition\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_VS_UV )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Vs undervoltage\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_VDD_OV )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Vdd overvoltage\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_ILIM )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Current Limitation reached\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_TWARN )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Temperature warning\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_TSD )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Over-temperature Shutdown\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_ACT )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Bridge enable\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_OC_LS1 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Over-Current on Low Side 1\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_OC_LS2 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Over-Current on Low Side 2\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_OC_HS1 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Over-Current on High Side 1\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_OC_HS2 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Over-Current on High Side 2\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_SGND_OFF )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Short to GND in OFF condition\r\n" );
    }
    if ( diag & DCMOTOR24_DIA_SBAT_OFF )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " * Short to Battery in OFF condition\r\n" );
    }
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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