Step Down 8 Click

Step Down 8 Click is a compact add-on board that converts higher voltages into a lower voltage level. This board features the MAX25232, a mini buck converter from Analog Devices. It is designed to deliver up to 3A with 3.5V to 36V input voltages while using only 3.5μA quiescent current at no load.

Click Product page

Click library

• Author : Stefan Ilic
• Date : Jul 2023.
• Type : I2C type

Software Support

We provide a library for the Step Down 8 Click as well as a demo application (example), developed using MikroElektronika compilers. The demo can run on all the main MikroElektronika development boards.

Package can be downloaded/installed directly from NECTO Studio Package Manager(recommended way), downloaded from our LibStock™ or found on Mikroe github account.

Library Description

This library contains API for Step Down 8 Click driver.

Standard key functions :

• stepdown8_cfg_setup Config Object Initialization function.

  void stepdown8_cfg_setup ( stepdown8_cfg_t *cfg );

• stepdown8_init Initialization function.

  err_t stepdown8_init ( stepdown8_t *ctx, stepdown8_cfg_t *cfg );

• stepdown8_default_cfg Click Default Configuration function.

  err_t stepdown8_default_cfg ( stepdown8_t *ctx );

Example key functions :

• stepdown8_set_en_pin Step Down 8 set EN pin state function.

  void stepdown8_set_en_pin ( stepdown8_t *ctx, uint8_t pin_state );

• stepdown8_set_wiper_pos Step Down 8 set wiper position.

  err_t stepdown8_set_wiper_pos ( stepdown8_t *ctx, uint16_t wiper_pos );

• stepdown8_set_output Step Down 8 set output voltage.

  err_t stepdown8_set_output ( stepdown8_t *ctx, float voltage );

Example Description

This library contains API for the Step Down 8 Click driver. This driver provides the functions to set the output voltage treshold.

The demo application is composed of two sections :

Application Init

Initialization of I2C module and log UART. After driver initialization, default settings sets output voltage to 3 V.

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    stepdown8_cfg_t stepdown8_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.
    stepdown8_cfg_setup( &stepdown8_cfg );
    STEPDOWN8_MAP_MIKROBUS( stepdown8_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == stepdown8_init( &stepdown8, &stepdown8_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }

    if ( STEPDOWN8_ERROR == stepdown8_default_cfg ( &stepdown8 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }

    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

Application Task

This example demonstrates the use of the Step Down 8 Click board™ by changing output voltage every 2 seconds starting from 3 V up to 18 V.

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    for ( uint8_t n_cnt = STEPDOWN8_MIN_OUTPUT; n_cnt <= STEPDOWN8_MAX_OUTPUT; n_cnt++ )
    {
        stepdown8_set_output( &stepdown8, ( float ) n_cnt );
        log_printf( &logger, " Output voltage %d V\r\n", ( uint16_t ) n_cnt );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
        Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    }
}

The full application code, and ready to use projects can be installed directly from NECTO Studio Package Manager(recommended way), downloaded from our LibStock™ or found on Mikroe github account.

Other Mikroe Libraries used in the example:

• MikroSDK.Board
• MikroSDK.Log
• Click.StepDown8

Additional notes and informations

Depending on the development board you are using, you may need USB UART Click, USB UART 2 Click or RS232 Click to connect to your PC, for development systems with no UART to USB interface available on the board. UART terminal is available in all MikroElektronika compilers.