Upgrade your data presentation with SMA-B500LE and STM32F446RE
Data insights, one segment at a time!
Published Oct 08, 2024
Click board™
BarGraph 3 Click
Dev. board
Nucleo 64 with STM32F446RE MCU
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
STM32F446RE
Our 5-segment red bar graph display is designed to provide a straightforward and precise way to visualize data, making it ideal for various applications where simplicity and clarity are essential
A
A
Hardware Overview
How does it work?
BarGraph 3 Click is equipped with a five-segment LED bar graph display, notable for its strong and uniform illumination of the segments. When it comes to driving an array of LED segments, using so-called shift-register ICs is almost unavoidable. This Click board™ uses a single 74HC595 IC, a tri-state, serial-in, parallel-out, 8-bit shift-register with output latch, from Texas Instruments. It is used to drive the SMA-B500LE a monochrome (red) 5 segment bar graph array, from American Opto Plus LED corporation. The 74HC595 ICs is comprised of a D-type internal storage register, and a serial-to-parallel shift register, both 8 bits wide. Each of these registers has its own clock line, making it possible to clock in the desired data in, and then clock it out to the parallel output pins when needed. The SMA-B500LE bar graph LED array has 5 red LED segments. Each segment contains three LEDs, with their cathodes connected in a single point and routed out as the single common cathode pin. This results with a bar graph display that has only six pins, even though it uses 15 LED elements in total. Similarly, all the anodes of the LED segments are routed to a single pin, which is connected to the drain of the P channel MOSFET, while its source is connected to the VCC. Driving the gate of the MOSFET using the PWM pin of the mikroBUS™ allows dimming of the LED bar graph display, by changing the pulse
width of the applied PWM signal. The Click board™ communicates with the host MCU over the SPI interface, routed to the mikroBUS™ MOSI and SCK pins, labeled as SDI and SCK on this Click board™, respectively. Five bits of information are pushed through the serial data input pin (DS) of the 74HC595 IC, routed to the SDI pin. The construction of the SPI interface is such that it operates with 8-bit long words, so the whole data word needs to be clocked in before it is latched on the output. However, the values of the bits that correspond to the non-connected pins of the 74HC595 IC will be disregarded. The Output Enable pin (#OE) is routed to the AN pin of the mikroBUS™, and it is labeled as OE. If this pin is at the HIGH logic level, the outputs Q0 to Q7S of the 74HC595 IC will be set at HIGH-Z (high impedance mode) meaning that they will become disconnected. Regardless of the logic state on other pins, the outputs will not change from this state, until #OE is brought down to a LOW logic level. Memory content and the logic states at the output pins will be unaffected, meaning that the OE can be used to turn the segments of the bar graph on or off without affecting their states (like a simple SPST switch in series with the LED segment of the bar graph). After the data word has been clocked in, the master SPI clock should be stopped, and the CS pin should be driven
to a HIGH logic level. The CS pin of the mikroBUS™ is routed to the STCP pin of the 74HC595 IC. A rising edge on the STCP input pin of the 74HC595 IC will latch the data from the internal storage register to the output pins, changing the states of its parallel output pins (Q0 to Q7). If a specific bit in the internal storage is 0, the state on the appropriate pin of the 74HC595 IC will become LOW. With their anodes connected to the positive voltage level already (provided that the P-type MOSFET is open), the segment will be lit. This means that the logical 0 lights up a segment, while 1 turns it off. The #MR pin is used to clear the data in the internal storage register of the 74HC595 IC. The LOW logic level on this pin will clear the content of this storage register, but it will not turn off the outputs which are already activated. The #MR pin is routed to the RST pin of the mikroBUS™ and it is pulled to a HIGH logic level by the onboard resistor. 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.
Features overview
Development board
Nucleo-64 with STM32F446RE 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.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
ARM Cortex-M4
MCU Memory (KB)
512
Silicon Vendor
STMicroelectronics
Pin count
64
RAM (Bytes)
131072
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.
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic
Step by step
Project assembly
Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo 64 with STM32F446RE MCU as your development board.
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 BarGraph 3 Click driver.
Key functions:
bargraph3_display- This function control the displaybargraph3_set_pwm- This function set PWMbargraph3_enable- Functions for enable the chip.
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
* \brief BarGraph3 Click example
*
* # Description
* This application used to create various types of VU meters,
* status indicators, different types of counters and similar devices.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initialization driver init, enable device and set PWM
*
* ## Application Task
* Counter passes through the loop and logs the value of the
* counter on the bargraph display.
*
* \author MikroE Team
*
*/
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "bargraph3.h"
// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES
static bargraph3_t bargraph3;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg;
bargraph3_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.
bargraph3_cfg_setup( &cfg );
BARGRAPH3_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
bargraph3_init( &bargraph3, &cfg );
bargraph3_enable( &bargraph3, BARGRAPH3_DEVICE_ENABLE );
bargraph3_set_pwm( &bargraph3, BARGRAPH3_DEVICE_ENABLE );
Delay_ms( 500 );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
uint8_t bargraph_cnt;
for ( bargraph_cnt = 0; bargraph_cnt <= 5; bargraph_cnt++ )
{
bargraph3_display( &bargraph3, BARGRAPH3_INCREASE_LED,
BARGRAPH3_DIRECTION_BOTTOM_TO_TOP,
bargraph_cnt );
Delay_ms( 1000 );
}
}
void main ( void )
{
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
