Boost a low voltage from a connected battery to a stable USB-C 5V output with TPS81256 and STM32F030R8
Complete DC/DC step-up power converter intended for battery-powered portable applications
Published Jun 24, 2024
Click board™
Battery Source Click
Dev Board
Nucleo-64 with STM32F030R8 MCU
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
STM32F030R8
Increase voltage from a lower battery level to a standard USB-Type C 5V for powering various portable electronics
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Battery Source Click is based on the TPS81256, a high-efficiency step-up converter in a MicroSiP™ package from Texas Instruments. The TPS81256 features a high-frequency synchronous step-up DC/DC converter optimized for battery-powered portable applications. It boosts power from a connected battery (input range from 2.5V to 5.5V) and delivers it via a USB Type-C connector as 5V/1A. The TPS81256 includes a switching regulator, inductor, and input/output capacitors operating at a regulated 4MHz switching frequency. It enters Power-Save mode at light load currents, maintaining high efficiency across the entire load range. The PFM mode reduces the supply current
to 43μA (typical) during light load operation, extending battery life. Additionally, it supports more than 3W output power over a full Li-Ion battery voltage range and has an input current of less than 1µA (typical) in shutdown mode, maximizing battery life. It is ideal for low-power applications that require efficient power management. This board also features an output enable function implemented via the MAX40200, allowing users to control the power delivery on the USB-C output connector digitally. This control is achieved through the EN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, enabling precise power flow management. Additionally, the board includes a red LED indicator labeled
ENABLE, which provides a clear visual indication of active output. This allows for easy and convenient monitoring of the board's status and ensures that users can quickly verify when the output is active. 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 STM32F030R8 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-M0
MCU Memory (KB)
64
Silicon Vendor
STMicroelectronics
Pin count
64
RAM (Bytes)
8192
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.
Li-Polymer Battery is the ideal solution for devices that demand a dependable and long-lasting power supply while emphasizing mobility. Its compatibility with mikromedia boards ensures easy integration without additional modifications. With a voltage output of 3.7V, the battery meets the standard requirements of many electronic devices. Additionally, boasting a capacity of 2000mAh, it can store a substantial amount of energy, providing sustained power for extended periods. This feature minimizes the need for frequent recharging or replacement. Overall, the Li-Polymer Battery is a reliable and autonomous power source, ideally suited for devices requiring a stable and enduring energy solution. You can find a more extensive choice of Li-Polymer batteries in our offer.
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 STM32F030R8 MCU as your development board.
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.
Software Support
Library Description
This library contains API for Battery Source Click driver.
Key functions:
batterysource_set_output- This function is used to set output state of Battery Source Click.
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 Battery Source Click Example.
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of Battery Source Click board,
* by changing state of the output.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes the driver and disables the output.
*
* ## Application Task
* Enabling output for 5 seconds, then disabling it for 5 seconds.
*
* @author Stefan Ilic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "batterysource.h"
static batterysource_t batterysource; /**< Battery Source Click driver object. */
static log_t logger; /**< Logger object. */
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
batterysource_cfg_t batterysource_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.
batterysource_cfg_setup( &batterysource_cfg );
BATTERYSOURCE_MAP_MIKROBUS( batterysource_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
if ( DIGITAL_OUT_UNSUPPORTED_PIN == batterysource_init( &batterysource, &batterysource_cfg ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
batterysource_set_output( &batterysource, BATTERYSOURCE_DISABLE_OUTPUT );
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
log_printf( &logger, " Output is enabled \r\n" );
batterysource_set_output( &batterysource, BATTERYSOURCE_ENABLE_OUTPUT );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
log_printf( &logger, " Output is disabled \r\n" );
batterysource_set_output( &batterysource, BATTERYSOURCE_DISABLE_OUTPUT );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}
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
