Intermediate
30 min

Create a load-switching solution with L9026 and STM32F031K6

Save your energy when a load isn't needed

SolidSwitch 2 Click with Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU

Published Oct 01, 2024

Click board™

SolidSwitch 2 Click

Dev. board

Nucleo 32 with STM32F031K6 MCU

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32F031K6

Provide power across different loads with individual control of each one

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

SolidSwitch 2 Click is based on the L9026, an automotive multi-channel relay driver optimized for automotive relay and LED applications from STMicroelectronics. Eight channels of the L9026 represent two high-side and six configurable high-side/low-side drivers, which can be driven by an SPI interface or by two dedicated parallel inputs (IN0 and IN1 pins routed to the PWM and INT pins of the mikroBUS™ socket). Operating from an external power supply from 3V up to 18V, it provides a maximum current of 1A on its output terminals. This board is an excellent choice for automotive, resistive, and inductive applications (LEDs and relays) and capacitive loads.

As mentioned, this Click board™ communicates with MCU through a standard SPI interface to control and configure the loads and the device. The L9026 also offers advanced diagnostic and protection features such as short-to-ground, open load, overcurrent, and overtemperature detections, with status feedback of all diagnostic functions provided via the SPI interface. Besides, the L9026 also features Idle mode for reduced current consumption, controlled via IDL pin routed to the AN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket and the “Limp home” mode. This mode allows using two selected drivers in particularly faulty conditions, such as SPI fault, micro fault, or supply undervoltage.

The device can guarantee operations under a cranking scenario with a supply voltage down to 3V, ensuring a low quiescent current under reset conditions. 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. 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.

solidswitch-2-click-hardware-overview

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

Idle Mode
PA0
AN
NC
NC
RST
SPI Chip Select
PA4
CS
SPI Clock
PB3
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PB4
MISO
SPI Data IN
PB5
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
Parallel Command 0
PA8
PWM
Parallel Command 1
PA12
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

SolidSwitch 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 SolidSwitch 2 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • solidswitch2_write_register This function writes a desired data to the selected register by using SPI serial interface.

  • solidswitch2_toggle_in0_pin This function toggles the IN0 pin logic state.

  • solidswitch2_toggle_in1_pin This function toggles the IN1 pin logic 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 SolidSwitch 2 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of SolidSwitch 2 click board by controlling the output state.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and performs the click default configuration which maps outputs as follows:
 * OUT2   - IN0,
 * OUT3   - IN1,
 * OUT4-5 - PWM GEN,
 * OUT6-7 - PWM LED.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Changes the PWM GEN (max to min) and PWM LED (min to max) duty cycle and toggles the IN0 and IN1
 * pins every 250ms. The duty cycle values and INx toggle messages will be displayed on the USB UART.
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "solidswitch2.h"

static solidswitch2_t solidswitch2;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    solidswitch2_cfg_t solidswitch2_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.
    solidswitch2_cfg_setup( &solidswitch2_cfg );
    SOLIDSWITCH2_MAP_MIKROBUS( solidswitch2_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == solidswitch2_init( &solidswitch2, &solidswitch2_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( SOLIDSWITCH2_ERROR == solidswitch2_default_cfg ( &solidswitch2 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    for ( uint16_t duty_cycle = SOLIDSWITCH2_MIN_DUTY_CYCLE; duty_cycle <= SOLIDSWITCH2_MAX_DUTY_CYCLE; duty_cycle += 5 )
    {
        if ( SOLIDSWITCH2_OK == solidswitch2_write_register ( &solidswitch2, SOLIDSWITCH2_REG_PWM_GEN_DC, 
                                                              ( uint8_t ) ( SOLIDSWITCH2_MAX_DUTY_CYCLE - duty_cycle ) ) )
        {
            log_printf ( &logger, " PWM GEN DC: %u\r\n", ( SOLIDSWITCH2_MAX_DUTY_CYCLE - duty_cycle ) );
        }
        if ( SOLIDSWITCH2_OK == solidswitch2_write_register ( &solidswitch2, SOLIDSWITCH2_REG_PWM_LED_DC, ( uint8_t ) duty_cycle ) )
        {
            log_printf ( &logger, " PWM LED DC: %u\r\n", duty_cycle );
        }
        solidswitch2_toggle_in0_pin ( &solidswitch2 );
        log_printf ( &logger, " Toggle IN0 pin\r\n" );
        solidswitch2_toggle_in1_pin ( &solidswitch2 );
        log_printf ( &logger, " Toggle IN1 pin\r\n\n" );
        Delay_ms ( 250 );
    }
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

    for ( ; ; )
    {
        application_task( );
    }
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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