The complete board area is divided into several sections, arranged so that all the related components, switches, buttons, indicators, and connectors are logically positioned and grouped together.
CODEGRIP programmer
The powerful CODEGRIP module, an universal programmer/debugger, supports a wide range of different MCUs, produced by several major chip vendors. It allows in-place programming and debugging of all supported microcontrollers, offering many options, useful programming/debugging options, seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment, and some powerful and unique features such as the programming/debugging over WiFi; a feature that will revolutionize the way embedded applications are developed.
The CODEGRIP module uses the USB-C connector for a reliable and secure connection with the personal computer (host PC). It does not require any additional drivers because it utilizes an HID driver model, natively supported by the computer's operating system. The USB-C connector is also used to power the development board, simplifying the cable management. CODEGRIP module is supported by CODEGRIP Suite.
The power supply module
The power supply module provides a clean, regulated voltage for the development board. It can use a wide range of external power sources, including a battery, an external 12V power supply, and a power source over the USB Type-C connector.
It supports the power OR-ing function for uninterrupted operation.
The development board is equipped with two touch-sensitive buttons labeled as POWER and RESET. These buttons are used to power up the board and reset the MCU. The advanced design of the power supply module allows several types of power sources to be used, offering unprecedented flexibility: when powered by a Li-Po/Li-Ion battery, it offers an ultimate degree of autonomy.
mikroBUS™ sockets
Five improved mikroBUS™ sockets, allowing interfacing with a vast amount of electronic circuits and reference designs, standardized under the Click board trademark.
Click boards™ are simple to use,require no additional hardware configuration and can be easily connected to the development board by inserting them into any of the available mikroBUS™ sockets
A new design of the mikroBUS™ socket allows even easier interfacing with the Click board™ line of products: it has a sturdier design which helps aligning the Click board™ correctly.
The POWER / RESET button
The Power button is a touch sensitive button used to power up the development board. Its sleek design and flawless responsiveness add up to the whole experience. The touch sensitive button is resistant to wear over time and it does not exhibit any bouncing effect, unlike the mechanical switches.
As soon as a valid power source is connected, the development board will enter the Stand-By mode. When the capacitive POWER button is pressed, the PSU module will start distributing the power to the rest of the development board. Below the POWER capacitive button, there is a RESET capacitive button which is not entirely power-related, but it has a similar function: it is routed to the MCU reset pin. Pressing this button will trigger a reset of the host MCU.
Display connectors
UNI-DS development board features a standardized 2x20-pin display connector. This connector consists of the 8080 parallel interface, offering support for displays with up to 8 bits per color (up to 24-bit mode, 16 million colors). Besides the 8080 interface, this connector also contains pins related to touch panel controller, interfaced over dedicated I2C bus lines. The power supply rails are also routed to this connector.
UNI-DS supports 2x16 characters LCD module, connected in 4-bit mode. It offers a dedicated 1x16-pin header that can host a compatible 1x16 characters LCD. Each pin of the connector is labeled on the development board and should be connected with the respective pin of the LCD.
USB to UART, USB
UNI-DS development board offers the UART connectivity over the USB-C connector by utilizing the FT230XQ, a popular USB-UART bridge IC, produced by FTDI Chip. This IC contains the complete USB stack necessary for the interface bridging between the UART peripheral of the MCU and the USB interface of the PC. FT230XQ drivers are available for download from the UNI-DS product web page, as well as from the official FTDI drivers download web page. To enable data exchange via the USB-UART connector, the MCU UART peripheral lines must be connected to the corresponding pins of the FT230XQ IC. This can be done using the four-pole DIP switch, labeled as USB/UART.
USB is a very popular industry standard that defines cables, connectors, and protocols used for communication and power supply between devices. USB-C (USB Type-C connector) is the latest version of the USB connector, developed by the USB Implementation Forum (USB-IF).
I/O (Input/Output) section
The I/O (Input/Output) section occupies the lower part of the development board and contains available MCU pins routed to 2x5-pin headers for easy access. Some of them are equipped with configurable pull-up or pull-down resistors and buttons for applying logic states to MCU pins, while all of them are equipped with LED indicators. Pins are divided into groups following the grouping concept used on the MCU itself. This section is where the most interaction with the MCU takes place. SiBRAIN add-on boards have their ports routed as either 8-bit, 16-bit or 32-bit ports.
CODEGRIP Suite
UNI-DS development board is supported by a powerful CODEGRIP Suite, offering complete control over the UNI-DS development board. It is used to intelligently manage programming and debugging tasks, and to configure various other options and settings, providing visual feedback through its clean and comprehensive Graphical User Interface (GUI). To better understand how to operate and configure UNI-DS development board and its integrated CODEGRIP module, a separate manual is provided on this link.
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