Integrate USB connectivity into your projects with FT2232 and STM32G474RE
Highly capable USB to serial interface converter
Published Nov 08, 2024
Click board™
FTDI Click
Dev. board
Nucleo 64 with STM32G474RE MCU
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
STM32G474RE
Achieve high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity to serial interfaces such as UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), and SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface)
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
FTDI Click is based on the FT2232H, a 5th-generation high-speed USB to a serial interface converter from FTDI, capable of configuration in various industry standard serial or parallel interfaces. The entire USB protocol is handled on the chip, with no USB-specific firmware programming requirements. Still, it requires USB device drivers for operation, which are free from the official FTDI page. It can work at high speed (480Mbps) and full speed (12Mbps), depending on the usage, alongside a dual Multi-Protocol Synchronous Serial Engine (MPSSE) used to simplify synchronous serial protocol between USB and available interfaces. The FT2232H can communicate with the host MCU over the mikroBUS™ socket using one of the available interfaces (UART, I2C, SPI). The SPI interface can be used as is, while one of the other two has to be selected by the I2C UART jumper, with UART
chosen as a default. Each interface is compatible with an LED indicator marked as TX/RX that signals data transmission. In addition to the communication pins, this board has some additional routed to the RST, PWM, and INT pins of the mikroBUS™ socket and marked as BC0, BC1, and BC2 used for configuration purposes for the MPSSE, or FIFO interface. For additional information on these pins, consult the attached FT2232H datasheet. This Click board™ also features the CAT93C46, a 1K-bit serial EEPROM from Catalyst Semiconductor that can be accessed directly from the FT2232H. The FT2232H uses external EEPROM to configure operational configuration mode and USB description strings. The EEPROM also allows each FTDI channel to be independently configured. It customizes various values and parameters, including remoted Wake Up, power descriptor value, and more. In addition,
FTDI Click features the MCP4921, a 12-bit DAC from Microchip, that communicates with the host MCU over an SPI serial interface of the mikroBUS™ socket. Activated using an FTDI signal over a BD4, it can be used as a reference for external peripherals with a value from the VO pin routed to the AN pin of the mikroBUS™ socket. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. Considering that the board can be powered via USB and used as a standalone device, using an additional LDO, the AP7331, in this way, the existence of the voltage of both mikroBUS™ power lines is ensured. The board must complete the proper logic voltage level conversion before use with MCUs with different logic levels. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library from FTDI, containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.
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.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
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.
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 64 with STM32G474RE 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 FTDI Click driver.
Key functions:
ftdi_generic_write- This function writes a desired number of data bytes by using UART serial interfaceftdi_generic_read- This function reads a desired number of data bytes by using UART serial interface
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 FTDI Click Example.
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of FTDI click by echoing back all the received messages.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes the driver and logger.
*
* ## Application Task
* Any data which the host PC sends to the Virtual COM Port (for example, typed into the terminal
* window in UART Terminal) will be sent over USB to the click board and then it will be read and
* echoed back by the MCU to the PC where the terminal program will display it. The data will also
* be displayed on the USB UART.
*
* @author Stefan Filipovic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "ftdi.h"
static ftdi_t ftdi;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
ftdi_cfg_t ftdi_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.
ftdi_cfg_setup( &ftdi_cfg );
FTDI_MAP_MIKROBUS( ftdi_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
if ( UART_ERROR == ftdi_init( &ftdi, &ftdi_cfg ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
uint8_t rx_data = 0;
if ( ftdi_generic_read ( &ftdi, &rx_data, 1 ) > 0 )
{
ftdi_generic_write ( &ftdi, &rx_data, 1 );
log_printf( &logger, "%c", rx_data );
}
}
int main ( void )
{
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
return 0;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
