Intermediate
30 min

Experience the accuracy you need for confident weight measurement using ZSC31014 and STM32F413ZH

Redefining weight scales

Load Cell 4 Click with Nucleo 144 with STM32F413ZH MCU

Published Feb 14, 2024

Click board™

Load Cell 4 Click

Dev. board

Nucleo 144 with STM32F413ZH MCU

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F413ZH

Make daily routines smarter by incorporating our precise weight scale solution

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Load Cell 4 Click is based on the ZSC31014, a CMOS integrated circuit for highly accurate amplification and analog-to-digital conversion of differential and half-bridge input signals from Renesas. The ZSC31014 has a fully differential chopper-stabilized preamplifier with eight programmable gain settings (1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 192) through a 14-bit ADC. The resolution of the output depends on the input span and the analog gain setting. The system clock of the ZSC31014 can operate at 1MHz (lower power, better noise performance) or 4MHz (faster sample rates). Internal DSP core uses coefficients stored in EEPROM to calibrate/condition the amplified differential input signal precisely. Temperature can be measured from an internal temperature sensor, which can be calibrated to compensate for the temperature effects of the sensor bridge. After the Power-On

Reset function, the ZSC31014 wakes, and if it receives the Start_CM command during the command window, it goes into Command Mode. This Mode is primarily used in the calibration environment, and during Command Mode, the device executes commands sent by the I2C master. The ZSC31014 remains in Command Mode until it receives the Start_NOM command, which starts the Normal Operation Mode. Operation after the Power-On sequence depends on whether the part is programmed in Sleep Mode or Update Mode. In Sleep Mode, the ZSC31014 waits for commands from the master before taking measurements, while in Update Mode, data is taken at a fixed, selectable rate. Load Cell 4 Click communicates with MCU using the standard I2C 2-Wire interface with a clock frequency from 100 to 400 kHz. The INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket,

used as an interrupt, rises when new output data is ready and falls when the next I2C communication occurs. It is most useful if the part is configured in Sleep Mode to indicate to the system that a new conversion is ready. Besides, this Click board™ also possesses an Enable pin labeled as EN, routed to the CS pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, which serves to turn the ZSC31014's power supply on/off. 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.

Load Cell 4 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Nucleo-144 with STM32F413ZH MCU board offers an accessible and adaptable avenue for users to explore new ideas and construct prototypes. It allows users to tailor their experience by selecting from a range of performance and power consumption features offered by the STM32 microcontroller. With compatible boards, the

internal or external SMPS dramatically decreases power usage in Run mode. Including the ST Zio connector, expanding ARDUINO Uno V3 connectivity, and ST morpho headers facilitate easy expansion of the Nucleo open development platform. The integrated ST-LINK debugger/programmer enhances convenience by

eliminating the need for a separate probe. Moreover, the board is accompanied by comprehensive free software libraries and examples within the STM32Cube MCU Package, further enhancing its utility and value.

Nucleo 144 with STM32F413ZH MCU double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M4

MCU Memory (KB)

1536

Silicon Vendor

STMicroelectronics

Pin count

144

RAM (Bytes)

327680

You complete me!

Accessories

Click Shield for Nucleo-144 comes equipped with four mikroBUS™ sockets, with one in the form of a Shuttle connector, allowing all the Click board™ devices to be interfaced with the STM32 Nucleo-144 board with no effort. This way, MIKROE allows its users to add any functionality from our ever-growing range of Click boards™, such as WiFi, GSM, GPS, Bluetooth, ZigBee, environmental sensors, LEDs, speech recognition, motor control, movement sensors, and many more. Featuring an ARM Cortex-M microcontroller, 144 pins, and Arduino™ compatibility, the STM32 Nucleo-144 board offers limitless possibilities for prototyping and creating diverse applications. These boards are controlled and powered conveniently through a USB connection to program and efficiently debug the Nucleo-144 board out of the box, with an additional USB cable connected to the USB mini port on the board. Simplify your project development with the integrated ST-Link debugger and unleash creativity using the extensive I/O options and expansion capabilities. 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 STM32 Nucleo-144 board with our Click Shield for Nucleo-144, you can access hundreds of Click boards™, working with 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels.

Click Shield for Nucleo-144 accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
Enable
PA4
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
Interrupt
PF13
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PF1
SCL
I2C Data
PF0
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Load Cell 4 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Nucleo-144 accessories 1 image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo 144 with STM32F413ZH MCU as your development board.

Click Shield for Nucleo-144 accessories 1 image hardware assembly
Nucleo 144 with STM32F446ZE MCU front image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Board mapper by product8 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
STM32F413ZH Nucleo 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 Load Cell 4 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • loadcell4_power_dev - Enable power function

  • loadcell4_tare - Tare the scales function

  • loadcell4_get_weight - Get weight function.

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 LoadCell4 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This is an example that demonstrates the use of the Load Cell 4 Click board.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes I2C driver and performs the power on. 
 * Sets tare the scale, calibrate scale and start measurements.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * The Load Cell 4 Click board can be used to measure weight,
 * shows the measurement of scales in grams [ g ].
 * Results are being sent to the Usart Terminal where you can track their changes.
 * All data logs write on USB uart changes for every 4 sec.
 *
 * @author Stefan Ilic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "loadcell4.h"

static loadcell4_t loadcell4;
static log_t logger;

static loadcell4_data_t cell_data;
static float weight_val;

void application_init ( void ) {
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    loadcell4_cfg_t loadcell4_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.
    loadcell4_cfg_setup( &loadcell4_cfg );
    LOADCELL4_MAP_MIKROBUS( loadcell4_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    err_t init_flag = loadcell4_init( &loadcell4, &loadcell4_cfg );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) {
        log_error( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
        log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );

        for ( ; ; );
    }
    loadcell4_default_cfg ( &loadcell4 );
    
    loadcell4_power_dev( &loadcell4, LOADCELL4_PWR_ON );
    Delay_ms ( 500 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     ~~~  STEP 1  ~~~    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     Tare the scale :    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " >> Remove all object << \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " In the following 10 sec \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " please remove all object\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     from the scale.     \r\n" );
    // 10 seconds delay
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    Start tare scales    \r\n" );
    loadcell4_tare( &loadcell4, &cell_data );
    Delay_ms ( 500 );

    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   Tarring is complete   \r\n" );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     ~~~  STEP 2  ~~~    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    Calibrate Scale :    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   >>> Load etalon <<<   \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " In the following 10 sec \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "place 100 g weight etalon\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    on the scale for     \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   calibration purpose.  \r\n" );
    // 10 seconds delay
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );

    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "    Start calibration    \r\n" );

    if ( loadcell4_calibration( &loadcell4, LOADCELL4_WEIGHT_100G, &cell_data ) == LOADCELL4_OK ) {
        log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "    Calibration  Done    \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "  >>> Remove etalon <<<  \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "- - - - - - - - - - - - -\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, " In the following 10 sec \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "   remove 100 g weight   \r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "   etalon on the scale.  \r\n" );
        // 10 seconds delay
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    } else {
        log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, "   Calibration  Error   \r\n" );
        for ( ; ; );
    }

    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   Start measurements :  \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "-------------------------\r\n" );
}

void application_task ( void ) {
    weight_val = loadcell4_get_weight( &loadcell4, &cell_data );
    log_printf( &logger, "     Weight : %.2f g \r\n", weight_val );
    Delay_ms ( 100 );
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

Love this project?

'Buy This Kit' button takes you directly to the shopping cart where you can easily add or remove products.