Beginner
10 min

Open the door to a world of IoT opportunities with DTCR-76DA and STM32G474RE

Transcend limits, transmit brilliance

IQRF click with Nucleo 64 with STM32G474RE MCU

Published Nov 08, 2024

Click board™

IQRF click

Dev. board

Nucleo 64 with STM32G474RE MCU

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

STM32G474RE

Experience the next level of wireless excellence with our RF transceiver designed for the 868/916 MHz ISM band, ensuring unparalleled reliability and range for your applications.

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

iqRF Click is based on the DCTR-76DA, an RF transceiver from iqRF, operating in the 868/916 MHz frequency. The click is designed to run on a 3.3V power supply. It communicates with the target microcontroller over SPI or UART interface, with additional functionality provided by the following pins on the mikroBUS™ line: AN, RST, PWM, INT. DTCR-76DA is an RF transceiver operating in the 868/916 MHz license-free ISM (Industry, Scientific, and Medical) frequency band.

Its highly integrated ready-to-use design containing MCU, RF circuitry, serial EEPROM, and optional onboard antenna requires no external components. RF transceiver modules DCTR-72DA fit in the SIM connector. They are fully programmable under the IQRF OS operating system and allow the utilization of hardware profiles under the DPA framework. To upload application codes in DCTRs and configure DCTR parameters, a CK-USB-04A kit is intended. When

the application is uploaded to the IQRF, it can be put in the mikroBUS™ socket and communicate with it with MCU. 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, it comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

IQRF Click top side image
IQRF Click bottom side image

Features overview

Development board

Nucleo-64 with STM32G474R 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 STM32G474RE MCU double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

STM32G474RE front image

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M4

MCU Memory (KB)

512

Silicon Vendor

STMicroelectronics

Pin count

64

RAM (Bytes)

128k

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

Analog Output
PA15
AN
General-Purpose I/O
PC12
RST
SPI Chip Select
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
General-Purpose I/O
PC8
PWM
Interrupt
PC14
INT
UART TX
PA3
TX
UART RX
PA2
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

IQRF click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 accessories 1 image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo 64 with STM32G474RE MCU as your development board.

Click Shield for Nucleo-64 accessories 1 image hardware assembly
Nucleo 64 with STM32G474RE MCU front image hardware assembly
BarGraph 5 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Nucleo-64 with STM32GXXX MCU MB 1 Micro 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 IQRF Click driver.

Key functions:

  • iqrf_generic_single_read - This function read one byte data.

  • iqrf_generic_multi_write - This function writes data.

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 iqRF Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * IQRF Click carries the RF transceiver, operating in the 868/916 MHz frequency.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Application Init performs Logger and Click initialization.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * Checks if new data byte has received in RX buffer ( ready for reading ),
 * and if ready than reads one byte from RX buffer. In the second case, 
 * the application task writes message data via UART. Results are being sent 
 * to the Usart Terminal where you can track their changes.
 * 
 * \author Mihajlo Djordjevic
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "iqrf.h"

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

//#define DEMO_APP_RECEIVER
 #define DEMO_APP_TRANSCEIVER


static iqrf_t iqrf;
static log_t logger;

static const char demo_message[ 9 ] = { 'M', 'i', 'k', 'r', 'o', 'E', 13, 10, 0 };
static char rx_message[ 10 ];
static uint8_t idx;

// ------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS


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

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    iqrf_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 ----" );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );

    //  Click initialization.

    iqrf_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    IQRF_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    iqrf_init( &iqrf, &cfg );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "------------------------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "------------ iqRF  Click -----------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "------------------------------------\r\n" );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    
    iqrf_default_cfg ( &iqrf );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "---------- Initialization ----------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "------------------------------------\r\n" );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    char tmp;
    
#ifdef DEMO_APP_RECEIVER

    // RECEIVER - UART polling

    tmp =  iqrf_generic_single_read( &iqrf );
    log_printf( &logger, " %c ", tmp );
        
#endif
        
#ifdef DEMO_APP_TRANSCEIVER

    // TRANSMITER - TX each 2 sec
        
    uint8_t cnt;
        
    for ( cnt = 0; cnt < 9; cnt ++ )
    {
        iqrf_generic_single_write( &iqrf, demo_message[ cnt ] );
        Delay_ms( 100 );
    }
    
    Delay_ms( 2000 );
       
#endif
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

Additional Support

Resources

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