Easylab board: Description & MPLAB IDE Library

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Description

Easylab board is prototyping board developed by Evidence Srl. It's essentially an expansion board of the Microchip Microstick dsPIC33F and PIC24H Development Board.

EasyLab simple diagram block

Key Features:

  • RS232 to USB Interface to PC for board control.
  • Power supply 5V DC from USB cable.
  • miniUSB In-System Programming (ISP) for Microstick module.
  • 8 Pin I/O, configurable as input or output, for general use.
  • 8 LEDS on each I/O pin.
  • 2 Configurable Output PWM to drive dc-motor in motion control.
  • 2 Low Pass Filter on each PWM to obtain a programmable dc voltage.
  • All I/O ports easily accessible through pin header connectors.

Easylab simple Library

There is a very simple library in the Easylab Software Packet. The library consists in a C file (easylab.c) and the relative header file (easylab.h). These files have written to be compiled by Microchip C30 compiler. In the EasyLab library use some Microchip C30's API , so is necessary to install a Microchip C30 compiler for dsPIC (we tested with version 3.25) for try them.

API Software description:

  • Configure dspic pins in realation with board layout
  • Set/Get actual clock frequency (with internal FRC with PLL)
  • Turn on/off & toggle leds
  • Read/Write DIO pins
  • Configure up to 2 General Purpose Timers
  • Start and stop a buzzer with a given forcing frequency
  • Configure one of 4 ADC channels and sample that synchronously
  • Configure 2 couple of PWM pins in any combination of PWM/override, with given frequency and duty cycle
  • Serial comunication with UART serial over USB

The library has been coded with dsPIC33FJ64MC802 as only test target, even though Microstick package come with a PIC24FJ64GP too.

Easylab Library in a MPLAB's example

Easylab Library comes with a complete example that shows the usage of some features of the board like PWM, ADC, Buzzer, USB/Serial and leds. The library and the MPLAB's. project are placed in the Easylab Software Packet.
In the How Compile and Run a MPLAB's project are placed all the instruction to do it.
At the beginning the test configure the PWM and the ADC channels. Then, using a simple cable, the user can connect the analogic output (AOx for PWM channel x) to the AD converter (ANx for ADC channel x). The value measured by the AD converter is then transmitted to the PC. You can interact with the application with any serial console (e.g Putty.exe, HyperTerminal, HTerm etc...).

So application steps are:

  1. Select the PWM channel.
  2. Select the ADC channel.
  3. Set the desired voltage value.
  4. Connect the cable and measure the output voltage.

You can send 'ESC' char to restart the demo.


Compile & Run the example

To compile and run the example you should use MPLAB IDE v8.66 or later and follow these steps:

  1. Create a project directory and put all Easylab Library files inside (easylab.h, easylab.c, main.c).
  2. Open MPLAB IDE and start a new Project Wizard ([MAIN MENU] Project-> [ITEM] Project Wizard...). Following steps are made inside wizard procedure.
  3. Connect your Easylab with supply-communication cable and connect you microstick board with programmer cable to your computer
  4. select dsPIC33FJ64MC802 as target device ([Main Menu] Configure -> Select Device...)
  5. Choose your Toolsuite (Microchip C30 Toolsuite), eventually give the path to the tools if MPLAB IDE is not able to found them by it self.
  6. Create a new Project file browsing for the previously created project directory and giving a name to project file in "Save Project As" dialog.
  7. Add all Easylab Library files at your project.
  8. After click next until the end of wizard you could uncomment all needed compile defines at begin of easylab.h file or add them to your project build options ([Project CONTEXT MENU] (right click on the project) -> [ITEM] Build Options... -> [TAB] MPLAB C30 ->[GROUP] Preprocessr Macros -> [BUTTON] Add) .
  9. Build your project ([Project CONTEXT MENU] -> [ITEM] Build All).
  10. Select Starter Kits programmer ([MAIN MENU] Programmer -> [SUB MENU] Select Programmer -> [ITEM] Starter Kits)
  11. Open a Serial Terminal (e.g. Putty.exe, HTerm.exe). Configure the port, baud rate (115200),data bits(8 bit), stop bits (1 bit) and parity bits (none). DON'T enable CTS. Connet to the channel.
  12. Program your board ([MAIN TOLLBAR] ->[BUTTON] Program (It should have been appeared after you selected the programmer))
  13. Enjoy the kitt effect and a nice stadium choir. :)
  14. Look at your serial teminal, you should get the example instruction on the console.
  15. Have fun with it. :D
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