Intermediate
30 min

Unleash your motor's full potential with MIC4605 and STM32G071RB

PWM motor control at its best!

DC Motor 8 Click with Nucleo 64 with STM32G071RB MCU

Published Oct 08, 2024

Click board™

DC Motor 8 Click

Dev Board

Nucleo 64 with STM32G071RB MCU

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32G071RB

With our PWM motor control solution, you can effortlessly regulate the speed and direction of your DC motors, enabling smooth and efficient operation

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

DC Motor 8 Click is based on the MIC4605, 85V half-bridge MOSFET driver with adaptive dead time and shoot-through protection from Microchip. This IC uses the input on its PWM pin to regulate the switching state of the output MOSFETs. The fact that it is 85V tolerant allows for a substantial margin against kickback voltage that appears as the result of the rotation of the motor. In practice, twice the power supply used for the motor should be considered a safe margin. This IC has more than enough to accommodate the maximum voltage allowed on its input, which is 40V. DC Motor 8 works in a half-bridge topology, which means it can only run the connected motor in one direction. However, the polarity of the connected motor can be flipped, which will change the rotational direction of the motor. The connected input voltage must not be reversed and must stay connected as labeled on the PCB. Although the maximum input voltage rating is 40V, it is a good practice never to supply the motor with the maximum allowed voltage, as it may result in overheating of the MOSFETs and other components, depending on the used motor and the mechanical load it is exposed to. The device should never be pushed to work at the maximum

allowed ratings. While the PWM input is at the HIGH logic state, the HO output pin that drives the high-side power MOSFET is active, and the circuit is closed through the high-side power MOSFET, motor coil, and the ground. When the PWM input signal goes LOW, it forces the HO output to also go low, within about 35ns. The HS pin monitors the driver state - when the HS voltage drops under 2.2V, the high side MOSFET is closed, and LO output is activated after a short delay (about 35ns of rise time). A further drop of the HS voltage causes a latch, which can only be reset by the PWM signal HIGH logic level. If the HS level fails to drop under 2.2V, the internal 250ns delay is activated, and the HS pin latches afterward. This prevents the HS ringing from causing an undetermined state of the LO output. When the PWM signal goes HIGH again, it will force the LO output to a LOW within another 35ns, after which the HO pin can start going into the HIGH level again. This mechanism ensures that no shoot-through ever occurs. Shoot-through happens when both MOSFETs are active and when the current goes right through them, from the power supply to the ground, causing dissipation, ringing, and even damage in some cases. Besides the

PWM pin routed to the mikroBUS™, the EN pin used to enable the device is also routed to the mikroBUS™ CS pin. Logic HIGH will set the device to work in normal mode, while LOW logic level will put the device into the power conservative shutdown mode. This pin is pulled HIGH with the onboard resistor. The VIN power terminal, which provides up to 40V power supply for the DC motor, is completely isolated from the driver circuitry. However, to operate correctly, the driver must provide enough voltage to activate the MOSFETs. For this purpose, DC Motor 8 click employs a boost converter made of MIC2606, a 2MHz boost regulator from Microchip. The boost regulator circuitry provides 12V out of 5V from the mikroBUS™, which allows for ideal MOSFET switching conditions, keeping the resistance through the MOSFET (RDSON) at optimal levels. VOUT terminal is used to connect a load. A small to medium-powered DC motor with two connection points and up to 40V can be used with this click board™. The voltage at the VIN terminal is used to power the motor on, while the click itself is being powered from the mikroBUS™ voltage rails. For proper operation, both 3.3V and 5V voltages must be present on the mikroBUS™.

DC Motor 8 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Nucleo-64 with STM32G071RB 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 STM32G071RB MCU double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M0

MCU Memory (KB)

128

Silicon Vendor

STMicroelectronics

Pin count

64

RAM (Bytes)

36864

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

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 8 Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
Enable
PB12
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
PWM Signal
PC8
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 8 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 STM32G071RB 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 DC Motor 8 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • dcmotor8_set_duty_cycle - This function sets the PWM duty cycle

  • dcmotor8_pwm_start - This function starts PWM module

  • dcmotor8_pwm_stop - This function stops PWM module

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 DcMotor8 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This click can drive simple DC motors with brushes, providing them with a significant amount 
 * of current and voltage up to 40V. The click has one control input, that uses the PWM signal 
 * from the host MCU. It uses the half-bridge topology to regulate the speed of the motor 
 * rotation, employs advanced dead-time circuitry that monitors the output stage, providing 
 * maximum switching efficiency and features an advanced technique to avoid shoot-through 
 * currents.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initializes the driver and enables the click board.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * This is an example that demonstrates the use of DC Motor 8 click
 * board by increasing and decreasing the motor speed.
 * DC Motor 8 Click communicates with the register via the PWM interface.
 * Results are being sent to the Usart Terminal where you can track their changes.
 * 
 * @author Nikola Peric
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "dcmotor8.h"

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

static dcmotor8_t dcmotor8;
static log_t logger;

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

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    dcmotor8_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.

    dcmotor8_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    DCMOTOR8_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    dcmotor8_init( &dcmotor8, &cfg );

    dcmotor8_set_duty_cycle ( &dcmotor8, 0.0 );
    dcmotor8_enable ( &dcmotor8, DCMOTOR8_ENABLE );
    dcmotor8_pwm_start( &dcmotor8 );
    log_info( &logger, "---- Application Task ----" );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    static int8_t duty_cnt = 1;
    static int8_t duty_inc = 1;
    float duty = duty_cnt / 10.0;
    
    dcmotor8_set_duty_cycle ( &dcmotor8, duty );
    log_printf( &logger, "Duty: %d%%\r\n", ( uint16_t )( duty_cnt * 10 ) );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    
    if ( 10 == duty_cnt ) 
    {
        duty_inc = -1;
    }
    else if ( 0 == duty_cnt ) 
    {
        duty_inc = 1;
    }
    duty_cnt += duty_inc;
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.