academic newsletter fall 2012 - microchip...

Academic NewsletterFall 2012

www.microchip.com/academic

Greetings Academics!This quarter’s edition of the Academic Newsletter covers a number of topics including some recent developments that should prove useful to our Academic Partners.

Roving Networks Microchip Technology recently acquired Roving Networks (www.rovingnetworks.com) expanding our wireless offering with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity options for our PIC microcontrollers. This edition will explain how easily Wi-Fi can now be added to your next Academic project.

New Microchip MPLAB® XC CompilersA new simplified line of Microchip C compilers is now available for all PIC MCUs and dsPIC DSCs offering improved code execution and reduced code size. The new MPLAB XC compilers will replace our legacy MPLAB and Hi-Tech C compilers moving forward. Of course, Academics will still enjoy FREE versions that feature no code-size restrictions or time outs.

As always if you have any questions or comments on these or any other topics, do not hesitate to contact our Academic team at [email protected].

Thanks for reading!

Marc McComb, Editor

In This Issue...Fall 2012

Microchip's Wi-Fi® Solutions are Great for Academics! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Featured Textbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Embedded Device for GSM Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Automatic Remote Controlled Hand . . . . . . . 7

Microchip Simplifies C Compiler Line, Provides Best Execution Speed and Code Size for All PIC® MCUs and dsPIC® DSCs . . . . . . . . . . . 9

CCS Compiler Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Recently Released App Notes . . . . . . . . . . 10

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Fall 2012 2www.microchip.com/academic

Microchip Academic Partners Newsletter

Recently, Microchip Technology announced the acquisition of a company called Roving Networks. To be quite honest, I hadn’t heard of the company before this but was curious to learn more about them and see how their products could fit into the Academic Space. What I found was a very elegant solution that could literally add Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® connectivity to an application in a matter of minutes. We will concentrate on the Wi-Fi products here but for more information on Bluetooth technologies, please visit www.microchip.com/Bluetooth.

How do Roving Networks Wi-Fi Solutions Work?Essentially, Roving Networks offers a high-quality, low-power and extremely easy-to-use series of certified Wi-Fi modules. These are intended to be “drop-in” solutions that minimize the learning curve for these technologies, thereby reducing development cycles. The modules connect to serial peripherals such as a UART or SPI and communicate using a very basic set of ASCII commands. This means that as long as your MCU has one of these common peripherals, you should be able to add Wi-Fi functionality to your application.

In fact, these modules actually integrate a TCP/IP stack on-board eliminating the need for higher memory MCU devices. No more scratching your head trying to figure out how to communicate over the UART with a computer that only has USB ports on it.

Figure 1: Simple block diagram of Wi-Fi application using Roving Networks WiFly module

Some DetailsThe Roving Networks WiFly Wi-Fi modules come in a couple of different versions.

RN131The RN131, an 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi module, is a complete, ultra-low power embedded Wi-Fi solution. The combination of ultra-low power and the ability to wake-up, connect to

a wireless network, and send data less than 100 milliseconds, and return to sleep mode in less than 100 milliseconds, allows the RN131 to run for years on two standard AAA batteries. Using only 35 mA when awake and 4 µA when off, this remarkable power efficiency makes possible a new class of internet-enabled products.

The RN131 is available in 2 temperature grades. The RN131G is rated for industrial operating temperatures (−40°C to +85°C). The RN131C has all the features and capabilities of the RN131G, but is rated for commercial temperature (0°C to +70°C). The RN131C is the perfect choice for those looking for a complete, low power, lower cost Wi-Fi module.

RN171The RN171 is a small form factor, ultra-low power embedded TCP/IP module measuring only 27 × 18 × 3.1 mm. The RN171, like the RN131, is a full-featured 802.11 b/g

surface mount module. The RN171 is a standalone, complete Wi-Finetworking module. Due to its small form factor and extremely low power consumption, it is perfect for mobile wireless applications such as asset monitoring, sensors, and portable battery operated devices.

Microchip's Wi-Fi Solutions are Great for Academics!By Marc McComb

Continued on next page...

www.microchip.com/bluetooth



Figure 2: Block Diagram of RN131/171 WiFly modules

More InformationFor more information on the Roving Networks WiFly modules or Microchip’s other Wireless solutions, please visit www.microchip.com/wireless.

To find out more about how to integrate these solutions into your curriculum or next project, please contact your Microchip Academic Program at [email protected].

Continued from previous page...

Featured TextbookUsing LEDs, LDCs and GLCDs in Microcontroller ProjectsBy Dogan Ibrahim

This textbook by experienced author and Professor Dogan Ibrahim explains the use of displays in microcontroller-based projects. Prof. Ibrahim makes extensive use of real-world, tested projects. The complete details of each project are given, including the full circuit diagram and source code. The author explains how to program microcontrollers (in C language) with LED, LCD and GLCD displays; and gives a brief theory about the operation, advantages and disadvantages of each type of display.

Key Features ■ Covers topics such as: Displaying text on LCDs, Scrolling text on LCDs, Displaying

graphics on GLCDs, Simple GLCD based games, Environmental monitoring using GLCDs (e.g. temperature displays)

■ Uses C programming throughout the book, the basic principles of programming using C language and introductory information about PIC microcontroller architecture will also be provided

■ Includes the highly popular PIC MCU series of microcontrollers using the medium range PIC18 family of microcontrollers in the book

■ Provides a detailed explanation of Visual GLCD and Visual TFT with examples ■ Companion website hosting program listings and data sheets ■ Contains the extensive use of visual aids for designing LED, LCD and GLCD displays to help readers to understand the

details of programming the displays: screen-shots, tables, illustrations, and figures, as well as end of chapter exercises

Using LEDs, LCDS, and GLCDs in Microcontroller Projects is an application oriented book providing a number of design projects. This textbook is a practical and accessible resource for electrical & electronic engineering, computer engineering, senior undergraduates, postgraduates and practicing engineers designing with microcontrollers.

The book is available through Amazon.Hardcover: 496 pagesPublisher: Wiley; 1 edition (November 13, 2012)Language: English

ISBN-10: 1119940702ISBN-13: 978-1119940708Visit the textbook’s homepage: http://www.wiley-vch.de/publish/en/books/ISBN978-1-119-94070-8

www.microchip.com/wireless



DescriptionThis article presents an embedded system used for GSM communication designed around the Microchip dsPIC digital signal controller. The GSM communication is compliant with the ITU-T V.24 standard (see Figure 1). The system is capable of transmitting voice, SMS, encrypted SMS, and GPS positioning. The project represents Ovidiu Plugariu’s final graduation project.

To create a practical embedded design, the chosen solution was to use a dsPIC33FJ256GP710A digital signal controller (DSC) available on the mikroMMB for dsPIC33 development kit from Mikroelectronika (see Figure 2). The DSC has the role of data terminal equipment (DTE).

Figure 3: Microchip M2M PICtail™ daughter board

The u-blox Leon G200 GSM controller is available on the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) PICtail™ daughter board available from Microchip (see Figure 3), which is the data communication equipment (DCE).

The boards were chosen as they both allowed other peripherals to be connected in order to integrate the required functions. The full block diagram of the communication system is shown in Figure 4.

DataTerminalEquipment(DTE)

DataCommunication

Equipment(DCE)

TxD

RxD

RTS

CTS

DSR

RI

DCD

DTR

TxD

RxD

RTS

CTS

DSR

RI

DCD

DTR

Figure 1: The ITU-T Rec V.24 protocol

Figure 2: Mikroelektronika mikroMMB for dsPIC33

The microMMB board is equipped with a resistive touch screen enabling the MMI (Man-Machine Interface). The interface contains various graphical elements, such as a QWERTY keyboard or a call pad. It is stored onto a 2 GB SD card so no dsPIC DSC memory is used. The communication between the two boards is achieved using the u-blox standard AT command set via an UART post.

Because of software complexity issues, a simple and effective method had to be created for developing and debugging the application. This was done by activating the dsPIC DSC Rx interrupts on both USART ports, and also by making a software connection between the Rx1 (USART1) and Tx2 (USART2) and vice versa (see Figure 5).

TFT Screen 320x240

MIO283QT2

HX8347D

Display Driver

mikroMMB for dsPIC33

(DTE)

dsPIC33FJ256GP710A Leon G200

Neo 6Q GPSAntenna

M2M PICtail

(DCE)

GPSAntenna

High-gain

microSD FT232

Mini

USB

Power

Supply

MicSpeaker

Figure 4: System block diagram

Hyperterminal

Application

Software

FTDI

Driver

Rx

Tx

PC USB

Slot

FT232

USBDP USBDM

Rx

Tx

dsPIC

Leon

G200

RxD

TxD

USART1 USART2

Figure 5: Communication between system devices

Embedded Device for GSM CommunicationBy Ovidiu Plugariu, Cristian Molder, PhD, Military Technical Academy, Romania Robotics Club (roboticsclub.ro)




Because this is a mobile phone application, the graphical menu must be very intuitive and easy to use. The user menu has been designed using Visual TFT, an easy and intuitive application from Mikroelektronika (see Figures 6 and 8). All graphical elements are stored on a SD card, occupying a memory area three times the size of the dsPIC DSCs internal memory. The elements are loaded from the card only when needed.

All software routines are based on an interrupt predefined layer. This approach is well suited for this type of application because the dsPIC DSC can be set in sleep mode if there is no need for him to operate (see Figure 7). Also the interrupts are prioritized, the highest being given to the GSM controller.

Figure 6: GUI state diagram (screenshots)

Start

Interrupt priority

UART1_Rx UART2_Rx ADC TMR1

Software routines

Stop

Figure 7: Interrupts priority layer

FeaturesAn important feature of the device is the SMS encryption application which uses the PRNG (Pseudo Random Number Generator) or the AES algorithm. Because there are text source coding conditions that need to be respected when sending GSM messages, a routine was created to send and receive encrypted messages to any type of GSM controller or encryption algorithm (see Figure 9).

The user can also find his current GPS position by using the NEO-6Q module included in the M2M PICtail development board. The device can compute the current position indoor by using the high gain GPS antenna.

Init Screen

First

Authentication

Main Menu

Unauthorized

User

GPS Menu Open Inbox

MessagesMessage

Type

CallsCypher Screen

Settings

Figure 8: GUI state diagram (blocks)

Continued from previous page...




A result of one such measurement is shown in Figure 10 using the Google.Maps application. The error is approximate 5m for an indoor measurement.

QWERTY

Phone number

Message

SEED LFSR

Leon G200

Send SMS

Inbox

Encrypted

Message

SEED LFSR

Leon G200

Receive SMS

Mobile

cells

Phone number

Message

H E L L O \oPlain text

, ù K ® þ \oEncrypted text

Encryption

16-bit character text

CharToHex

2 7 F 9 4 8 A E D E \o

SMS network sending procedure

2 7 F 9 4 8 A E D E \o

, ù K ® þ \oEncrypted text

16-bit character text

HexToChar

Decryption

H E L L O \oPlain text

Figure 9: Encrypted SMS routines

Figure 10: GPS positioning result

Continued from previous page... Taking example from a common mobile phone, the user has the possibility of changing the ringtone (from GSM controller internal MIDI player), to modify the volume on the loudspeaker and microphone or to change the PRNG seed (see Figure 11).

ConclusionsThis project exemplifies the capabilities of the mikroMMB and M2M PICtail development boards to creating complex applications including graphics, communications, data encryption and signal processing.

The Leon G200 has a peak current of 2.5A when communicating with the GSM network, while during initial connection the current is only 200 mA with the touch screen activated. That is also helpful to explain why mobile phones discharge their batteries so fast when used.

Future developments may include software routines that send “*.kml” files to the Google.Maps server for displaying the current position on the map.

References[1] Using PIC32 MCUs to Develop GSM/GPRS/GPS Solutions (DS01373A), Microchip Application Note AN1373, 2011;

[2] u-blox Wireless Modules. Data and Voice Modules. AT Commands Manual (WLS-SW-11000-2), u-blox, 2012;

[3] List of definitions for interchange circuits between data terminal equipment (DTE) and data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE), ITU Recommendation V.24, 2002.

Figure 11: The settings menu GUI



Automatic Remote Controlled HandBy Narcis Costiuc, Cristian Molder, PhD, Military Technical Academy, Romania Robotics Club (roboticsclub.ro)

DescriptionThis article presents a robotic hand controlled via a Bluetooth wireless communication using a glove mounted on a user’s hand. The lime wood robotic hand can almost instantly replicate the finger motions of the user acquired with the help of several flex resistors mounted on the glove. The project represents Narcis Costiuc’s Digilent Design Contest 2012 Europe Finals project and it was awarded the 3rd Prize from Microchip Romania and 4th place overall.

The project features controlled movement of five fingers and wrist using six RC servo motors. In order to ease the hand manufacturing lime, wood was used (see Figure 1).

Each of the six RC servo motors is implanted in the forearm (see Figure 2). Their role is to move each finger in a single sense, the reverse motion being accomplished by springs mounted in the opposite side of the hand.

Each finger is connected to its RC servo motor using fishing thread. All RC servo motors are controlled simultaneously to achieve a real-time data transmission.

The glove control contains six flex resistors as motion sensors designed to detect each finger’s movements (see Figure 3). The flex resistors are part of a voltage divider circuit to send analog signals to the microcontroller analog inputs.

Figure 1: The robotic hand made from lime wood

Figure 2: The robotic hand with RC servos mounted

The glove MCU acquires analog signals from the voltage dividers, converts and then interprets them. Resulting commands are then transmitted via Bluetooth to the automatic hand. The Bluetooth transceivers are the Roving Networks RN-42.

Each RC motor will move a wrist in only one direction. On the opposite side of the hand, a spring will hold a finger in its relaxed position while a corresponding RC servo will move the finger to a flexed position (see Figure 4).

In initial position, all fingers are stretched. When the RC servo receives the signal from the glove MCU, its microcontroller will interpret and send commands to rotate and close the finger. When the glove MCU sends the signal corresponding to the stretched position, the RC servo will rotate in the opposite direction and the springs will pull the fingers to the initial position.

Figure 3: The control glove with flex sensors

M2

M3

M4

M5

M6

M1

Figure 4: The six RC servo motors




The six sensors are connected using the analog ports of the microcontroller using the voltage divider principle. This way, two resistors are used for each finger: RF (which is a fixed resistor) and RFLEX (the flexible resistor). The voltage divider is connected to the 5V supply from a Texas Instruments TL750M05 low dropout linear voltage regulator. The divider voltages are used as inputs for the microcontroller analog-to-digital converter (see Figure 5).

The microcontrollers used for this project are the new Microchip enhanced 8-bit mid-range PIC16F1937 and the 8-bit high-range PIC18F4520 (see Figure 6). The PIC16F1937 microcontroller on the hand is designed to capture the information sent via Bluetooth in digital format as it was sent by the glove PIC18F4520 microcontroller using numbers ranging from 0 to 1023, corresponding to voltages between 0 and 4.5V.

The servo motors rotate from −90 degrees to + 90 degrees and have the torque increased. The minimum zero volt value is associated to the −90 degrees position of the RC servo shaft, while the maximum 4.5V value corresponds to the +90 degrees position of the shaft. The RC servo motors use PWM pulses

RF

RFLEX

MCU

(PIC16F1937)

5V

Figure 5: The flex resistor in a voltage divider circuit

Flex Resistors

x6

MCU

(PIC18F4520)

Bluetooth

(RN-42)

Glove

RC Servos

(Hitec HS-422)

2x MCU

(PIC16F1937)

Bluetooth

(RN-42)

Robotic Hand

Figure 6: The block diagram

Continued from previous page... with a fixed 50 Hz frequency and adjustable duty cycle, corresponding to the finger position. Two PIC16F1938 devices were used to generate the six PWMs using their internal CCP modules.

The robotic hand’s microcontroller receives data from the Bluetooth transceiver, then processes it, and generates six PWM pulses for each RC servo motor control.

The glove and the hand are each powered from two 3.7V lithium batteries, providing 7.4V at the input of the 5V voltage regulators. To provide sufficient current to the RC servos, the hand is powered from three identical voltage regulators mounted in parallel.

ConclusionsThe project here described is a proof of concept for a more evolved tool that can have multiple applications in medicine, defense or industry.

In medicine it can be used as a bionic hand that can be controlled by voice and implemented for people with disabilities at low price.

In defense, the arm can be controlled for defusing bombs and for EOD robots.

In industry, the project can be useful when working with hazardous substances.

Last, but not the least, the robotic hand can be used as a hobby, just for fun and for learning robotics, as it can be seen in Figure 7.

Figure 7: The designer using the robotic hand to shake hand with a colleague



Microchip Simplies C Compiler Line, Provides Best Execution Speed and Code Size for All PIC MCUs and dsPIC DSCsMPLAB® XC Offers Three Compiler Options—One Each for 8-, 16- and 32-bit; Improves Code Execution Speed by About 30% and Reduces Code Size by About 35%

Microchip announced from DESIGN West in San Jose, Calif., MPLAB XC—its simplified line of C compilers that provide the best execution speed and code size for all ~900 PIC microcontrollers (MCUs) and dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs). The MPLAB XC8, XC16 and XC32 compilers offer reduced complexity for 8, 16 and 32-bit designers, with three cost-effective optimization levels: Free, Standard and Pro; the Pro editions can be evaluated for free for 60 days. Additionally, MPLAB XC provides support for the Linux, Mac OS® and Windows® operating systems, enabling designers to use their platform of choice for embedded development.

Another important consideration for today’s designers is the ability to re-use their code and easily migrate to the level of microcontroller performance and features that best suits the needs of each project. These have always been strengths for Microchip, and MPLAB XC continues that tradition by making it easy to move code from any of Microchip’s existing compilers. Additionally, MPLAB XC completes Microchip’s tool chain of compatible compilers and debugger/programmers that operate seamlessly within the universal, cross-platform

and open-source MPLAB X integrated development environment, reducing both learning curves and tool investments. MPLAB XC compilers are also compatible with the legacy MPLAB IDE.

Simplicity, execution speed, code size, cost and cross-platform support are all vitally important to embedded designers, from academics and hobbyists to seasoned professionals working for global OEMs, who are all challenged to do more for less, and faster. The new MPLAB XC compiler line meets all of these needs, while expanding the industry-leading levels of compatibility and easy migration that Microchip’s customers have come to expect.

Many designers need a free C compiler. The -, 16- and 32-bit Free editions of Microchip’s MPLAB XC compilers offer many optimizations, are fully functional and have no license restrictions for commercial use. For those who want to test their code with the Pro optimization levels, which are approximately 50% better than the Free editions, Microchip also offers evaluation editions with Pro optimization levels that last for 60 days, after which they convert to the Free compilers. Like the Free editions, the evaluation editions are fully functional and have no license restrictions for commercial usage.

To further support the diverse requirements of embedded developers, Microchip is now offering the ability to purchase both single-user licenses and the full suite of MPLAB XC compilers for all ~900 8, 16 and 32-bit PIC MCUs and dsPIC DSCs. Additionally, organizations with multiple engineers can purchase a floating network license, where the compiler is hosted on that company’s Intranet for easy access by all of its designers.

The MPLAB XC8, MPLAB XC16 and MPLAB XC32 compilers are available today. Prices for this new XC line have been reduced up to 60%, and the Pro editions provide industry-leading value at $995. Download the Free editions, or evaluate the paid options with increased code and speed optimizations.



Fall 2012 • This newsletter is sponsored by Microchip Technology Inc. The items contained herein are published as submitted and are provided for general information purposes only. This information is not advice. Readers should not rely solely on this information, but should make their own inquiries before making any decisions. Microchip works to maintain up-to-date information from reliable sources; however, no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions or results of any actions based upon this information. This newsletter may contain links to web sites that are created and maintained by other organizations. Microchip Technology does not necessarily endorse the views expressed on these web sites, nor does it guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information presented there. Information subject to change. The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, dsPIC, MPLAB, PIC and UNI/O are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. In-Circuit Serial Programming, ICSP, mTouch, PICDEM, PICkit and PICtail are trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. ©2012 Microchip Technology Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11/12

CCS Compiler UpdatesDid you know that CCS continues to add innovative features to its line of popular C compilers? In case you haven’t heard, CCS makes easy-to-use C compilers for 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs. CCS compilers have lots of great features, including:

■ Built-in documentation generator (IDE version) ■ Flowchart editor (IDE version) ■ Mouse-over function documentation (IDE version) ■ Fixed point variables ■ Bit variables and arrays ■ Ability to locate variables in user-defined

memory space ■ Rom variables that can be written to (on any device

that supports table reads and writes)

CCS recently added new built-in functions to support the latest peripherals on Microchip MCUs. Version 4.135 includes support for Configurable Logic Cell (CLC), Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM), Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG), Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO) and Data Signal Modulator (DSM). And, soon to be released in version 5.0 is a powerful new C Profiler that collects statistics on any application, displays diagnostic messages and dynamically displays call trace information.

Call for Beta Testers.

CCS is currently seeking beta testers for v5.0 CCS compilers are available for sale on microchipDIRECT.

Visit the CCS homepage at www.cssinfo.com

Recently Released App Notes

Title Date Published

Recommended Usage of Microchip 23XX512/23XX1024 Serial SRAM Devices Nov. 19, 2012

mTouch Sensing Solution Acquisition Methods Capactivie Voltage Divider Nov. 14, 2012

Sensorless BLDC Control with Back-EMF Filtering Using a Majority Function Nov. 10, 2012

Voltage-Controlled Oscillator with Linear Frequency Output Nov. 9, 2012

AN1471 – Efficiency Analysis of a Synchronous Buck Converter using Microsoft Office Excel-Based Loss Calculator Nov. 9, 2012

AN1452 – Using the MCP19035 Synchronous Buck Converter Design Tool Nov. 8, 2012

Combining the CLC and NCO to Implement a High Resolution PWM Nov. 7, 2012

Peripheral Breif: Programmable Switch Mode Controller (PSMC) Oct. 30, 2012

Manchester Decoder Using the CLC and NCO Oct. 17, 2012

Data Encryption Routines for PIC32 and dsPIC DSC Devices Oct. 4, 2012

www.cssinfo.com

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