A compact and efficient solution for achieving smooth, silent, and precise motor control in diverse industrial applications
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Silent Step 2 Click is based on the TMC2130, a high-performance two-phase stepper motor driver from Analog Devices. The highest resolution is 256 microsteps per full step. Some other integrated techniques are SpreadCycle™ as a highly dynamic motor control chopper, DcStep™ as load-dependent speed control, sTallGuard2™ as a high precision sensorless motor load detection, and more. The motor driver supports passive breaking and freewheeling mode. This motor driver also supports a few operating modes that can be used per your needs. Silent Step 2 Click can communicate with the host MCU using a standard 4-wire SPI serial interface. It can also use the
step/direction driver mode, which allows you to control the motor position by sending pulses on the step signal STP pin while indicating the direction on the direction signal DIR pin. The driver uses an external motor power supply of 4.75 up to 43V to power a 2-phase stepper motor up to 2A coil current (2.5A peak). The motor current can be set over the onboard VREF potentiometer. Additional functionalities on this Click board™ are achieved over the PCA9538A, an 8-bit I/O port from NXP. This I/O port communicates with the host MCU over the I2C interface, and you can change the I2C address over the ADDR SEL jumpers. The PCA9538A allows you to control the driver enable
function of the motor driver. It also monitors two driver motors' diagnostic outputs, and if a condition is met (say, stall of the motor), it will interrupt the host MCU over the INT pin. The I/O port can be reset over the RST pin. 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 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.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
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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.
The 28BYJ-48 is an adaptable 5VDC stepper motor with a compact design, ideal for various applications. It features four phases, a speed variation ratio of 1/64, and a stride angle of 5.625°/64 steps, allowing precise control. The motor operates at a frequency of 100Hz and has a DC resistance of 50Ω ±7% at 25°C. It boasts an idle in-traction frequency greater than 600Hz and an idle out-traction frequency exceeding 1000Hz, ensuring reliability in different scenarios. With a self-positioning torque and in-traction torque both exceeding 34.3mN.m at 120Hz, the 28BYJ-48 offers robust performance. Its friction torque ranges from 600 to 1200 gf.cm, while the pull-in torque is 300 gf.cm. This motor makes a reliable and efficient choice for your stepper motor needs.
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic
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Step by step
Project 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.
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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.
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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.
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Software Support
Library Description
This library contains API for Silent Step 2 Click driver.
Key functions:
silentstep2_rotate_by_angle
- Silent Step 2 rotates the shaft through a desired angle function.silentstep2_set_direction
- Silent Step 2 sets the clockwise or counterclockwise direction movement 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 Silent Step 2 Click example
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of Silent Step 2 Click board™
* by driving the motor in both directions for a desired rotation angle.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* The initialization of I2C and SPI module and log UART.
* After driver initialization, the app sets the default configuration.
*
* ## Application Task
* The application task represents an example that demonstrates
* the use of the Stepper 15 Click board™ with which the user can sequentially move the motor.
* The first part of the sequence executes the clockwise/counterclockwise motor movement
* for an angle of 90 degrees with a step speed of 50%,
* all the way to the last sequence of the same movement routine
* of 360 degree angle with a step speed of 90%.
* Results are being sent to the UART Terminal, where you can track their changes.
*
* @author Nenad Filipovic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "silentstep2.h"
static silentstep2_t silentstep2;
static log_t logger;
// Bipolar stepper motor, resolution of 200 steps per revolution (1.8 degrees)
#define SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 200
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
silentstep2_cfg_t silentstep2_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.
silentstep2_cfg_setup( &silentstep2_cfg );
SILENTSTEP2_MAP_MIKROBUS( silentstep2_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
err_t init_flag = silentstep2_init( &silentstep2, &silentstep2_cfg );
if ( ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) || ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
if ( SILENTSTEP2_ERROR == silentstep2_default_cfg ( &silentstep2 ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
Delay_ms( 100 );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Clockwise motion\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 90 degrees\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Step speed : 50 %%\r\n" );
silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_CLOCKWISE );
if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 50, 90, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
Delay_ms( 2000 );
}
log_printf( &logger, " Counterclockwise motion\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 180 deg\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Step speed : 50 %%\r\n" );
silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_COUNTERCLOCKWISE );
if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 50, 180, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
Delay_ms( 2000 );
}
log_printf( &logger, " Clockwise motion\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 270 deg\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Step speed : 50 %% \r\n" );
silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_CLOCKWISE );
if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 50, 270, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
Delay_ms( 2000 );
}
log_printf( &logger, " Counterclockwise motion\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 360 deg\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Step speed : 90 %%\r\n" );
silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_COUNTERCLOCKWISE );
if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 90, 360, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
Delay_ms( 2000 );
}
log_printf( &logger, " Clockwise motion\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Angle of rotation : 360 deg\r\n" );
log_printf( &logger, " Step speed : 90 %% \r\n" );
silentstep2_set_direction( &silentstep2, SILENTSTEP2_DIRECTION_CLOCKWISE );
if ( SILENTSTEP2_OK == silentstep2_rotate_by_angle( &silentstep2, 90, 360, SILENTSTEP2_STEP_RES_200 ) )
{
log_printf( &logger, "-----------------------------\r\n" );
Delay_ms( 2000 );
}
}
void main ( void )
{
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END