May | 2012 | Embedded Lab

Monthly Archives: May 2012

chipKIT Tutorial 3: Analog-to-digital conversion

Posted on May 31, 2012 by R-B 2 comments

We live in an analog world where most physical variables are analog signals. However, a microcontroller can only process data that is available in digital format. It is precisely for this reason that the analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) is so important in embedded systems that interact with an analog environment. In this tutorial, we will discuss about the ADC capabilities of chipKIT UNO32 board and illustrate how to read an analog input signal from its ADC channels.

chipKIT Tutorial 2: Serial communication with PC

Posted on May 30, 2012 by R-B Leave a comment

The PIC32 processor on the chipKIT Uno32 board provides two hardware serial ports. One of these is used by the on-board FTDI chip to create an USB-UART interface that allows the MPIDE tool running on the PC to communicate with the Uno32 board through an USB port. In this tutorial, we will use the same USB-UART interface to demonstrate a two-way asynchronous serial communication between the Uno32 and the PC. The Uno32 board receives a serial command through the PC’s USB port to turn an external LED on and off. In return, the Uno32 board acknowledges to the PC by

Have a 360 degree view of your PCB design online

Posted on May 29, 2012 by R-B One comment

3D Gerber Viewer from Mayhew Labs is a free online application that allows you to upload gerber files and generate a 3D model of your PCB. It’s definitely a handy tool to check for any silk-screen, solder mask or other errors in your PCB design, before you send the gerber files to manufacturer. Upload your Gerber files and have a 360 degree view of your PCB design. Pretty neat!

chipKIT Tutorial 1: Digital input and output

Posted on May 26, 2012 by R-B 3 comments

Our first chipKIT tutorial is about reading and writing digital data (0 or 1) from and to an I/O pin of the chipKIT board. Digital inputs are useful to determine whether an incoming digital signal is logic HIGH or logic LOW. A simple application of digital input is reading the state of a push-button switch and perform some action based on if the switch has been pressed or not. Similarly, digital outputs are used by microcontrollers for many purposes, such as to enable or disable an external chip, drive LEDs and LCD displays, control relay switches, etc. In this tutorial,

Getting acquainted with the chipKIT programming tool

Posted on May 26, 2012 by R-B Leave a comment

The overall process of designing a microcontroller-based system is divided into two parts: designing the hardware of the system, and writing the control software for it. Before the design cycle begins, it is important to have good knowledge of the tools available for the chosen development platform. While we already explored the hardware features of the chipKIT UNO32 board in Exploring the chipKIT Uno32 board, it’s time to look at the software development process. The flowchart below gives an overview of how an application program is developed for the chipKIT board.

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