Intermediate
30 min

Elevate your audio experience with MCP6H012 and STM32F091RC

The audiophile's dream: Analog active crossovers redefining sound purity

Audio Xover Click with Nucleo-64 with STM32F091RC MCU

Published Feb 26, 2024

Click board™

Audio Xover Click

Dev Board

Nucleo-64 with STM32F091RC MCU

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F091RC

Delve into the realm of high-fidelity audio with our analog active crossover solution, designed to enhance clarity and precision in two-way loudspeakers

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Audio Xover Click is based on the MCP6H012, an operational amplifier with rail-to-rail output operation from Microchip. It uses three Butterworth filters (one for each speaker) with possibility of changing cutoff frequency between 120Hz, 90Hz and 70Hz. Butterworth filters are called maximally flat filters because, for a given order, they have the sharpest roll-off possible without inducing peaking in the Bode plot. The two-pole filter with a damping ratio of 0.707 is the second-order Butterworth filter. Audio crossovers are a type of electronic filter circuitry used in a range of audio applications, to split up an audio signal into two or more frequency ranges, so that

the signals can be sent to drivers that are designed for different frequency ranges. Active crossovers are distinguished from passive crossovers in that whereas passive crossovers split up an amplified signal coming from one power amplifier so that it can be sent to two or more drivers (e.g., a woofer and a very low frequency subwoofer, or a woofer and a tweeter), an active crossover splits up audio signal prior to amplification, so that it can be sent to two or more power amplifiers, each of which is connected to a separate driver type. Active crossovers as Audio Xover Click don’t care how powerful your amplifiers are because they process the signal

before it enters the amplifier. Active crossovers are also not very sensitive to temperature variations, so they can be very accurate, all the time. If one of the amplifiers channels in an active crossover system clips, the distortion only affects that single channel. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 5V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. Also, it comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

Audio Xover Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Nucleo-64 with STM32F091RC MCU offers a cost-effective and adaptable platform for developers to explore new ideas and prototype their designs. This board harnesses the versatility of the STM32 microcontroller, enabling users to select the optimal balance of performance and power consumption for their projects. It accommodates the STM32 microcontroller in the LQFP64 package and includes essential components such as a user LED, which doubles as an ARDUINO® signal, alongside user and reset push-buttons, and a 32.768kHz crystal oscillator for precise timing operations. Designed with expansion and flexibility in mind, the Nucleo-64 board features an ARDUINO® Uno V3 expansion connector and ST morpho extension pin

headers, granting complete access to the STM32's I/Os for comprehensive project integration. Power supply options are adaptable, supporting ST-LINK USB VBUS or external power sources, ensuring adaptability in various development environments. The board also has an on-board ST-LINK debugger/programmer with USB re-enumeration capability, simplifying the programming and debugging process. Moreover, the board is designed to simplify advanced development with its external SMPS for efficient Vcore logic supply, support for USB Device full speed or USB SNK/UFP full speed, and built-in cryptographic features, enhancing both the power efficiency and security of projects. Additional connectivity is

provided through dedicated connectors for external SMPS experimentation, a USB connector for the ST-LINK, and a MIPI® debug connector, expanding the possibilities for hardware interfacing and experimentation. Developers will find extensive support through comprehensive free software libraries and examples, courtesy of the STM32Cube MCU Package. This, combined with compatibility with a wide array of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), including IAR Embedded Workbench®, MDK-ARM, and STM32CubeIDE, ensures a smooth and efficient development experience, allowing users to fully leverage the capabilities of the Nucleo-64 board in their projects.

Nucleo 64 with STM32F091RC MCU double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M0

MCU Memory (KB)

256

Silicon Vendor

STMicroelectronics

Pin count

64

RAM (Bytes)

32768

You complete me!

Accessories

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 comes equipped with two proprietary mikroBUS™ sockets, allowing all the Click board™ devices to be interfaced with the STM32 Nucleo-64 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. More than 1537 Click boards™, which can be stacked and integrated, are at your disposal. The STM32 Nucleo-64 boards are based on the microcontrollers in 64-pin packages, a 32-bit MCU with an ARM Cortex M4 processor operating at 84MHz, 512Kb Flash, and 96KB SRAM, divided into two regions where the top section represents the ST-Link/V2 debugger and programmer while the bottom section of the board is an actual development board. These boards are controlled and powered conveniently through a USB connection to program and efficiently debug the Nucleo-64 board out of the box, with an additional USB cable connected to the USB mini port on the board. Most of the STM32 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 STM32 Nucleo-64 board with our Click Shield for Nucleo-64, you can access hundreds of Click boards™, working with 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels.

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
Shutdown
PB12
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
NC
NC
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
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

Schematic

Audio Xover Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 accessories 1 image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo-64 with STM32F091RC MCU as your development board.

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 accessories 1 image hardware assembly
Nucleo 64 with STM32F401RE MCU front image hardware assembly
LTE IoT 5 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
LTE IoT 5 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Nucleo-64 with STM32XXX MCU Access MB 1 Mini B Conn - 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
Clicker 4 for STM32F4 HA 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 via Debug Mode

1. Once the code example is loaded, pressing the "DEBUG" button initiates the build process, programs it on the created setup, and enters Debug mode.

2. After the programming is completed, a header with buttons for various actions within the IDE becomes visible. Clicking the green "PLAY" button starts reading the results achieved with the Click board™. The achieved results are displayed in the Application Output tab.

DEBUG_Application_Output

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for Audio Xover Click driver.

Key functions:

  • audioxover_power_on - Device power on function.

  • audioxover_shut_down - Device shut down function

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 Audio Xover Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of the Audio Xover click board. 
 * The click is an analog active crossover solution for two-way loudspeakers. 
 * The primary purpose of the crossover circuit in a loudspeaker is to split 
 * an incoming audio signal into frequency bands that are passed to 
 * the speaker best suited.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * This function initializes the driver and makes an initial log.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * This function enables and disables the click board every 10 seconds,
 * and logs an appropriate message on the USB UART.
 * 
 * @note
 * The hardware revision v100 of the click board works only with MCUs that operates
 * at 5V operating voltage level.
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "audioxover.h"

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

static audioxover_t audioxover;
static log_t logger;

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

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    audioxover_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.

    audioxover_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    AUDIOXOVER_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    audioxover_init( &audioxover, &cfg );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    log_printf( &logger, " * Switch: ON *\r\n" );
    audioxover_power_on ( &audioxover );
    Delay_ms( 10000 );

    log_printf( &logger, " * Switch: OFF *\r\n" );
    audioxover_shut_down ( &audioxover );
    Delay_ms( 10000 );
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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