Intermediate
30 min

Unlock balanced power with TPS65131 and STM32F031K6

From minus to plus

Boost-INV 2 Click with Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU

Published Oct 01, 2024

Click board™

Boost-INV 2 Click

Dev. board

Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F031K6

Embrace the symmetry of power with our dual-polarity voltage conversion solution

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Boost-INV 2 Click is based on the TPS65131, a positive and negative output DC/DC converter from Texas Instruments. Two D/A converters are connected to the positive and negative voltage feedback loop of the TPS65131. The positive and the negative loops are fed into the internal error amplifiers, which compare the feedback voltage with the internal references. They change the duty cycle of the output switching sections to compensate for the differences (errors), affecting the output voltage that way. Incorporating a D/A converter into the feedback loop allows programmed "errors" to be introduced into the loop, allowing control over the output voltage. The TPS65131 IC uses the fixed frequency PWM signal to switch output stages. The internal current limit is about 1950mA for both the inverting and boost converter. The output voltage is clean while running in the continuous conduction mode, with no significant ripple and noise. The complete disconnect of both inverting and boosting converter stages allows no source current to flow through the converter while it is unpowered. This prevents battery draining, allowing the device to use the battery power and providing a split-rail power supply for various applications. Two D/A converters (DAC) labeled as MCP4291, 12-Bit DACs with the SPI Interface by Microchip, are used in feedback loops. One of the DACs is connected

to the MCP6H02 op-amp, configured as the inverting unity gain amplifier. It inverts the polarity of the DAC signal. The feedback voltage of the inverting converter can vary from 0V (Vref) to -15V. Therefore, the DAC signal, which commonly ranges from 0 to +VREF, needs to be inverted. For the boost converter, there is no need to invert the DAC, so its voltage goes up to +VREF. There are two separate CS pins (Chip Select) for these DACs, so both can be programmed independently. Those Chip Select pins are routed to the RST and CS pins of the mikroBUS™ and are labeled as CSN for the negative voltage-controlling DAC and CSP for the positive voltage-controlling DAC. Two more auxiliary ICs are used on the Boost-INV 2 click. One IC is the ADM8829, a switched-capacitor voltage inverter that provides a negative supply voltage for the inverting op-amp. The other IC is the MCP1501, a high-precision buffered voltage reference required for the DACs (4.096 V). The TPS65131 converter IC can be operated in the Power Saving mode. This is very useful for low currents because the device will power itself down as long as the voltage across the output stays above the internally set threshold. When the voltage drops under this threshold, the converter powers up produces several switching pulses that recover the nominal voltage value across the load, and power down again. Depending on the connected

load, it will take more or less time to drain the charge from the inductor. Unlike the normal mode, which operates in the continuous-conduction mode (CCM), the power-saving mode allows the converter to switch between CCM and DCM (discontinuous-conduction) modes. The Click board™ has its PWM pin routed to the PSP and PSN pins of the TPS65131 IC, and the HIGH logic level on this pin will put the IC into the Power Saving mode. The PWM pin of the mikroBUS™ is labeled as the PSM on this Click board™. When the ENP and ENN pins of the TPS65131 IC are at the LOW logic level, the device is completely powered down, disconnecting the loads described above and preventing current leakage through the passive elements of the circuit. These pins are routed to the AN pin of the mikroBUS™ and labeled as EN, allowing the host MCU to control the operation of the Click board™ By default, the input voltage is taken from the mikroBUS™ +5V power rail. An onboard VIN SEL jumper allows selection between the +5V from the mikroBUS™ or an external power supply connected to the screw terminal input, labeled as VEXT. The remaining two screw terminals are negative and positive voltage outputs labeled V- and V+. All three screw terminals share a common GND.

Boost-INV 2 Click hardware overview image

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.

Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

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.

Click Shield for Nucleo-32 accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

Chip Enable
PA0
AN
Chip Select (Negative)
PA11
RST
Chip Select (Positive)
PA4
CS
SPI Clock
PB3
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
SPI Data IN
PB5
MOSI
NC
NC
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
Power Save Mode
PA8
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

Boost-INV 2 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Nucleo-144 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU as your development board.

Click Shield for Nucleo-144 front image hardware assembly
Nucleo 144 with STM32L4A6ZG MCU front image hardware assembly
Stepper 22 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Stepper 22 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Nucleo-32 with STM32 MCU Access MB 1 - 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
STM32 M4 Clicker HA MCU/Select 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 Boost-INV 2 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • boostinv2_set_positive_voltage - Functions for set positive output voltage

  • boostinv2_set_negative_voltage - Functions for set negative output voltage

  • boostinv2_generic_transfer - Generic transfer 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 
 * \brief boostinv2 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * First increse positiv voltage by 2V every 3 seconda, then 
 * decrese negative value for -2v every 3 seconds.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Initializes Driver init and enable chip
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * Changes the positive and negative output voltage. 
 * Positive output voltage goes from 5V to 15V. 
 * Negative output voltage goes from -5V to -15V
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "boostinv2.h"

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

static boostinv2_t boostinv2;
static log_t logger;

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

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    boostinv2_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.

    boostinv2_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    BOOSTONV2_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    boostinv2_init( &boostinv2, &cfg );
    
    boostinv2_enable( &boostinv2 );   
}

void application_task ( void )
{
     // Positive output voltage 
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = 6V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_positive_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_POS_VOUT_6V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = 8V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_positive_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_POS_VOUT_8V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = 12V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_positive_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_POS_VOUT_12V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = 14V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_positive_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_POS_VOUT_14V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = 12V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_positive_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_POS_VOUT_12V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = 8V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_positive_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_POS_VOUT_8V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     
     // Negative output voltage 
     
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = -5V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_negative_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_NEG_VOUT_5V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = -7V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_negative_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_NEG_VOUT_7V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = -13V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_negative_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_NEG_VOUT_13V );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     Delay_ms ( 1000 );
     log_printf( &logger, "VOUT = -7V\r\n");
     boostinv2_set_negative_voltage( &boostinv2, BOOSTINV2_NEG_VOUT_7V );
     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

Additional Support

Resources

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