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is now
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ams Group
The technical content of this acam-messelectronic document is still valid.
Contact information:
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ams AG
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®
February 26th, 2013
Document-No.: DB_PCapØ1-EVA-Kit_en V0.3
®
PCapØ1
Published by acam -messelectronic gmbh
©acam-messelectronic gmbh 2012
Disclaimer / Notes
“Preliminary” product information describes a product which is not in full production so
that full information about the product is not available yet. Therefore, acam -messelectronic
gmbh (“acam”) reserves the right to modify this product without notice. The information
provided by this data sheet is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no
responsibility is assumed by acam for its use, nor for any infringements of patents or
other rights of third parties that may result from its use. The information is subject to
change without notice and is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind (expressed or
implied). ® is a registered trademark of acam. All other brand and product names
in this document are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Support / Contact
For a complete listing of Direct Sales, Distributor and Sales Representative contacts, visit
the acam web site at:
http://www.acam.de/sales/distributors/
For technical support you can contact the acam support team in the headquarters in
Germany or the Distributor in your country. The contact details of acam in Germany ar e:
support@acam.de
or by phone
+49-7244-74190
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PCapØ1
Content
1
2
3
4
5
6
Introduction .............................................................................................. 1-2
1.1
General .............................................................................................. 1-2
1.2
Component List .................................................................................... 1-2
Connecting Capacitors and Resistors ............................................................. 2-4
2.1
Capacitance Measurement ..................................................................... 2-4
2.2
Temperature Measurement .................................................................... 2-5
2.3
Pulse Code Generation .......................................................................... 2-6
2.4
Motherboard ....................................................................................... 2-6
Evaluation Software .................................................................................... 3-1
3.1
Installing the Software ........................................................................... 3-2
3.2
The Graphical User Interface .................................................................. 3-4
3.3
Front Panel ......................................................................................... 3-5
3.4
Front Panel Menus ............................................................................. 3-17
3.5
Special Windows ................................................................................ 3-21
3.6
First Measurement: Step-by-Step .......................................................... 3-27
Assembler ................................................................................................ 4-1
4.1
Installing the Assembler ........................................................................ 4-2
4.2
Running the Assembler ......................................................................... 4-3
Miscellaneous ........................................................................................... 5-1
5.1
Literature Guide ................................................................................... 5-1
5.2
Document History ................................................................................ 5-1
Appendix .................................................................................................. 6-1
6.1
Schematics ......................................................................................... 6-1
6.2
Layout ................................................................................................ 6-3
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1
Introduction
1.1
General
PCapØ1
The PCapØ1-EVA-KIT evaluation system provides a complete system for generally
evaluating the PCapØ1 chip. It comprises of a main board, a plug -in module, a Windows
based evaluation software, assembler software and the PICOPROG programming device.
The PCapØ1 evaluation board is connected to the PC‘s USB interface through the
PICOPROG V2.0 programming device.
The evaluation kit offers user friendly configurations for evaluating the PCapØ1 single -chip
solution for capacitance measurement. This kit can be used to evaluate the capacitance
measurement, temperature measurement and the pulse generation capabilities of the
PCapØ1 chip.
For a proper use of the evaluation system it is strongly recommended to refer to the
current PCapØ1A datasheets (DB_PCap01-0301, DB_PCap01_DSP etc.). You can
download these datasheets from www.acam.de/download-center/picocap .
1.2
Component List
PCapØ1-MB
Motherboard
PC01-AD Plug-in module
Based on PCapØ1-AD in QFN32 package
PICOPROG V2.0
Programmer
High density DSUB15 cable
Connecting the Evaluation board to the
programmer
1-2
USB cable
Connects PICOPROG V2.0 to the PC
Wall power supply unit
9 V
CD-ROM
Includes software and data sheets
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PCapØ1
Figure 1-1: Components of the evaluation kit
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2
PCapØ1
Connecting Capacitors and Resistors
This evaluation kit can be used for evaluating capacitance measurement by connecting capacitive
sensors. Further, it can be used for evaluating temperature measurement by connecting external
temperature sensitive resistors or for generating quasi analog voltage (pulse width/density
modulated) that is dependent on the sensor connected to the system.
Depending on the purpose of evaluation, a modification has to be made to the same plug-in
module. Following is a picture of the Mother board with the plug-in module.
Figure 2-1: The evaluation kit’s motherboard and plug-in module
The following sections describe the modifications for each application in detail.
2.1
Capacitance Measurement
For the purpose of evaluating the capacitance measurement using PCapØ1, the plug-in module is
pre-assembled with ceramic capacitors to emulate capacitive
sensors. These capacitors, each 47pF in value, are connected
to the 8 ports PC0 to PC7. They are connected as single
sensors in floating mode, i.e. each capacitor is connected
between 2 ports, and hence there are 4 x 47pF on-board
capacitors. Please refer to Section 3.4 of the PCapØ1 Data
Sheet for more information on how to connect capacitors to the
chip. The capacitor connected between ports PC0 and PC1 is
taken as the reference capacitor.
Figure 2-2: Details of the plug-in module
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PCapØ1
In the process of evaluation, when you are comfortable with interpreting the measurement results
from the chip, these fixed capacitors can be replaced with the actual capacitive sensors of your
application.
If you want to connect your capacitive sensors in grounded mode, then GND points are provided
at the two ends of the module, where the sensor ground connections ought to be soldered.
The typical value of the capacitive sensors that can be connected to the evaluation kit lies in the
range of 30pF to 3.5nF. The reference capacitor should be in the same order of magnitude as
the sensor. Depending on the value of the sensor, the value of the internal resistor for performing
the measurement has to be selected. For the pre-assembled 47pF capacitors, an internal
discharge resistor of 180kOhm works well. See section 3.5 of the PCapØ1 data sheet on how to
select the value of the internal discharge resistor.
2.2
Temperature Measurement
Temperature measurement or other resistive tasks may also be of interest for the user of this kit.
The evaluation kit offers this possibility through the RDC (resistive-to-digital converter) ports. An
on-chip thermistor coupled with an on-chip temperature-stable reference resistor made of
polysilicon is sufficient for observing the temperature measurement capability of the PCapØ1 chip.
Figure 2-3: Temperature sensor connection pads
However, there is a possibility to connect the reference resistor and the thermistor externally to
the chip, too. In case of external resistors, the temperature-stable reference resistor ought to be
connected at port PT2REF on the plug-in module. The module allows you to connect the external
thermistor, e.g. a PT1000 sensor at port PT0 (or PT1, not supported yet by the standard
firmware).
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PCapØ1
In any case, for the temperature measurement, an external capacitor 33 nF C0G has to be
connected to the chip; it is already pre-assembled on board.
2.3
Pulse Code Generation
Any of the capacitance or temperature measurement results from the PCapØ1 chip can be given
out as a pulse width modulated or pulse density modulated signal. This output can be filtered to
generate an analog output signal that can be used for further controlling.
These pulse width or pulse density codes can be generated at Ports PG0, PG1, PG2 or PG3.
Since ports PG0 and PG1 are used for the SPI Interface in the module, the hardware allows to get
a valid pulse width/density modulated signal on PG2 or PG3. However, when I2C communication
mode is used the pulsed signals can be optionally obtained on the ports PG0 and PG1.
Figure 2-4: General purpose interface ports PG0 to PG3
2.4
Motherboard
The motherboard connects to the PICOPROG programmer. It serves the various power options. It
can be powered via wall plug supply, the voltage being set from 1.8V to 4.5V by jumpers. Further,
it supports a battery power option. Power present is indicated by a green LED.
There is a jumper ‘Current’ on the mother board. The current consumption of the PCapØ1 chip
during operation can be directly measured from these jumper terminals.
All interface signals and general purpose I/O signals can be monitored by means of a separate
jumper.
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PCapØ1
3
Evaluation Software
3.1
Installing the Software ........................................................................... 3-2
3.2
The Graphical User Interface .................................................................. 3-4
3.3
Front Panel ......................................................................................... 3-5
3.3.1
Measurement Page ......................................................................... 3-6
3.3.2
Capacitance Page ........................................................................... 3-8
3.3.3
Temperature Page ........................................................................ 3-10
3.3.4
Coefficients for Temperature Linearization ......................................... 3-12
3.3.5
PWM / PDM Page ....................................................................... 3-14
3.3.6
GPIO Page ................................................................................... 3-16
3.3.7
Expert Page ................................................................................. 3-17
3.4
Front Panel Menus ............................................................................. 3-17
3.4.1
File Menu .................................................................................... 3-17
3.4.2
Application Menu .......................................................................... 3-18
3.4.3
Tools Menu ................................................................................. 3-19
3.4.4
Help Menu .................................................................................. 3-20
3.5
Special Windows ................................................................................ 3-21
3.5.1
OTP/SRAM Communication Window ................................................ 3-21
3.5.2
Diagnostics Window ...................................................................... 3-22
3.5.3
Graph Window ............................................................................. 3-24
3.5.4
Registers Window ........................................................................ 3-24
3.5.5
Parameter Window ....................................................................... 3-25
3.6
First Measurement: Step-by-Step .......................................................... 3-27
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PCapØ1
3
Evaluation Software
3.1
Installing the Software
The PCapØ1 -EVA software runs under the following operating systems
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Vista (please use the software/drivers for Windows 7)
Windows 7
Please follow the described procedure to install the softwar e and driver:
Ensure that the Picoprog V2.0 programmer is disconnected before starting the
procedure.
The steps are slightly different for Windows XP and Windows 7. Please note as follows.
Install the PCapØ1 Evaluation software from Software\ PCap01-Evaluation-Software\
setup.exe from the CD. This .exe file installs the evaluation software and the
respective drivers for the Picoprog programmer too.
At the end of step 1, a batch file comes up in a separate wind ow. Eventually, it will
ask you to unplug the Picoprog V2.0 programmer. Please follow further the
instructions on the window.
The driver will be installed; a windows message may pop up asking you to install the
driver though it is not signed. Please install it anyway.
The batch file asks you to plug in the programmer and it is now enumerated.
You will be asked to restart the system at this point, please do so. After restart
connect the evaluation board to the Picoprog programmer.
On restart, launch the application from the start menu, if possible as administrator.
The software opens and a pop up window asks to select between a ‘Standard’ mode
and ‘Humidity’. Please select ‘Standard’.
The LED on the Picoprog programmer will turn green. The software will ini tialize.
Perform Verify Interface from the Eval.Software main window. If every is correctly
installed, the verify interface must result in an ‘Interface OK’ message. Also, under
ought to be
seen.
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PCapØ1
If you want to change from the default SPI to I2C interface, please select under
. The LED on the Picoprog programmer should
now turn red.
Install the PCapØ1 Evaluation software from Software\ PCapØ1-Evaluation-Software\
setup.exe from the CD. This .exe file installs the evaluation software and the
respective drivers for the Picoprog programmer too.
At the end of step 1, a batch file comes up in a separate window. It will ask you to
reconnect the Picoprog V2.0 programmer.
You will then be asked to restart the system at this point, please do so.
On restart, Found New Hardware wizard comes up. Please select ‘No, not this time’
and continue further with ‘automatic installation’.
The driver will be installed; a windows message may pop up asking you to install the
driver though it is not signed. Please install it anyway.
Now, launch the evaluation software application from the start menu. The software
opens and a pop up window asks to select between a ‘Standard’ mode and
‘Humidity’. Please select ‘Standard’.
The Found New Hardware wizard comes up again. Please select again ‘No, Not this
time’ and continue further with ‘automatic installation’.
A message would pop up warning that the driver is not digitally signed. Please
install the driver anyway.
Now the driver installation is complete.
The LED on the Picoprog programmer will turn green. The software will then
initialize and ask you to connect the Evaluation board to the Picoprog programmer.
Perform Verify Interface from the Eval.Software main window. If every is correctly
installed, the verify interface must result in an ‘Interface O K’ message. Also, under
ought to be
seen.
If you want to change from the default SPI to I2C interface, please select under
. The LED on the Picoprog programmer should
now turn red. When the LED does not glow at all, then it indicates that the
interface is faulty.
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3.2
PCapØ1
The Graphical User Interface
The software comes up with a small window offering
selections for the operating mode. In general, start
with the standard mode as it offers all options. The
humidity option simplifies and specifies the displays
for the humidity firmware. For details please see the
datasheet for the humidity evaluation kit.
Figure 3-1: Mode selection
Next, the main front panel comes up. Overall, the graphical user inter face offers various
windows for on-line configuration, for parameter and calibration data setting, and of
course for the graphical and numerical display of the measurement data. The various
windows will be explained in this chapter.
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PCapØ1
Figure 3-2: GUI Overview
3.3
Front Panel
This is the major window. On the right side, the front panel shows six general buttons:
Graph
Open a window for graphic representation of measurement data
Start
Measurement
Start or stop a running measurement
Write Config.
Transfer once more, the present settings in the evaluation software to
the chip (in case of doubt)
Power up Reset
After Power up reset, ‘Write Config.’ may be necessary.
Partial Reset
With a partial reset, the chip is re-initialized with respect to its
frontend and processor.
Verify Interface
When everything is in order, then pressing this button will confirm if an
SPI / I2C interface is present. It also indicates the release version
number of the software.
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3.3.1
PCapØ1
Measurement Page
Figure 3-3: Measurement page
Options on ‘Measurement’ page:
Capacitance
Measurement Scheme
– Single capacitive sensor connected between a
port and ground.
- Differential capacitive sensor connected
between 2 ports with the middle tap of the sensor connected to
ground.
– Single capacitive sensor connected between 2
ports.
– Differential capacitive sensor connected
between 2 ports with the middle tap of the sensor connected to
another 2 ports.
Please see Section 3.4 of PCapØ1 data sheet for more details.
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PCapØ1
Capacitive Reference
C0
Reference capacitance value. This setting has no effect on the chip
itself; it is purely a visual aid that helps to interpret the
measurement results better.
Span
Maximum span of the reference capacitive sensor connected. This
setting has no effect on the chip; it is only used for scaling the “Eff.
Resolution” indication.
Capacitance
These fields with an olive green background display the
measurement result at capacitive ports 3-7 provided these have
been enabled on the ‘Capacitance’ sheet.
Temperature
These fields with a pink background display the measurement result
at each temperature measurement port that has been enabled on
the ‘Temperature’ Sheet.
‘on’ Button : Pressing the on Button in this part of the sheet comes
up with a sub window. This helps to visually manipulate the display
of the temperature measurement result – either to display the
actual measurement value from chip or to display the temperature
directly in Celsius, Fahrenheit or Kelvin (or any other scale) by
using polynomial approximation. See section 3.2.4 for further
details.
Cmeas_dummy_en
Some differential sensors (MEMS) require mirror symmetry with
respect to the charges applied on the plates. This is ensured by
“dummy charging” and is activated by this option.
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3.3.2
PCapØ1
Capacitance Page
Figure 3-4: Capacitance page
Options on ‘Capacitance’ page:
Cap. Port Select
Select which capacitive ports have to be measured (Ports 0 -7), i.e.
at which ports the sensors have been connected in hardware.
Stray compensation
: One additional measurement performed through only the
chip-internal stray capacitance with respect to ground.
: One additional measurement per port pair, performed
through a parallel connection of the capacitance at the two ports
with respect to ground.
: Both internal and external compensation together.
: No compensation
3-8
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PCapØ1
Discharge
Resistance
Selects the value of the internal resistance through which the
discharge cycles during measurement are to be performed. This
value has to be selected in accordance with the capacitance value of
the sensor. Please see Section 3.5 of PCapØ1data sheet for more
details.
Cycle Time
Can be set in multiples of 20 µs that corresponds to one
Cmeas_cytime that is displayed below this box.
C_AVRG (Sample
size)
Enables averaging the measurement results over multiple
measurement cycles. Setting to 1 No averaging, Setting to any
number N, will result in averaging over N measurement cycles for
generating one measurement result. 8192 maximum.
CMEAS_FAKE
Number of fake measurements per measurement cycle. Performing
fake measurements may help in reducing noise.
Conversion Time
Displays the entire conversion time per measurement, taking into account,
the number of ports opened and the the cycles for compensation and fake
measurements.
Cap. Trigger Select
Selects the source that triggers the start of a capacitance measurement
– Started by SPI Command 0x8C (Expert > Capacitance page)
– Continuous measurement, self-triggering. Recommended
when no temperature measurement is made in parallel.
– Depending on the setting in the ‘Sequence control’
panel. Generally recommended setting less prone to error conditions.
- Triggered by external Pin, selectable from option ext.TriggerPin
ext. Trigger-Pin
Used to select the pin to be used as the source of trigger for the
capacitance measurement.
NOTE: In the delivered EVA module, the pins DSP_IN0 and DSP_IN1 are
part of the SPI communication interface, hence only DSP_IN2 and DSP_IN3
selections are relevant.
Sequence Control :
When the timer is set to N, the capacitive measurement is triggered once
every [2^(N+1) * 20] µs
New Measurement
begins every
Displays the rate at which the capacitive measurement is triggered based
on the setting of the Sequence timer. It includes the conversion time and
the pause time before the beginning of the next cycle
Measuring rate
Displays the frequency at which capacitive measurement data (with fakes
and with averaging) is transferred from the DSP to the interface (SPI or
I2C).
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3.3.3
PCapØ1
Temperature Page
Figure 3-5: Temperature page
Options on ‘Temperature’ page:
Temp.Sens.0 (R0)
To select a thermistor connected to port PT0 for temperature
measurement. This could be e.g. an external PT1000.
Temp.Sens.1 (R1)
To select a thermistor connected to port PT1 for temperature
measurement*
Temp.Sens.2 (R2)
To select either the internal aluminum thermistor or an external
reference resistor at port PT2for temperature measurement.
Temp. Reference
(Rref)
To select either the internal Poly or external resistor at po rt PT2 as
the reference resistance to be used in temperature measurement.
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PCapØ1
Cycle Time
Can be set to 140 µs or 280 µs. 280 µs is recommended.
T_AVRG (Sample
size)
Enables averaging the measurement results over multiple
measurement cycles. Setting to 1 No averaging, Setting to any
number N, will result in averaging over N measurement cycles for
generating one measurement result.
TMEAS_FAKE
Number of fake measurements per temperature measurement cycle
Conversion Time
Displays the entire conversion time per measurement, taking into
account, cycles for averaging and fake measurements.
Temp. Trigger Select Selects the source that triggers the start of a temperature
measurement
: Default setting when no temperature
measurement has to be performed automatically. In this case,
a temperature measurement can still be started by SPI
Command 0x8E. The SPI Command can be sent by pressing
the button ‘Temperature Start’
: A temperature measurement is triggered
every time when a capacitance measurement is complete.
: Depending on the setting in the
‘TMEAS_TRIG_PREDIV’ counter in the Sequence Control panel.
This counter is steps up in 20 µs steps. Not recommended,
not supported by standard firmware.
: Triggered by external Pin, selectable from
option ext.Trigger-Pin
ext. Trigger-Pin
Used to select the pin to be used as the source of trigger for the
temperature measurement.
NOTE: In the delivered EVA module, the pins DSP_IN0 and DSP_IN1
are part of the SPI communication interface, hence only DSP_IN2
and DSP_IN3 selections are relevant.
DSP_STARTONTEMP
This setting is used to start the DSP on the completion of
temperature measurement.
With the standard firmware, the DSP is started after every
capacitance measurement sequence, the temperature values are
processed at this time. If the capacitance measurement is switched
off, then setting this option will start the DSP after every
temperature measurement completion.
Temperature Start
See Temp. Trigger select Off/Opcode triggered above
Typical configurations are:
1. No temperature measurement:
Set Temp.Trigger Select to ‘Off / Opcode triggered’.
2. Internal temperature measurement:
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PCapØ1
Setting like in figure 3-4. Temp.Sens.2 = Alu | internal, Temp.Reference = Poly |
internal,
Temp.Trigger Select to ‘CMEAS triggered’.
3. External sensor, internal reference:
Temp.Sens.0 = PT0 | external, Temp.Reference = Poly | internal, Temp.Trigger
Select to ‘CMEAS triggered’. The external sensor has to be connected at pads R1.
4. External sensor, external reference:
Temp.Sens.0 = PT0 | external, Temp.Reference = PT2REF | internal, Temp.Trigger
Select to ‘CMEAS triggered’. The external sensor has to be connected at pads R1,
the external reference resistor has to be connected at pads R2.
3.3.4
Coefficients for Temperature Linearization
When you connect a temperature sensor at Port PT0
for temperature measurement, then you can set the
coefficients of the 3rd degree polynomial that is used
to linearize the temperature measurement within the
evaluation software.
When you configure the Temp.Sens.0 to PT0 on the
‘Temperature’ sheet, then on the ‘Measurement’
sheet, the ‘on’ button in the box with the pink
background is enabled. There are two boxes as shown
in figure 3-6, the top box is to feed coefficients for the
temperature sensor if connected at port PT0 and the
bottom box is to feed coefficients for the internal
temperature sensor at port PT2, if selected.
Figure 3-6: Temperature linearization
Click on the ‘on’ button to feed in the coefficients. For e.g. when an external temperature
sensor is connected to Port PT0, then click on the off button on the top. The window
figure 3-7 pops up.
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PCapØ1
Here you can feed in the coefficients of the 3rd degree polynomial. The coefficients
displayed by default are for a PT1000 sensor. Change them according to the sensor you
use. You can additionally also choose a filter to be applied to temperature measurement
result in software. Finally select the ‘on’ option at the top and click OK. If you do not want
the result to be linearized at all, then select the ‘off’ option.
In case you use the internal aluminum sensor for temperature measurement, then click on
the ‘on’ button in the bottom window. The window in figure 3-8 pops up.
Figure 3-7: Temperature linearization
coefficients, e.g. PT1000
Figure 3-8: Temperature linearization
coefficients, e.g. internal aluminum sensor
The coefficients to linearize the temperature measurement when using the internal
aluminum sensor are set by default. You just have to enable it by selecting the ‘on’ option
at the top. If you do not want the result to be linearized, then select the ‘off’ option.
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3.3.5
PCapØ1
PWM / PDM Page
Figure 3-9: PWM/PDM page
Options on ‘PWM / PDM’ Page:
Pulse Interface
Enable
Select the pulse interface – Pulse Width Modulated Output (PWM) or
Pulse Density Modulated (PDM) Output. Of the two, the PDM is the
recommended interface.
With PWM option, 100 kHz clock and 10-bit resolution the resulting
PWM output frequency = (100 kHz / 1024) ~ 100 Hz.
Signal source
Select the measurement result which has to be given out as pulsed
output – any of the capacitance or temperature measurement
results.
Slope
Used to set the slope (m) of the linearization function used to scale
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PCapØ1
the range of the PWM / PDM output generation. See Section 4.2 in
PCapØ1 data sheet for more details.
Offset
Used to set the Offset (b) of the linearization function. This value
determines the range of the PWM / PDM output in the y direction.
See Section 4.2 in PCapØ1 data sheet for more details.
Resolution
Resolution of the output in bits. This resolution also determines the
pulsed output range.
Clock_select
Selects the clock frequency to be used for the PWM/PDM
generation.
Recommended setting LF_X2 100 kHz
These settings refer to the use of the standard firmware. The information set is saved in
the parameter registers.
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3.3.6
PCapØ1
GPIO Page
Figure 3-10 GPIO page
Options on ‘GPIO’ Page:
DSP_FF_IN
Pin mask for latching flip-flop activation (PG0 to PG3)
DSP_STARTPIN
Not supported by standard firmware
The DSP can be started externally by a signal on a pin; these buttons
select the pin that has to be sensed for detecting the start signal.
PG_PULLUP
To enable the internal pull up on the ports PG0-PG3
PG_DIR_IN
To configure the ports PG0-PG3 as input (otherwise output)
PG0_X_G2
Possible only when the selected interface for communication is IIC.
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PCapØ1
Interchange PortG0 with PortG2. This is useful when the Pulsed output
is needed on Port PG0 instead of PG2.
PG1_X_G3
Possible only when the selected interface for communication is IIC.
Interchange PortG1 with PortG3. This is useful when the Pulsed output
is needed on Port PG1 instead of PG3.
INT2PG2
Map the Interrupt output from chip, INTN to Port PG2.
This setting is useful for 24 pin QFN package, because the dedicated
INTN pin is absent in this version.
DSP_MOFLO
Activates anti-bouncing filter in PG0 and PG1 lines
3.3.7
Expert Page
Please modify the settings on the Expert page only in consultation with acam Support
team.
3.4
Front Panel Menus
3.4.1
File Menu
Figure 3-11: File Menu
Open Config
Open configuration file *.cfg
that contains the content for
the configuration and
parameter registers.
PCap01_Initial.cfg is the one to
start with when using the kit as
delivered.
Save Config
Here you can save your own
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configuration.
OTP/SRAM
Opens the window to download
the firmware. See section
3.5.1.
Read Config from
OTP
Reads back the configuration
information in the OTP.
Close
Close the evaluation software
3.4.2
Application Menu
Figure 3-12: Application Menu
Standard
Sets the evaluation software in
the standard display mode, as
described in this datasheet.
Humidity
Sets the evaluation software in
a special display mode
dedicated to our humidity
firmware. See the datasheet of
the humidity evaluation kit for
further information.
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3.4.3
Tools Menu
Figure 3-13: Tools Menu
Run
Measurement
Start the measurement
Graph
Opens the window for graphical
display of the various
measurement results (section
3.5.2)
Diagnostics
Opens the window for numerical
display of the various
measurement results (section
3.5.3)
Load Settings
Load the settings file *.set that
contains the display information
(labels, number of fractional digits
e.t.c.)
Save Settings
Saves the current display
settings.
Read Results
Single read of the result registers
Interface
Select between SPI and I2C
interface
Register
Opens the Register window
(section 3.5.4)
Parameter
Opens the Parameter/Calibration
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window (section 3.5.5)
3.4.4
Help Menu
Figure 3-14: Help Menu
Help Contents
Opens the help window
Programmer
Opens the window with
information about the NI VISA
interface and the possibility for
interface tests
About
Version
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3.5
Special Windows
3.5.1
OTP/SRAM Communication Window
In the ‘File’ Menu you can select ‘OTP/SRAM’ and the following window pops up:
Figure 3-15: OTP/SRAM Communication
Open File
Select and open a firmware file (.hex). The content is shown in the
‘Write Data’ window.
Read SRAM
Pressing this button, the content of the SRAM is read and shown in
the ‘Read Data’ window. In ‘Address’ and ‘Length’ you can specify how
many bytes you want read, starting at which address.
Write SRAM
Writes the firmware into the chips SRAM. The status of the write
process is indicated by the green bar. The successful end is indicated
by a pop-up window. For verification we recommend to read back the
SRAM afterwards and compare it with the source.
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Read OTP
Pressing this button the content of the OTP is read and shown in the
‘Read Data’ window. In ‘Address’ and ‘Length’ you can specify how
many bytes you want read, starting at which address.
Write OTP
Writes the firmware into the chips OTP.
Attention: This option should be used only if you really want to test the
OTP functionality.
The status of the write process is indicated by the green bar. The
successful end is indicated by a pop-up window. For verification we
recommend to read back the OTP afterwards and compare it with the
source.
Write Config to
OTP
Writes to current content of the configuration registers into the
reserved OTP space.
Firmware Version
In the firmware, a specific address is reserved to save 3 byte
information about the application and the version of the software. The
coding is specified in the pcap01a.h library (see assembler)
3.5.2
Diagnostics Window
Figure 3-16: Diagnostics Window
The ‘Diagnostics’ window is used for real-time numerical display of the measurement
results. In principal it shows the content of the read registers. The content itself depends
on the firmware. Figure 3-16 shows the content as it is given with the standard fir mware.
The first eight rows show the capacitance ratios, the last two rows show the temperature
result (resistance ratio or linearized temperature).
The ‘Diagnostics’ window has 12 columns of information, defining labels, data format,
resolution specification (white background) and results (grey background). The information
in the white fields increase convenience of reading and is stored in the setting files (*.set).
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PCapØ1
All number may get a character to indicate the well known prefixes for denoting the factor
in thousands (‘p’,‘f’,‘a’,‘k’... ).
Name
Label for the register content, depends on the firmware.
Results
Raw hex data display of the result register content. The column before
shows the width. The button column after shows whether the result is
signed or unsigned.
Shift
This column shows the size of the fractional part of the fixed point number
and the necessary shift. Depends on the fimware.
Factor
The factor is a scaling factor that allows to scale the result according to the
reference capacitor. Factor = ‘1’ gives back the initial capacitance ratio in
column ‘Final result’ (see figure 3-16). ‘47p’ scales the result to a 47 pF
reference capacitor as it is assembled default on the evaluation board (see
figure 3-17).
Offset
Offset to be added or subtracted in the evaluation software.
Span
Number that defines the maximum span of the sensor. Is relevant only for
the calculation of the resultion in column SNR[bit].
Example figure 3-16b: The sensor has a base capacitance of 47 pF and
varies by
10 pF. The 10 pF span are resolved with 11.4 bit.
Final Result
Display of the final result, scaled by ‘Factor’ and the ‘Offset’ added.
Mean
Display of the mean value. The sample size can be selected.
Std.Dev
Standard deviation of the ‘Final Result’.
SNR
Signal-to-Noise ratio in bit, calculated as ‘Span’/ ‘Std.Dev.’
Figure 3-16b: Diagnostics Window
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3.5.3
PCapØ1
Graph Window
Figure 3-17: Graph Window
The data to be displayed are selected in the field at the bottom right. The labels in the
buttons are the same as in the diagnostics window. To display data press the
corresponding button so that it gets green. Below the graph are various options to zoom
in/out, center or scale in other ways.
The data displayed can be stored into a text file. For long -term investigations it is possible
to reduce the data displayed and stored. The field ‘Data Reduction’ allows to define the
level of data reduction.
3.5.4
Registers Window
These windows display the configuration data in hexadecimal format as they are currently
used. Also the result registers‘ content is shown in hexadecimal format, but updated only
when the button is pressed. Finally, the various status bits are shown.
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PCapØ1
Figure 3-18: Write and Read Registers
3.5.5
Parameter Window
This window shows the content of the parameter registers and, if supported, the
calibration data. The content strongly depends on the firmware. The standard firmware
does not use calibration data but e.g. the humidity firmware and pressure firmware do.
The parameter registers are used to scale the pulse outp ut interfaces and to tell the
firmware whether differential sensors are used.
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Figure 3-19: Parameter Window
Figure 3-20: Calibration Window
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PCapØ1
PCapØ1
3.6
First Measurement: Step-by-Step
The first to do after starting the evaluation software is to download a firmware
into the PCapØ1. In the initial phase start with our standard firmware that calculates the
capacitance ratios and resistance ratios. It automatically recognizes the operation mode
and takes care of the set number of capacitors and the kind of c onnection. But it does no
further processing.
Open the ‘File’ menu and select OTP/SRAM. The following ‘OTP/SRAM communications
window’ opens. If you press ‘Open File’ initially the content in the ‘data’-folder of the
PCapØ1 program folder is opened. There you find the firmware PCap01_standard.hex.
Select this one.
Figure 3-21 File menu
Press ‘Write SRAM’ and wait till the green bar indicates that the write process is finished.
For verification press ‘Read SRAM’ to check if the content is correctly written into the
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SRAM. In the ‘Read Data’ you should see the same content as in the first 128 byte of
‘Write Data’.
he next step you need to load a configuration file. This file contains the
configuration registers content and the parameter registers content. Select in the ‘File’
menu item ‘Open Config’ and select the file PCap01_initial.cfg. This configuration fits to the
evaluation board in its initial assembly with floating 47pF capacitors.
Figure 3-22: Load Configuration Data
Finally, load the standard settings file to have a reasonable display in the
Diagnostis window and Graph window.
Figure 3-23: Load Settings Data
Open the Diagnostics window and Graph window and press ‘Start Measurement’.
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4
Assembler
4.1
Installing the Assembler ........................................................................ 4-2
4.2
Running the Assembler ......................................................................... 4-3
4.2.1
Assembler Online Help ..................................................................... 4-3
4.2.2
Assembler Page ............................................................................. 4-4
4.2.3
Download Page .............................................................................. 4-7
4.2.4
Assembler Settings ......................................................................... 4-8
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4
PCapØ1
Assembler
Platform:
Windows 2000, XP, Vista (32-Bit), Windows-7 (32 and 64)
Type of Assembler:
Single Path Assembler
Source-File:
*.asm, according to the PCapØ1 assembler syntax
Target-File:
Output. hex, downloadable Hex-File
Instruction:
[ , ]
For example:
nop or add a, b
or jCarC case1
Comment(s):
Single line comment: ;
Multi line comment: ...
Includes:
[ , ]
For example:
nop or add a, b
or jCarC case1
Constants:
Constants can be defined with:
CONST myConst8 15
The constants have to be declared before they are used for the first
time.
Number formatting: Numbers can be written in decimal or hexadecimal notation
e.g.: load a, 16355 or load a, 0x3FE3
Jump labels:
To jump within the code, you can use jump labels together with the
various conditional jump op-codes like jcd p1, jEQ p1 etc.
E.g.: jCarC label1
label1: move a, b
Addressing:
Addressing is automatically done by the assembler. Please note that
the maximum user program size is 4kB (including all header files,
library files and calibration banks).
Subroutines:
Subroutines can be executed with the special opcode ‚jsb‘ and ‚jrt‘.
4.1
Installing the Assembler
Insert the CD-ROM. Run Software\PCap01_Assembler 2.0.3\setup.exe to install the
program. Restart the computer if required. After the installation you will find in the START
menu an item „PCapØ1 Assembler“. Run this to start the assembler program.
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PCapØ1
4.2
Running the Assembler
In the START menu there is an item „PCapØ1 Assembler“. Run this to start the assembler
program.
4.2.1
Assembler Online Help
The following sections give just a short description of the assembler program. For a
detailed description of the assembler software please use the online help of the program.
The online help can be opened from the Menu or by pressing the F1 button.
The following help window opens up:
Figure 4-1: Integrated online help of PCap01 Assembler
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4.2.2
PCapØ1
Assembler Page
Figure 4-2: Assembler source code window
The ‘Assembler’ tab is the main window to open all the source code and include files. It consists of
a status message window at the bottom and buttons to operate the assembler. By clicking the
green link labeled ‚Opcode-Help (F2)‘ an integrated online help pops up which provides detailed
information about the available op codes.
The controls in detail:
Source code window:
This window is used as the source code and include files editor for the
assembler listings (*.asm & *.h files). This is a pure editor window;
any number of tabs can be opened in this window. This page allows the
user to display and edit any file. The files can be manually opened,
saved and closed. The location of the file displayed in the window
currently is displayed next to the ‘Compile’ button.
Additional features are line numbering, syntax highlighting and
integrated comment handling. Standard editor tasks like cut, copy &
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PCapØ1
paste or find & replace, etc. can be performed. You can modify the
settings for the editor via the tool settings dialog. To know more about
‘Include’ files and how to use them, see section 4.2.2.1 below.
Assembler button:
The assembler button to compile the source code along with the
respective header files is: Compile.
On pressing the Compile button the source file is compiled to a
downloadable hex code. If the compilation was successful a message is
displayed accordingly. If the compiling fails, an error message occurs.
If more than one source files are currently open, then the *.asm that
will be compiled on pressing the Compile Button, has the filename in
bold letters on the tab. It is the first opened .asm file in the window
that is always compiled.
Save Project button:
When a source code (*.asm) file and all the respective include (*.h)
files are open in the Assembler tab, then all the files can be combined
and saved in a project file (*.prj), by pressing the Save Project button.
The .prj file always takes the name of the *.asm file.
For e.g. A source code file sample.asm uses ‘include’ files include1.h
and include2.h. Then the corresponding prj file would be saved by the
name sample.prj. Once saved, the project file can be opened from the
menu File Open project *.prj file. This automatically closes all
currently open files and opens all the files (*.asm and *.h) belonging to
the project in one go. The *.prj file can also be opened and edited in
this Window.
Note1: The .asm and .h files can be in different folders or locations.
The *.prj file stores the location of the file while saving the project.
Note2: When the PCapØ1 Assembler software is closed, a .prj project
file is automatically generated with all the files that are currently open
in the window. The name of this project file will be that of the open
source code file with a .prj extension. This .prj file will be used to open
all these files again when the PCapØ1 Assembler software is started
again.
Open Project button:
An already saved project (with a *.prj file), can be opened using this
button
Status message window:
In this window there are the output messages of the assembler
displayed. In case the assembly process was successful, a
corresponding message appears with the path of the file that was
compiled. If an error occurs while assembling, an error message
appears together with the line number and the file name in which the
error occurred. An error in any of the source code (*.asm) file or
“include” (*.h) files is identified and intimated with the path of the file.
Opcode-Help:
Between the source code window and the status message window
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there can be found a green link labeled ‚Op code-Help (F2)‘. By clicking
this link another window pops up. The window contains the op code
online help. Every supported op code is explained there in detail. The
additional windows are based on the integrated Microsoft Windows ®
Help system and can be operated separately. (Windows is a trademark
of Microsoft Corporation)
Running the assembler in order to compile your source file is the first step when using the
PCapØ1 Assembler Software.
An integrated ‘examples‘ folder provides some readymade firmware code for downloading into the
PCapØ1 chip. The standard firmware (.asm and .hex) is present in the ‘standard’ folder under
‘examples’.
The user can also add his own examples to the ‘Examples’ folder with the respective prj file. The
prj file can be written manually (See format of existing prj files in the Examples folder) or can be
allowed to be generated by the assembler with the Save Project button. The Search-Examples
dialog box can be accessed via the Help menu or by pressing F4 or by clicking on the ‘Bulb’ icon
on the top. Only *.prj project files can be opened via the Search Examples option. To open
individual files, use the File Open option.
4.2.2.1
‘Include’ files
The basic idea of supporting ‘include’ files is to provide more modularity and flexibility
within your code. That means, instead of packing all needed source code to a single
assembler listing (*.asm files) you can roll out some pieces of code to the include files
(also called header files with extension *.h). The advantage of this method is, that the
readability of your code will be improved and that once written parts of code can be reused
(e.g. configuration information).
To include parts of code by using a include file there are two steps nee ded.
Step 1: Create an include file (e.g. config.h).
Step 2: Declare the inclusion in your assembler listing as follows: #include „config.h“
Include files that are in the same folder as the source file (*.asm) can be included with
#include “filename.h”. Include files that are in a path one level higher than the source file
can be included with “../filename.h”. If there is a set of common include files, they can be
segregated in a folder called Lib in PCap01 \Assembler\lib. The ‘include’ files in the lib
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PCapØ1
folder can be included in the program by using #include . They are
automatically included from the lib folder.
On installing the assembler software, the PCap01 \Assembler\lib is pre-installed. It
contains all the library and header files that are used in the examples. You can add your
library or header files to this folder.
The alternative method of using a single assembler files without using ‘include’ files at all is
also supported.
4.2.3
Download Page
The ‘Download’ tab displays the compiled hex code that can be downloaded into the
PCapØ1 chip. The hex-file is displayed in rows with 16 bytes per row. The location of the
displayed hex file is shown at the top of the window. Now this hex file can be written into
the OTP or the SRAM of the PCapØ1 chip for e.g. using the Front panel software.
Figure 4-3: Hex-file display
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4.2.4
PCapØ1
Assembler Settings
Different settings for the assembler and the editor can be done by selecting the item
“Settings” in the “Tools” menu. A screen appears that shows the following sheets:
Figure 4-4: Environment settings
Figure 4-5: Editor settings
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5
Miscellaneous
5.1
Literature Guide
Title
Document-No
Date
PCapØ1Ax-0301
Single-chip Solution for Capacitance
Measurement with Standard Firmware
version 3.0
DB_PCap01Ax_0301_en.p
df
May 2011
PCapØ1AK-0101
Single-chip Solution for Humidity
Measurement
DB_PCap01AK0101_en.pdf
February 2011
PCapØ1-DSP Description of the digital signal
processor
DB_PCap01_DSP_e.pdf
Aug 2011
Title
Document-No
Date
Linearization of Pressure Sensors
with PCapØ1
WP005_e.pdf
Sep 2011
Title
Document-No
Date
Cable compensation
AN026 V1.0
In preparation
All available documents can be downloaded from the acam website at:
http://www.acam.de/download-center/picocap
5.2
Document History
26.02.2013
Correction in section 2.2, C1 = 33 nF COG, Version 0.3
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PCapØ1
12.12.2012
Minor updates and corrections, Version 0.2
27.10.2011
Assembler description added, Evaluation software description
expanded.
29.04.2011
5-2
First release
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PCapØ1
6
6.1
Appendix
Schematics
Figure 6-1: Motherboard schematics
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Figure 6-2: PCa01 AD module schematics
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PCapØ1
PCapØ1
6.2
Layout
Figure 6-3: PCa01 AD module layout
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6-3
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Friedrich-List-Straße 4
76297 Stutensee-Blankenloch
Germany
Phone +49 7244 7419 – 0
Fax
+49 7244 7419 – 29
E-Mail support@acam.de
www.acam.de