Intermediate
20 min

Achieve precise and accurate tracking of the device's location in real-time with DWM3001 and STM32F446RE

Fully-integrated UWB transceiver

UWB 3 Click with Nucleo 64 with STM32F446RE MCU

Published Oct 08, 2024

Click board™

UWB 3 Click

Dev. board

Nucleo 64 with STM32F446RE MCU

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F446RE

It's useful for creating systems that require precise location tracking, like tracking the location of objects or devices in real-time.

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

UWB 3 Click is based on the DWM3001, a fully integrated UWB transceiver module from Qorvo. The module can be used in two-way ranging and TDoA applications. It is designed to comply with the FiRa™ PHY and MAC specifications, enabling interoperability with other FiRa™-compliant devices. It supports channels 5 (6.5GHz) and 9 (8GHz) and data rates of 850Kbps up to 6.8Mbps with a maximum packet length of 1023 bytes for high data throughput applications. Besides the planar UWB printed antenna, there is also a Bluetooth chip antenna for an onboard Nordic Cortex-M4 32-bit MCU with 64MHz clock speed for utilizing a BLE radio transceiver. This Nordic MCU is the brain of the module. The nRF52833 has advanced on-chip interfaces, such as NFC-A and USB 2.0 (full-speed 12Mbps), available on UWB 3

Click in a USB C form. The DWM3001 UWB transceiver also incorporates the LIS12DH, a low-power three-axis linear accelerometer from STMicroelectronics. It is necessary as RTLS tags commonly use accelerometers to initiate UWB ranging only when a tag moves so that battery life can be extended by staying in the lowest power mode by default. Near-field communication type 2 (NFC-A) can be used by adding an NFC antenna to the TP1 and TP2 pads. UWB 3 Click can use a standard 2-Wire UART interface of the nRF52833 to communicate with the host MCU with commonly used UART RX and TX pins and baud rates of 115200bps. There are RX and TX LEDs for visual presentation of data flow. It can also use a 4-Wire SPI serial interface on 32MHz for communication. The I2C interface, besides the communication

with the Nordic MCU, allows you to read the data from the accelerometer. It should be noted that the current module firmware does not support the SPI and I2C serial interfaces; these interfaces are reserved for future use. You can reset the module over the RST pin but also over the RESET button. The nRF52833 firmware can be updated over the SWDIO 6-pin needle connector. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. 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.

UWB 3 Click hardware overview image

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.

Nucleo 64 with STM32F446RE MCU double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

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.

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
Reset / ID SEL
PC12
RST
SPI Select / ID COMM
PB12
CS
SPI Clock
PB3
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PB4
MISO
SPI Data IN
PB5
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
NC
NC
INT
UART TX
PA2
TX
UART RX
PA3
RX
I2C Clock
PB8
SCL
I2C Data
PB9
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

UWB 3 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo 64 with STM32F446RE MCU as your development board.

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 front image hardware assembly
Nucleo 64 with STM32F401RE MCU front image hardware assembly
EEPROM 13 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Nucleo-64 with STM32XXX MCU 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

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 UWB 3 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • uwb3_send_cmd - This function sends a specified command to the click module.

  • uwb3_send_cmd_with_parameter - This function sends a command with specified parameter to the click module.

  • uwb3_reset_device - This function resets the device by toggling the RST pin state.

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 UWB 3 Click Example.
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of an UWB 3 click board by showing
 * the communication between the two click boards.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and configures the click board for the selected
 * application mode.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Reads and processes all incoming ranging block messages and displays them
 * on the USB UART. One click board should be configured to initiator mode and
 * the others to responder 1 or 2. The initiator click displays the address
 * and distance of each responder nodes, while the responder click boards displays
 * the address and distance of the initiator click board.
 *
 * ## Additional Function
 * - static void uwb3_clear_app_buf ( void )
 * - static void uwb3_log_app_buf ( void )
 * - static err_t uwb3_process ( uwb3_t *ctx )
 * - static err_t uwb3_display_response ( uwb3_t *ctx )
 * - static err_t uwb3_parse_ranging_block ( void )
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "uwb3.h"

// Demo aplication selection macros
#define APP_INITIATOR               0
#define APP_RESPONDER_1             1
#define APP_RESPONDER_2             2
#define DEMO_APP                    APP_INITIATOR

/** INITF/RESPF parameter list and default value
 * Order    Config Param            Default value           Description
 * #1       RFRAME BPRF             4                       RFRAME BRFF set as per FiRa spec: 
 *                                                          4 - SP3 SFD4Z, 6 - SP3 SFD4A
 * #2       RSTU slot duration      2400                    Duration of the slot in RSTU time units.
 *                                                          1ms = 1200 RSTU
 * #3       Block duration ms       200                     Duration of the FiRa ranging block in ms
 * #4       Round duration slots    25                      Duration of the FiRa ranging round inside
 *                                                          the block
 * #5       Ranging Round usage     2                       0 - Not used, 1 - SS-TWR, 2 - DS-TWR
 * #6       Session ID              42                      Session ID
 * #7       vupper64                01:02:03:04:05:06:07:08 Eight hexadecimal numbers, represented
 *                                                          static part of the STS in FiRa standard, 
 *                                                          Hex values separated by ":"
 * #8       Multi node mode         0                       0 for unicast, 1 for multi-node configuration
 * #9       Round hopping           0                       0 for no round hopping, 1 for round hopping
 * #10      Initiator address       0                       Address of FiRa Initiator, Decimal value 0-65535
 * #11      Responder address       1                       Address of responder or set of addresses for
 *                                                          multiple responders, Decimal value 0-65535
 */
#define INITIATOR_CONFIG            "4 2400 200 25 2 42 01:02:03:04:05:06:07:08 1 0 0 1 2"
#define RESPONDER_1_CONFIG          "4 2400 200 25 2 42 01:02:03:04:05:06:07:08 1 0 0 1"
#define RESPONDER_2_CONFIG          "4 2400 200 25 2 42 01:02:03:04:05:06:07:08 1 0 0 2"

// Application buffer size
#define APP_BUFFER_SIZE             800
#define PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE         200

static uwb3_t uwb3;
static log_t logger;

static uint8_t app_buf[ APP_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
static int32_t app_buf_len = 0;

/**
 * @brief UWB 3 clearing application buffer.
 * @details This function clears memory of application buffer and reset its length.
 * @note None.
 */
static void uwb3_clear_app_buf ( void );

/**
 * @brief UWB 3 log application buffer.
 * @details This function logs data from application buffer to USB UART.
 * @note None.
 */
static void uwb3_log_app_buf ( void );

/**
 * @brief UWB 3 data reading function.
 * @details This function reads data from device and concatenates data to application buffer. 
 * @param[in] ctx : Click context object.
 * See #uwb3_t object definition for detailed explanation.
 * @return @li @c  0 - Read some data.
 *         @li @c -1 - Nothing is read.
 * See #err_t definition for detailed explanation.
 * @note None.
 */
static err_t uwb3_process ( uwb3_t *ctx );

/**
 * @brief UWB 3 display response function.
 * @details This function reads and displays the response to previously sent command.
 * @param[in] ctx : Click context object.
 * See #uwb3_t object definition for detailed explanation.
 * @return @li @c  0 - OK response.
 *         @li @c -2 - Timeout error.
 * See #err_t definition for detailed explanation.
 */
static err_t uwb3_display_response ( uwb3_t *ctx );

/**
 * @brief UWB 3 parse ranging block function.
 * @details This function parses the ranging block results from application buffer and
 * displays it to the USB UART.
 * @return @li @c  0 - Ranging block data parsed successfully.
 *         @li @c -1 - No valid ranging block data in application buffer.
 * See #err_t definition for detailed explanation.
 */
static err_t uwb3_parse_ranging_block ( void );

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    uwb3_cfg_t uwb3_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.
    uwb3_cfg_setup( &uwb3_cfg );
    UWB3_MAP_MIKROBUS( uwb3_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( UART_ERROR == uwb3_init( &uwb3, &uwb3_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    // Clear buffers
    uwb3_process( &uwb3 );
    uwb3_clear_app_buf( );
    
    // Switch to stop mode
    uwb3_send_cmd ( &uwb3, UWB3_CMD_STOP );
    uwb3_display_response ( &uwb3 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    
#if ( DEMO_APP == APP_RESPONDER_1 )
    uwb3_send_cmd_with_parameter ( &uwb3, UWB3_CMD_RESPF, RESPONDER_1_CONFIG );
    uwb3_display_response ( &uwb3 );
    log_printf( &logger, "Application Mode: Responder 1\r\n" );
#elif ( DEMO_APP == APP_RESPONDER_2 )
    uwb3_send_cmd_with_parameter ( &uwb3, UWB3_CMD_RESPF, RESPONDER_2_CONFIG );
    uwb3_display_response ( &uwb3 );
    log_printf( &logger, "Application Mode: Responder 2\r\n" );
#else
    uwb3_send_cmd_with_parameter ( &uwb3, UWB3_CMD_INITF, INITIATOR_CONFIG );
    uwb3_display_response ( &uwb3 );
    log_printf( &logger, "Application Mode: Initiator\r\n" );
#endif
    
    uwb3_clear_app_buf( );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    if ( UWB3_OK == uwb3_process( &uwb3 ) ) 
    {
        if ( UWB3_OK == uwb3_parse_ranging_block ( ) )
        {
            uwb3_clear_app_buf( );
        }
    }
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

static void uwb3_clear_app_buf ( void ) 
{
    memset( app_buf, 0, app_buf_len );
    app_buf_len = 0;
}

static void uwb3_log_app_buf ( void )
{
    for ( int32_t buf_cnt = 0; buf_cnt < app_buf_len; buf_cnt++ )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "%c", app_buf[ buf_cnt ] );
    }
}

static err_t uwb3_process ( uwb3_t *ctx ) 
{
    uint8_t rx_buf[ PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
    int32_t overflow_bytes = 0;
    int32_t rx_cnt = 0;
    int32_t rx_size = uwb3_generic_read( ctx, rx_buf, PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE );
    if ( ( rx_size > 0 ) && ( rx_size <= APP_BUFFER_SIZE ) ) 
    {
        if ( ( app_buf_len + rx_size ) > APP_BUFFER_SIZE ) 
        {
            overflow_bytes = ( app_buf_len + rx_size ) - APP_BUFFER_SIZE;
            app_buf_len = APP_BUFFER_SIZE - rx_size;
            memmove ( app_buf, &app_buf[ overflow_bytes ], app_buf_len );
            memset ( &app_buf[ app_buf_len ], 0, overflow_bytes );
        }
        for ( rx_cnt = 0; rx_cnt < rx_size; rx_cnt++ ) 
        {
            if ( rx_buf[ rx_cnt ] ) 
            {
                app_buf[ app_buf_len++ ] = rx_buf[ rx_cnt ];
            }
        }
        return UWB3_OK;
    }
    return UWB3_ERROR;
}

static err_t uwb3_display_response ( uwb3_t *ctx )
{
    uint32_t timeout_cnt = 0;
    uint32_t timeout = 10000;
    uwb3_clear_app_buf( );
    uwb3_process( ctx );
    while ( ( 0 == strstr( app_buf, UWB3_RSP_OK ) ) && 
            ( 0 == strstr( app_buf, UWB3_RSP_ERROR ) ) )
    {
        uwb3_process( ctx );
        if ( timeout_cnt++ > timeout )
        {
            uwb3_clear_app_buf( );
            log_error( &logger, " Timeout!" );
            return UWB3_ERROR_TIMEOUT;
        }
        Delay_ms( 1 );
    }
    Delay_ms( 100 );
    uwb3_process( ctx );
    uwb3_log_app_buf ( );
    log_printf( &logger, "--------------------------\r\n" );
    return UWB3_OK;
}

static err_t uwb3_parse_ranging_block ( void )
{
    uint8_t * __generic_ptr start_block_ptr = NULL;
    uint8_t * __generic_ptr end_block_ptr = NULL;
    uint8_t * __generic_ptr results_ptr = NULL;
    start_block_ptr = &app_buf[ 0 ];
    for ( ; ; )
    {
        start_block_ptr = strstr( start_block_ptr, "\"Block\"" );
        if ( !start_block_ptr )
        {
            return UWB3_ERROR;
        }
        end_block_ptr = strstr( start_block_ptr, "\r\n" );
        if ( !end_block_ptr )
        {
            return UWB3_ERROR;
        }
        results_ptr = strstr( start_block_ptr, "\"Status\":\"Ok\"" );
        if ( results_ptr && ( ( uint32_t ) results_ptr < ( uint32_t ) end_block_ptr ) )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, "######### " );
            while ( ',' != *start_block_ptr )
            {
                log_printf( &logger, "%c", *start_block_ptr );
                start_block_ptr++;
            }
            log_printf( &logger, " #########\r\n\n" );
            
            while ( results_ptr && ( ( uint32_t ) results_ptr < ( uint32_t ) end_block_ptr ) )
            {
                // Display node address
                results_ptr -= 16;
                while ( ',' != *results_ptr )
                {
                    log_printf( &logger, "%c", *results_ptr );
                    results_ptr++;
                }
                log_printf( &logger, "\r\n" );
                // Display node distance
                results_ptr = strstr( results_ptr, "\"D_cm\"" );
                while ( ',' != *results_ptr )
                {
                    log_printf( &logger, "%c", *results_ptr );
                    results_ptr++;
                }
                log_printf( &logger, "\r\n\n" );
                results_ptr = strstr( results_ptr, "\"Status\":\"Ok\"" );
            }
            return UWB3_OK;
        }
        start_block_ptr = end_block_ptr;
    }
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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