Intermediate
30 min

Create a load-switching solution with L9026 and ATmega328P

Save your energy when a load isn't needed

SolidSwitch 2 Click with Arduino UNO Rev3

Published Feb 14, 2024

Click board™

SolidSwitch 2 Click

Dev. board

Arduino UNO Rev3

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega328P

Provide power across different loads with individual control of each one

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

SolidSwitch 2 Click is based on the L9026, an automotive multi-channel relay driver optimized for automotive relay and LED applications from STMicroelectronics. Eight channels of the L9026 represent two high-side and six configurable high-side/low-side drivers, which can be driven by an SPI interface or by two dedicated parallel inputs (IN0 and IN1 pins routed to the PWM and INT pins of the mikroBUS™ socket). Operating from an external power supply from 3V up to 18V, it provides a maximum current of 1A on its output terminals. This board is an excellent choice for automotive, resistive, and inductive applications (LEDs and relays) and capacitive loads.

As mentioned, this Click board™ communicates with MCU through a standard SPI interface to control and configure the loads and the device. The L9026 also offers advanced diagnostic and protection features such as short-to-ground, open load, overcurrent, and overtemperature detections, with status feedback of all diagnostic functions provided via the SPI interface. Besides, the L9026 also features Idle mode for reduced current consumption, controlled via IDL pin routed to the AN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket and the “Limp home” mode. This mode allows using two selected drivers in particularly faulty conditions, such as SPI fault, micro fault, or supply undervoltage.

The device can guarantee operations under a cranking scenario with a supply voltage down to 3V, ensuring a low quiescent current under reset 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. 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.

solidswitch-2-click-hardware-overview

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

Idle Mode
PC0
AN
NC
NC
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
Parallel Command 0
PD6
PWM
Parallel Command 1
PC3
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

SolidSwitch 2 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 SolidSwitch 2 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • solidswitch2_write_register This function writes a desired data to the selected register by using SPI serial interface.

  • solidswitch2_toggle_in0_pin This function toggles the IN0 pin logic state.

  • solidswitch2_toggle_in1_pin This function toggles the IN1 pin logic state.

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 SolidSwitch 2 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of SolidSwitch 2 click board by controlling the output state.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration which maps outputs as follows:
 * OUT2   - IN0,
 * OUT3   - IN1,
 * OUT4-5 - PWM GEN,
 * OUT6-7 - PWM LED.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Changes the PWM GEN (max to min) and PWM LED (min to max) duty cycle and toggles the IN0 and IN1
 * pins every 250ms. The duty cycle values and INx toggle messages will be displayed on the USB UART.
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "solidswitch2.h"

static solidswitch2_t solidswitch2;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    solidswitch2_cfg_t solidswitch2_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.
    solidswitch2_cfg_setup( &solidswitch2_cfg );
    SOLIDSWITCH2_MAP_MIKROBUS( solidswitch2_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == solidswitch2_init( &solidswitch2, &solidswitch2_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( SOLIDSWITCH2_ERROR == solidswitch2_default_cfg ( &solidswitch2 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    for ( uint16_t duty_cycle = SOLIDSWITCH2_MIN_DUTY_CYCLE; duty_cycle <= SOLIDSWITCH2_MAX_DUTY_CYCLE; duty_cycle += 5 )
    {
        if ( SOLIDSWITCH2_OK == solidswitch2_write_register ( &solidswitch2, SOLIDSWITCH2_REG_PWM_GEN_DC, 
                                                              ( uint8_t ) ( SOLIDSWITCH2_MAX_DUTY_CYCLE - duty_cycle ) ) )
        {
            log_printf ( &logger, " PWM GEN DC: %u\r\n", ( SOLIDSWITCH2_MAX_DUTY_CYCLE - duty_cycle ) );
        }
        if ( SOLIDSWITCH2_OK == solidswitch2_write_register ( &solidswitch2, SOLIDSWITCH2_REG_PWM_LED_DC, ( uint8_t ) duty_cycle ) )
        {
            log_printf ( &logger, " PWM LED DC: %u\r\n", duty_cycle );
        }
        solidswitch2_toggle_in0_pin ( &solidswitch2 );
        log_printf ( &logger, " Toggle IN0 pin\r\n" );
        solidswitch2_toggle_in1_pin ( &solidswitch2 );
        log_printf ( &logger, " Toggle IN1 pin\r\n\n" );
        Delay_ms ( 250 );
    }
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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