Digilent 410-254P User Manual
1300 Henley Court
Pullman, WA 99163
509.334.6306
www.digilentinc.com
chipKIT™ uC32™ Board Reference Manual
Revised December 29, 2014
This manual applies to the uC32 rev. B
DOC#: 502-254
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 1 of 17
The chipKIT uC32 board.
Microchip PIC32MX340F512H
microcontroller (80 MHz 32-bit MIPS,
512K Flash, 32K SRAM)
Compatible with many existing Arduino
code samples and other resources
Arduino Uno form factor
Compatible with many Arduino shields
43 available I/O pins
Two user LEDs
PC connection uses a USB A > mini B cable
(not included)
12 analog inputs
3.3V operating voltage
80 MHz operating frequency
75mA typical operating current
7V to 15V input voltage (recommended)
20V input voltage (maximum)
0V to 3.3V analog input voltage range
+/-18mA DC current per pin
Features include:
Overview
The chipKIT uC32 is based on the popular Arduino™ open-source hardware prototyping platform and adds the
performance of the Microchip® PIC32 microcontroller. The uC32 is easy to use and suitable for both beginners and
advanced users experimenting with electronics and embedded control systems. The uC32 is the same form factor
as the Arduino Uno board and is compatible with Arduino shields. It features a USB serial port interface for
connection to the IDE and can be powered via USB or an external power supply. The uC32 board takes advantage
of the powerful PIC32MX340F512 microcontroller, which features a 32-bit MIPS processor core running at 80 MHz,
512K of flash program memory, and 32K of SRAM data memory.
The uC32 can be programmed using the Multi-Platform Integrated Development Environment (MPIDE), an
environment based on the original Arduino IDE modified to support PIC32. It contains everything needed to start
developing embedded applications. In addition, the uC32 is fully compatible with the advanced Microchip MPLAB®
IDE and the PICkit™ 3 in-system programmer/debugger.
The uC32 provides 43 I/O pins that support a number of peripheral functions, such as UART, SPI, and I2C ports and
pulse width modulated outputs. Twelve of the I/O pins can be used as analog inputs or as digital inputs and
outputs.
chipKIT™ uC32™ Board Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 2 of 17
1 chipKIT uC32 Hardware Overview
The uC32 has the following hardware features:
1. USB Connector for USB Serial Converter
This connects to a USB port on the PC to provide the communications port for the MPIDE to talk to the
uC32 board. This can also be used to power the uC32 board when connected to the PC.
2. JP3 – Microchip Debug Tool Connector
This connector is used to connect Microchip programmer/debugger tools, such as the PICkit 3. This
allows the uC32 board to be used as a traditional microcontroller development board using the
Microchip MPLAB IDE.
3. J4 – External Power Connector
This is a 5.5mm x 2.1mm barrel connector used to power the uC32 board from an external power
supply. It is wired with the center terminal as the positive supply voltage. The power supply voltage
must be in the range 7V to 15V.
4. Power Supply – 3.3V Regulator
Voltage regulator for the 3.3V power supply. This power supply can provide up to 500mA of current.
chipKIT™ uC32™ Board Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 3 of 17
5. JP2 – Power Select Jumper
This jumper is used to route power from the external power connector through the on-board 5V
voltage regulator or to bypass the 5V regulator. The REG position routes power through the 5V
regulator. The BYP position bypasses the on-board 5V regulator. With this jumper in the BYP position
the maximum input voltage that can be applied at the external power connector is 6V.
6. Power Supply – 5V Regulator
This on-board 5V voltage regulator regulates the input voltage applied at the external power connector
to 5V. This is used to power the 3.3V regulator and to provide 5V power to expansion shields. This
regulator can provide up to 800mA of current.
7. J2 – Shield Power Connector
This connector provides power to I/O expansion shields connected to the board.
8. PIC32 Microcontroller
The PIC32MX340F512H microcontroller is the main processor for the board.
9. J7 – Analog Signal Connector
This connector provides access to analog/digital I/O pins on the microcontroller.
10. JP6/JP8 – A4/A5 Signal Select Jumpers
These jumpers are used to switch pins 9 and 11 on connector J7 between analog inputs A4 and A5 or
the I2C signals SDA and SCL.
11. J8 – SPI Signal Connector
This connector provides alternative access to the SPI signals. This is used by some shields for access to
the SPI bus.
12. JP5/JP7 – SPI Master/Slave Select Jumpers
These jumpers are used to switch the SPI signals for use of the uC32 board as an SPI master device or as
an SPI slave device. Both jumpers should be switched together. Place the shorting blocks in the MASTER
position for master operation and in the SLAVE position for slave operation. Normally, these jumpers
are in the MASTER position.
13. User LEDs
Two LEDs connected to digital signal pins 13 and 43.
14. J6 – Digital Signal Connector
This connector provides access to digital I/O pins on the microcontroller.
15. JP4 – Pin 10 Signal Select Jumper
This jumper is used to switch connector J5 pin 5 (digital signal 10) between pulse width modulator
(PWM) operation and SPI operation. The jumper is placed in the RD4 position for PWM output and in
the RG9 position for SPI slave operation. The shorting block on this jumper will normally be in the RD4
position. The only time it normally needs to be in the RG9 is when using the Uno32 board as an SPI
slave device.
16. J5 – Digital Signal Connector
This connector provides access to digital I/O pins on the microcontroller.
17. J11 – I
2
C
Dedicated I2C signals. These pins are independent of the settings of jumpers JP6 and JP8. However, if
JP6 and JP8 are in the RG3 and RG2 position, the I2C signals will be tied to pins A4 and A5 on J7.
chipKIT™ uC32™ Board Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 4 of 17
18. Communications Status LEDs
These LEDs indicate activity on the USB serial interface.
19. Reset Button
This button can be used to reset the microcontroller, restarting operation from the boot loader.
2 chipKIT uC32 Jumper Settings
The chipKIT development platforms use a Microchip PIC32 microcontroller. These are 32-bit products that bring
unprecedented features to the Arduino community. In order to maintain compatibility with existing hardware and
software, additional jumpers and row headers are provided. This document describes the functionality of the
jumpers listed in Fig. 1 below.
Figure 1. chipKIT uC32 jumpers.
chipKIT™ uC32™ Board Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 5 of 17
Jumper
Function
JP2
POWER SELECT: Used to connect/bypass the on-board 5V regulator when using an
external power supply connected to J4.
J4 supply is regulated (i.e., 5V will be present
on 5V pin).
J4 supply bypasses regulator (i.e., Supply
voltage will be present on 5V pin).
Note: To protect the PIC32 MCU, a 3.3V on-board regulator will always be enabled
regardless of JP2 settings.
Note: If you’re not sure what POWER SELECT does, be safe and keep JP2 on the two rightmost pins so the J4 supply is regulated.
JP4
PWM/SPI SLAVE: Configures pin 10 on J5 to be used as a PWM output or a Slave Select
input for use as an SPI slave device.
Pin 10 configured as an SPI SS input
Pin 10 configured as a PWM output
JP5/JP7
SPI SELECT: Used to configure the chipKIT as either a Master or Slave when using the SPI.
The chipKIT board can be connected to another device or even another chipKIT through
the SPI connector (J8).
chipKIT configured as an SPI master.
chipKIT configured as an SPI Slave
JP6/JP8
I2C/ANALOG PIN SELECT: Used to configure A4 and A5 for functionality as an analog input
or to be used as I2C communication pins.
A4 and A5 on J7 are configured to be used
as analog inputs.
A4 and A5 are configured to be used as I2C
communication lines (A4 – SDA, A5 – SCL ).
chipKIT™ uC32™ Board Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 6 of 17
3 chipKIT uC32 Hardware Description
3.1 MPIDE and USB Serial Communications
The uC32 board is designed to be used with the Multi-Platform IDE (MPIDE). MPIDE is a modified version of the
Arduino IDE that supports the PIC32 microprocessors and is backwards-compatible with the Arduino IDE. The
MPIDE uses a serial communications port to communicate with a boot loader running on the uC32 board. The
serial port on the uC32 board is implemented using an FTDI FT232R USB serial converter. Before attempting to use
the MPIDE to communicate with the uC32, the appropriate USB device driver must be installed.
The uC32 board uses a standard mini-USB connector for connection to a USB port on the PC. When the MPIDE
needs to communicate with the uC32 board, the board is reset and starts running the boot loader. The MPIDE then
establishes communications with the boot loader and downloads the program to the board.
When the MPIDE opens the serial communications connection on the PC, the DTR pin on the FT232R chip is driven
low. This pin is coupled through a capacitor to the MCLR pin on the PIC32 microcontroller. Driving the MCLR line
low resets the microcontroller, restarting execution with the boot loader.
This automatic reset action (when the serial communications connection is opened) can be disabled. To disable
this operation, there is a cuttable trace on the bottom of the board between the pins on JP1. JP1 is normally not
loaded. If the trace between the pins on JP1 has been cut, the automatic reset operation can be restored by
loading JP1 and inserting a shorting block across it.
Two red LEDs (LD1 and LD2) will blink when data is being sent or received between the uC32 and the PC over the
serial connection.
The header connector J3 provides access to the other serial handshaking signals provided by the FT232R.
Connector J3 is not loaded at the factory and can be installed by the user to access these signals.
3.2 Power Supply
The uC32 is designed to be powered either via USB or from an external power supply. There is an automatic
switch-over circuit that causes the external supply to be used if both supplies are present.
The power supply section in the uC32 uses two voltage regulators. The first regulates the external voltage to 5V to
power the VCC5V0 bus. The second regulates the VCC5V0 bus to 3.3V to provide power to the VCC3V3 bus that
powers the PIC32 microcontroller.
The 5V voltage regulator is normally an NCP1117. The board is designed to be able to also use an LM1117, but the
NCP1117 is the part normally used. The NCP1117 is rated for an output current of 1A (the LM1117 is rated for
800mA). The dropout voltage of the NCP1117 is a maximum of 1.2V at the rated output current (1.3V for the
LM1117).
There is a reverse polarity protection diode in the external power supply circuit. Considering the diode drop plus
the forward drop across the regulator, the minimum input voltage to the regulator should be 7V to produce a
reliable 5V output. The absolute maximum input voltage of both the NCP1117 and the LM1117 is 20V. The
recommended maximum operating voltage is 15V.
Loading...