Curiosity launch platform from Microchip

Curiosity product series and compatible Mikroelektronika modules


 

In recent years, integrated platforms equipped with microcontrollers (with Arduino probably being the best-known brand) have been gaining popularity. Thanks to their widespread availability and extensive support from manufacturers and user communities, they are easy to master and versatile development tools. However, in professional settings, the downside of such products is the limited number of supported systems. Therefore, during laboratory work, at the design stage, the most reliable solution remains development platforms prepared by the manufacturers of the systems themselves. It should be emphasized here that they have not overlooked the advantages of popular consumer segment solutions: their ease of adaptation and accessibility. Today, the market offers easy-to-use starter boards prepared by leading microcontroller manufacturers – primarily Microchip, whose portfolio includes PIC® and AVR® families.

Microchip Curiosity and Curiosity Nano starter kits are two families of boards for quick starts with microcontrollers (PIC/AVR etc.), but they are designed for slightly different needs and have a different "philosophy" of use.

Curiosity Platform

Microchip Curiosity is an economical, fully integrated microcontroller (MCU) development platform designed for beginners, builders, and anyone looking for a feature-rich board for rapid prototyping. They provide an ideal platform for learning to handle 8-, 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers. Compared to the Nano line, these are usually larger boards with complex functionality, giving users broader possibilities in terms of evaluation and prototyping. They integrate a lot of additional components (LEDs, buttons, sometimes potentiometers, sensors/peripheral circuits, various expansion connectors, depending on the specific board). They are designed to facilitate quick testing of MCU peripherals without the use of additional expansion modules. They integrate with the MPLAB X ecosystem and usually have a built-in programmer/debugger, so there is no need for an external tool for this purpose.

TME offers dozens of starter boards within this platform.
   

Curiosity Nano Series Products

TME offers available starter and base boards. Regardless of the chip used, the Curiosity Nano platform is prepared to significantly accelerate the design of new applications and, as a result, shorten the time between prototyping and mass production. An example of using MC Nano solutions in the dynamic development of a project is presented in the video material below.
 

Key Features of the MC Nano Platform

Starter boards within the platform come in various sizes (lengths), depending on the size of the microcontroller used. The smallest boards are dedicated to 20-pin chips (including 16 GPIO pins), while the largest contain MCUs in a package with 48 pins, which translates to 40 input/output pins. Regardless of the length, products within the platform share key physical features (including board width, pin pitch, presence of a MicroUSB socket for power, communication, and programming) and technical features, allowing for seamless migration between different models. Moreover, the manufacturer announces that the platform will be developed along with the microcontroller offering. It can be expected that newly introduced Microchip chips will appear on boards from the Curiosity Nano family, providing designers with the comfort of working with the most modern solutions in a proven and familiar environment.
 

Package Contents

Two pin headers are included with MC Nano. At first glance, one can see an interesting design solution applied by Microchip. The GPIO fields, arranged on the PCB in a 2.54mm pitch, contain both edge connectors and holes. In both cases, these are plated-through holes, adapted for mounting pin headers. Thanks to a slight transverse shift of the holes relative to each other, a tight fit of the pin headers and optimal connection parameters are ensured, and the need for their soldering is practically eliminated (although it is recommended). After their installation, the PCB can be mounted on a larger breadboard, a dedicated base board, or an adapter (compatible products are described later in the article).

Circuits on the PCB

The Microchip Curiosity Nano platform has a number of overarching features shared by all models in the series. In the central part of the board, there is a microcontroller (C), whose pins are connected to the fields on the edges of the PCB (F), and a quartz resonator (D). For simple prototyping purposes, a button (A) and an LED (B) are installed on the board. Unlike the Arduino platform, the switch does not serve as a reset function; it is connected to a microcontroller input/output pin (the address of the dedicated lead is marked on the PCB, varying between series models). A USB Micro socket (G) is used for communication and powering the device.
 

Data transmission between MC Nano and a computer (system, IDE software, communication terminal, etc.) occurs via a virtual COM port. Most of the discussed boards, once connected to a PC, will be recognized by the operating system as an external disk labeled "CURIOSITY". Simply copy the .hex file onto this device – and the microcontroller programming will occur automatically. Such functionality is possible because MC Nano boards have a built-in nEDBG circuit, i.e., a debugger/programmer (E). Its presence allows the discussed products to be used without additional devices. Moreover, thanks to it, the microcontroller is not burdened with bootloader management, which speeds up the execution of the target program and frees up memory.

Additionally, a programmable voltage regulator is used in MC Nano circuits. It allows defining the operating and power supply voltage range of the microcontroller from 1.8V to 5V DC.

Standardization of Outputs

One of the advantages of the Microchip platform is the standardization of outputs. Regardless of the selected board model and the microcontroller installed on it, the fields placed on the edges of the PCB are connected to the pins of the programmer, debugger, and central system with the same functionality. Therefore: the order of connectors on the board does not match the numbering of the microcontroller pins – but it is consistent for the entire MC Nano series. This standard applies to the first 28 pins (counting from the USB connector side).

The outputs are divided into several sections. The first of these has been defined as DEBUG (a group of system connections). These pins are used for communication with the nEDBG circuit. Here are also the power inputs (VBUS, adjustable VTG), ground GND, and the VOFF pin controlling the operation of the built-in voltage regulator. It is even possible to disable it if necessary. The user also has access to serial communication lines (Virtual COM Port): CDC RX/TX. The next 4 pins DBG1-DBG4 belong to the debugger interface. Which interface is supported by a given board model depends on the type of microcontroller. For PIC chips, it will be the ICSP™ and MCLR interface, for AVR the UPDI interface, while for ARM® - the SWD interface.
 

The further part of the outputs is the communication (COM) and analog (ANALOG) sections. They also constitute a common feature of the MC Nano series. The COM section groups the outputs used for communication via: UART, I2C, and SPI. On the opposite edge of the PCB, analog inputs are placed, i.e., outputs of the built-in analog-to-digital converters in the microcontroller. Most often, they can also serve as outputs for counters (timers) and PWM signal generators. Of course, these outputs cannot be programmatically mapped to any microcontroller pin (as is the case with digital inputs/outputs). Standardizing their location on the board translates into ease of use and migration between different starter board models. If the microcontroller installed on the board has more ADC inputs or PWM outputs, they are available in the next section: GPIO. Here, the mapping is more arbitrary, as the number and capabilities of the input/output ports are strictly dependent on the functionality of the central system. Detailed information about which physical pin has been assigned to a given connector can be found in the documentation. It is available after connecting the NC Nano board to a computer's USB port. The mass storage device (which will be detected by the system and presented as a disk labeled "CURIOSITY") contains the KIT-INFO.HTM file – which includes detailed information about the functionality of each output present on a given board model.
 

Functionality of the Built-in Debugger

The debugger built into the Microchip Curiosity Nano board (called PKOB nano, nEDBG, or nano debugger) has basic functionality, i.e.: control of the program execution flow (flow control - start, stop, step triggering, reset); reading and writing the contents of the microcontroller's non-volatile memory; handling traps (breakpoint) in a number dependent on the type of chip.

The firmware of the built-in debugger can be updated via the MPLAB®X IDE programming environment. PKOB nano is somewhat slower than similar solutions like the PICkit™ 5 programmer. It also has some limitations, such as the inability to write to certain areas of the microcontroller's flash memory. On the other hand: this protects against accidental overwriting of memory areas responsible for the debugging process itself or unwanted changes to fuse bits values in the case of AVR® microcontrollers. On the plus side, thanks to the presence of PKOB nano, the board is automatically recognized in MPLAB®X IDE programming environments. After connecting the board, the user immediately gains access to sample programs, documentation, electrical diagram, pinout diagram, microcontroller datasheet, etc.

At the end of this article, you can find video materials presenting examples and basics of programming Curiosity Nano boards.

Base Boards and Compatible Modules

TME also offers a range of accessories and supplementary products that facilitate the first steps with the MC Nano platform, as well as streamline prototype work itself. The described standardization of outputs in the Microchip product series allows for the use of adapters, expansion boards, and digital modules: sensors, drivers, interfaces etc.
Development Boards and Adapters

Using pin headers, each MC Nano model can be placed on a base board. TME offers two models of such products: AC164162 is equipped with connectors compatible with modules from Mikroelektronika and Microchip. The other solution is the evaluation kit AC80T88A, to which modules from the Xplained Pro family can be connected. In both cases, the user has at their disposal a separate power switch and independent outputs of all ports – gaining a convenient, stable base improving work comfort. An undeniable advantage of the AC164162 model is the built-in battery charging controller. This facilitates prototyping of mobile devices – applications to which many Microchip microcontrollers are dedicated.
 

Click® Series Modules

Thanks to the standardization of communication pinouts within the MC Nano series, these products can be quickly connected to numerous expansion modules – primarily the Click® series from Mikroelektronika. It is currently the largest family of universal extensions for microcontrollers. Data transmission is based on the MikroBUS standard (combining several communication methods). Currently, over 1000 items from the Click® Board family are available in the TME offer. These include numerous communication modules (RF, WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, GSM), sensors, meters (ammeters, voltmeters), useful accessories such as memory card and RFID readers, GPS receivers, as well as interface components (buttons, keypads, indicators) and many less typical circuits, e.g. mixed-signal ones (FM and AM tuners), audio amplifiers.
 

MC Nano Product Comparison

One of the greatest advantages of the MC Nano series is the wide selection of microcontrollers installed on this platform. The table below presents the systems currently available directly from the TME catalog; however, this offer will certainly continue to expand.
 

Board symbol	Family	Microcontroller
DM320115	ATMEGA	ATMEGA4809
DM080103	ATTINY	ATTINY1607
DM080104	ATTINY	ATTINY1627
EV35L43A	AVR128DB	AVR128DB48
DM164144	PIC16	PIC16F18446
DM164148	PIC16	PIC16F15376
EV09Z19A	PIC16	PIC16F15244
DM182028	PIC18	PIC18F47K42
DM182029	PIC18	PIC18F47Q10
DM182030	PIC18	PIC18F57Q84
EV26Q64A	PIC18	PIC18F16Q41
EV70C97A	PIC18	PIC18F16Q40
EV10N93A	PIC32CM (Cortex M0+)	PIC32CM1216MC00032
DM320119	SAMD (Cortex M0)	SAMD21G17D
EV76S68A	SAME (Cortex M4)	ATSAME51J20A
EV10P22A	PIC32CM (Cortex M0+)	PIC32CM6408PL10048

Even based on the current assortment, it is clear how broad a spectrum is covered by the Microchip Curiosity Nano prototype boards. In the case of simple mobile applications, where energy efficiency is the key factor, boards equipped with ATTINY devices are the best choice (an excellent example of such a product is the DM080104 kit): designed for low-power projects and perfectly suited as controllers, e.g. in household appliance electronics or the automotive industry. Very low-power modes (eXtreme Low-Power) are also available in PIC16 microcontrollers, which feature CIP-type peripherals, i.e. Core Independent Peripherals. These are integrated modules that can operate independently of the core and even wake the microcontroller from sleep mode by generating an interrupt based on a programmable parameter (e.g. exceeding a specified voltage at the A/D converter input).

For more complex applications requiring computations and real-time response, as well as cooperation with numerous sensors, it is worth paying attention to products from the PIC18 family, such as the EV26Q64A kit. Microcontrollers in this group are equipped with numerous interfaces, A/D converters, as well as D/A (i.e. DAC), a built-in operational amplifier, 16-bit resolution PWM signal generators, and memories adapted for fast and reliable data acquisition.

Application and Programming Examples

For users taking their first steps in the MPLAB® X IDE environment, the manufacturer has prepared numerous support materials. They can be found both on the Microchip website and on YouTube. With their help, creating your first project and operating the IDE will not be difficult.
 
The material below illustrates how to import and modify a sample application demonstrating the functionality of one of the MC Nano boards:
 
A convenient way to explore further features of the Microchip Curiosity Nano platform is to participate in classes as part of the Microchip University program.

Text prepared by Transfer Multisort Elektronik Sp. z o.o.
https://www.tme.eu/gb/news/about-product/page/45286/curiosity-launch-platform-from-microchip/