Boost your power with MCP1642B and STM32F031K6
Experience the power of a voltage booster
Published Oct 01, 2024
Click board™
Boost 2 Click
Dev. board
Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
STM32F031K6
Unlock maximum performance with our low-voltage synchronous boost regulator
A
A
Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Boost 2 Click is based on the MCP1642B, a 1 MHz low-voltage start-up synchronous boost regulator from Microchip. This IC is targeted towards boosting the voltage from NiCd, NiMH, and Li-Po/Li-Ion batteries, and as such, it has a great efficiency factor that allows for prolonged battery life. The MCP1642B uses the fixed switching frequency of 1MHz and has overcurrent and overtemperature protection to ensure safe operation. The voltage step-up process starts with the input voltage as low as 0.9V. Once the regulation is established, the input voltage can drop to even 0.5V, keeping the required regulated voltage at the output. The device should be powered with at least 1.8V at the input terminal for optimal efficiency. Output current depends on the input voltage - when powered with 3.3V at the
input, Boost 2 Click will be able to deliver about 800mA to the connected load. The device has no under-voltage protection limit, so it will boost the voltage when the input voltage reaches 0.9V. As with most step-up regulators, the input voltage should always be less than the voltage at the output to maintain the proper regulation. The MCP1642B step-up regulator actively damps the oscillations typically found at the switch node of a boost converter. This removes the high-frequency radiated noise, ensuring low-noise operation. The device also features the power good status pin, which is constructed as the open-drain output pulled HIGH by the onboard 10K resistor. This allows easy interfacing with the MCU. When the regulated output reaches 90% of its regulation, this pin will be pulled low, indicating
the power-good status. This pin is routed to the mikroBUS™ INT pin. Besides the power good status pin, the EN pin used to enable the device is routed to the mikroBUS™ CS pin. When pulled LOW, this pin will engage the true disconnect of the output load option, resulting in low quintessential currents suitable for battery-operated devices. This pin is also pulled HIGH by the onboard resistor. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the LOGIC SEL jumper. This way, both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs can use the communication lines properly. However, the 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 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU board provides an affordable and flexible platform for experimenting with STM32 microcontrollers in 32-pin packages. Featuring Arduino™ Nano connectivity, it allows easy expansion with specialized shields, while being mbed-enabled for seamless integration with online resources. The
board includes an on-board ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer, supporting USB reenumeration with three interfaces: Virtual Com port, mass storage, and debug port. It offers a flexible power supply through either USB VBUS or an external source. Additionally, it includes three LEDs (LD1 for USB communication, LD2 for power,
and LD3 as a user LED) and a reset push button. The STM32 Nucleo-32 board is supported by various Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as IAR™, Keil®, and GCC-based IDEs like AC6 SW4STM32, making it a versatile tool for developers.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
ARM Cortex-M0
MCU Memory (KB)
32
Silicon Vendor
STMicroelectronics
Pin count
32
RAM (Bytes)
4096
You complete me!
Accessories
Click Shield for Nucleo-32 is the perfect way to expand your development board's functionalities with STM32 Nucleo-32 pinout. The Click Shield for Nucleo-32 provides two mikroBUS™ sockets to add any functionality from our ever-growing range of Click boards™. We are fully stocked with everything, from sensors and WiFi transceivers to motor control and audio amplifiers. The Click Shield for Nucleo-32 is compatible with the STM32 Nucleo-32 board, providing an affordable and flexible way for users to try out new ideas and quickly create prototypes with any STM32 microcontrollers, choosing from the various combinations of performance, power consumption, and features. The STM32 Nucleo-32 boards do not require any separate probe as they integrate the ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer and come with the STM32 comprehensive software HAL library and various packaged software examples. This development platform provides users with an effortless and common way to combine the STM32 Nucleo-32 footprint compatible board with their favorite Click boards™ in their upcoming projects.
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 32 with STM32F031K6 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 Boost 2 Click driver.
Key functions:
boost2_set_en_pin- Set enable pinboost2_get_pg_pin- Get PG 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
* \brief Boost 2 Click example
*
* # Description
* This application features very high efficiency, low noise and anti-ringing voltage output.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes Click driver.
*
* ## Application Task
* Demonstrates the use of the Click drivers function. It
shows how to enable or disable Click operation, and how to check if supplied
voltage is good.
*
* \author MikroE Team
*
*/
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "boost2.h"
// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES
static boost2_t boost2;
static log_t logger;
// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg;
boost2_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.
boost2_cfg_setup( &cfg );
BOOST2_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
boost2_init( &boost2, &cfg );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
log_printf( &logger, "Enabling Click operation... \r\n" );
boost2_set_en_pin( &boost2, 1 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
log_printf( &logger, "Checking output voltage... \r\n" );
Delay_ms ( 500 );
if ( boost2_get_pg_pin( &boost2 ))
{
log_printf( &logger, "Output voltage good. \r\n" );
}
else
{
log_printf( &logger, "Output voltage incorrect. \r\n" );
}
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
log_printf( &logger, "Disabling Click operation... \r\n" );
boost2_set_en_pin( &boost2, 0 );
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
