Intermediate
30 min

Make safe data storage with CAV24C512 and PIC18F86J15

Efficient nonvolatile data storage

EEPROM 8 Click with UNI Clicker

Published Apr 03, 2023

Click board™

EEPROM 8 Click

Dev. board

UNI Clicker

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F86J15

Keep your data safe and secure in silicon for a century

A

A

Hardware Overview

How does it work?

EEPROM 8 Click is based on the CAV24C512, a 512-Kb EEPROM with an I2C interface and Write Protection Mode from ON Semiconductor. The CAV24C512 is organized as 65,536 words of 8 bits each and benefits from a wide power supply range and 100 years of data retention combining their unprecedented data storage with excellent energy efficiency. It is highly reliable, lasting one million full-memory read/write/erase cycles. On-chip Error Correction Code (ECC) makes this Click board™ suitable for high-reliability applications where dependable nonvolatile memory storage is essential.

This Click board™ communicates with MCU using the standard I2C 2-Wire interface that supports Standard (100 kHz), Fast (400 kHz), and Fast-Plus (1MHz) modes of operation. The CAV24C512 has a 7-bit slave address with the first five MSBs fixed to 1010. The address pins A0, A1, and A2 are programmed by the user and determine the value of the last three LSBs of the slave address, which can be selected by positioning onboard SMD jumpers labeled as ADDR SEL to an appropriate position marked as 0 or 1. Also, the configurable Write Protection function, the WP pin of the mikroBUS™

socket, allows the user to freeze the entire memory area, thus protecting it from Write instructions. 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.

EEPROM 8 Click top side image
EEPROM 8 Click lateral side image
EEPROM 8 Click bottom side image

Features overview

Development board

UNI Clicker is a compact development board designed as a complete solution that brings the flexibility of add-on Click boards™ to your favorite microcontroller, making it a perfect starter kit for implementing your ideas. It supports a wide range of microcontrollers, such as different ARM, PIC32, dsPIC, PIC, and AVR from various vendors like Microchip, ST, NXP, and TI (regardless of their number of pins), four mikroBUS™ sockets for Click board™ connectivity, a USB connector, LED indicators, buttons, a debugger/programmer connector, and two 26-pin headers for interfacing with external electronics. Thanks to innovative manufacturing technology, it allows you to build

gadgets with unique functionalities and features quickly. Each part of the UNI Clicker development kit contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. In addition to the possibility of choosing the UNI Clicker programming method, using a third-party programmer or CODEGRIP/mikroProg connected to onboard JTAG/SWD header, the UNI Clicker board also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development kit. It provides two ways of board-powering; through the USB Type-C (USB-C) connector, where onboard voltage regulators provide the appropriate voltage levels to each component on the board, or using a Li-Po/Li

Ion battery via an onboard battery connector. All communication methods that mikroBUS™ itself supports are on this board (plus USB HOST/DEVICE), including the well-established mikroBUS™ socket, a standardized socket for the MCU card (SiBRAIN standard), and several user-configurable buttons and LED indicators. UNI Clicker is an integral part of the Mikroe ecosystem, allowing you to create a new application in minutes. Natively supported by Mikroe software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping thanks to a considerable number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing every day.

UNI clicker double image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

8th Generation

Architecture

PIC

MCU Memory (KB)

96

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

80

RAM (Bytes)

3936

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
NC
NC
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
Write Protect
PE0
PWM
NC
NC
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
I2C Clock
PC3
SCL
I2C Data
PC4
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
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Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

EEPROM 8 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

UNI Clicker front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the UNI Clicker as your development board.

UNI Clicker front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
SiBRAIN for STM32F745VG front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
UNI Clicker 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
Necto image step 7 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 EEPROM 8 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • eeprom8_write_page This function writes up to 128 bytes of data starting from the selected register.

  • eeprom8_read_random_byte This function reads one byte data from the desired register.

  • eeprom8_read_sequential This function reads the desired number of bytes starting from the selected register.

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 EEPROM8 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of EEPROM 8 click board by writing specified data to
 * the memory and reading it back.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and USB UART logging.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Task writes a desired number of data bytes to the EEPROM 8 memory 
 * and verifies that it is written correctly by reading from the same memory location and 
 * in case of successful read, displays the memory content on the USB UART. 
 * This is done in two passes.
 *
 * @author Stefan Popovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "eeprom8.h"

static eeprom8_t eeprom8;
static log_t logger;

// Number of test bytes
#define TEST_NBYTES ( 150 )

// Starting address for example
#define TEST_MEM_LOCATION ( EEPROM8_BLOCK_ADDR_START + 1024ul )

static uint8_t  cnt = 0;
static uint8_t  test_write_buffer[ TEST_NBYTES ]  = { 0 };
static uint8_t  test_read_buffer[ TEST_NBYTES ]   = { 0 };
static uint16_t addr_offset = TEST_MEM_LOCATION;

/**
 * @brief First pass function
 * @details This function writes and reads defined number of bytes
 *  with zero values
 * @param[in] ctx  Click object.
 * @param[in] write_buf  Data to be written.
 * @param[out] read_buf  Data to be read.
 * @return @li @c  0 - Success,
 *         @li @c -1 - Error.
 * See #err_t definition for detailed explanation.
 * @note None.
 */
err_t run_first_pass( eeprom8_t* ctx, uint8_t* write_buf, uint8_t* read_buf );

/**
 * @brief Second pass function
 * @details This function writes and reads defined number of bytes
 *  with the values following arithmetical progression
 * @param[in] ctx  Click object.
 * @param[in] write_buf  Data to be written.
 * @param[out] read_buf  Data to be read.
 * @return @li @c  0 - Success,
 *         @li @c -1 - Error.
 * See #err_t definition for detailed explanation.
 * @note None.
 */
err_t run_second_pass( eeprom8_t* ctx, uint8_t* write_buf, uint8_t* read_buf );

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    eeprom8_cfg_t eeprom8_cfg;  /**< Click config object. */
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;          /**< Logger 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.
    eeprom8_cfg_setup( &eeprom8_cfg );
    EEPROM8_MAP_MIKROBUS( eeprom8_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == eeprom8_init( &eeprom8, &eeprom8_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication Init " );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    // Reset variables
    cnt = 0;
    memset( test_read_buffer, 0, sizeof ( test_read_buffer ) );
    addr_offset = TEST_MEM_LOCATION;
    
    // Initiate first pass 
    //  filling the eeprom addresses with zeros 
    if( EEPROM8_ERROR == run_first_pass( &eeprom8, test_write_buffer, test_read_buffer ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " First Pass Failed " );
    }
    
    // Initiate second pass 
    //  filling the eeprom addresses with values following arithmetic sequence with difference of 1 
    if( EEPROM8_ERROR == run_second_pass( &eeprom8, test_write_buffer, test_read_buffer ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Second Pass Failed " );
    }
    
    log_printf( &logger, " \r\nInitiating new iteration\r\n " );
    Delay_ms( 6000 );
}

void main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );

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

// First pass: writing zero values into eeprom memory and reading them back
err_t run_first_pass( eeprom8_t* ctx, uint8_t* write_buf, uint8_t* read_buf )
{
    // Fill write buffer with zeros
    memset( write_buf, 0, TEST_NBYTES );
    
    // Fill whole page with zeros using page write operation
    eeprom8_write_enable( ctx );
    if ( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_write_page( ctx, addr_offset, write_buf ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Write Page Failed " );
        return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
    cnt += EEPROM8_NBYTES_PAGE;
    
    // Fill remaining adresses with zero using byte write operation
    addr_offset += EEPROM8_NBYTES_PAGE;

    while( cnt < TEST_NBYTES )
    {
        if ( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_write_byte( ctx, addr_offset++, 0 ) )
        {
            log_error( &logger, " Write %d. Byte Failed ", ( uint16_t ) cnt );
            return EEPROM8_ERROR;
        }
        cnt++;
        Delay_10ms( );
    }
    eeprom8_write_protect( ctx );

    Delay_1sec( );
    
    // Read defined number of bytes starting from the test memory location
    addr_offset = TEST_MEM_LOCATION;
    if ( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_read_sequential( ctx, addr_offset, TEST_NBYTES, read_buf ) )
    {
         log_error( &logger, "Read Sequential Failed" );
         return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
  
    // compare written and read buffers and log data in case of a match 
    if ( memcmp( write_buf, read_buf, sizeof( write_buf ) ) == 0 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, 
                    " \r\nFirst pass: reading %d bytes data starting from eeprom address 0x%x\r\n ", 
                    ( uint16_t ) TEST_NBYTES, 
                    ( uint32_t ) TEST_MEM_LOCATION );
        for ( cnt = 0; cnt < TEST_NBYTES; cnt++ )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, " %d", ( uint16_t ) read_buf[ cnt ] );
            Delay_ms( 50 );
        }
    
        log_printf( &logger, "\r\n\r\n" );
    }
    else
    {
        return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
    return EEPROM8_OK;
}

// Second pass: writing incremental values into eeprom memory and reading them back
err_t run_second_pass( eeprom8_t* ctx, uint8_t* write_buf, uint8_t* read_buf )
{
    for ( cnt = 0; cnt < TEST_NBYTES; cnt++ )
    {
        write_buf[ cnt ] = cnt + 1;
    }
    // Write buffer data using page write operation
    cnt = 0;
    eeprom8_write_enable( ctx );
    if ( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_write_page( ctx, addr_offset, write_buf ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Write Page Failed ");
        return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
    cnt += EEPROM8_NBYTES_PAGE;
    
    // Write remaining buffer data using byte write operation
    addr_offset += EEPROM8_NBYTES_PAGE;

    while ( cnt < TEST_NBYTES )
    {
        if ( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_write_byte( ctx, addr_offset++, write_buf[ cnt++ ] ) )
        {
            log_error( &logger, " Write %d. Byte Failed ", ( uint16_t ) cnt );
            return EEPROM8_ERROR;
        }
        Delay_10ms( );
    }
    eeprom8_write_protect( ctx );

    Delay_ms( 1000 );
    
    // Read bytes of the page size starting from the test memory location
    addr_offset = TEST_MEM_LOCATION;
    if ( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_read_sequential( ctx, addr_offset, EEPROM8_NBYTES_PAGE, read_buf ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Read Sequential Failed " );
        return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
    
    // Read two bytes with random byte read operation
    addr_offset += EEPROM8_NBYTES_PAGE;
    cnt = EEPROM8_NBYTES_PAGE;

    if( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_read_random_byte( ctx, addr_offset, &read_buf[ cnt++ ] ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Read %d. Random Byte Failed ", ( uint16_t ) cnt-1 );
        return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
    ++addr_offset;
    if( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_read_random_byte( ctx, addr_offset, &read_buf[ cnt++ ] ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Read %d. Random Byte Failed ", ( uint16_t ) cnt-1 );
        return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
    
    // Read the rest of the bytes with current address read operation
    while ( cnt < TEST_NBYTES )
    {
        if( EEPROM8_ERROR == eeprom8_read_current_byte( ctx, &read_buf[ cnt++ ] ) )
        {
            log_error( &logger, " Read %d. Current Byte Failed ", ( uint16_t ) cnt-1 );
            return EEPROM8_ERROR;
        }
    }
    // compare written and read buffers and log data in case of a match
    if ( memcmp( write_buf, read_buf, TEST_NBYTES ) == 0 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, 
                    " \r\nSecond pass: reading %d bytes data starting from eeprom address 0x%x\r\n ", 
                    ( uint16_t ) TEST_NBYTES, 
                    ( uint32_t ) TEST_MEM_LOCATION );
        for ( cnt = 0; cnt < TEST_NBYTES; cnt++ )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, " %d", ( uint16_t )read_buf[ cnt ] );
            Delay_ms( 50 );
        }
    
        log_printf( &logger, "\r\n\r\n" );
    }
    else
    {
        return EEPROM8_ERROR;
    }
    return EEPROM8_OK;
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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