C2000 LaunchPad: Project 1

In this video we'll show you how to run the out of the box demo application, using the C2000 LED BoosterPack.

The LED Lighting project allows C2000 LaunchPad users to plug their LaunchPad into the LED Lighting BoosterPack and accurately control a series of LED strings.  As an additional option, users can also interface the MSP430 Capacitive BoosterPack to the LED Lighting BoosterPack to use touch technology to control the LED lights.  There are multiple ways of controlling LEDs. This project will show how to use the C2000 device to control a separate DC supply for each of the LED strings. Brightness control is accomplished using the C2000 device by independently varying the output power of each DC/DC stage. This allows the user to control the average current passing through each LED string. Since average current is roughly proportional to lumen output, each LED string’s brightness is controlled.

In this project, you'll learn a few things:

• Downloading and installing the required software
• Configuring your hardware to run the lighting demo
• Using Resource Explorer in CCS v5 to run the demos/example code

 

Things you'll need

1. C2000 LaunchPad evaluation kit (LAUNCHXL-F28027) -- Get one here!
2. LED Lighting BoosterPack evaluating kit (BOOSTXL-C2KLED) -- Get one here!
3. MSP430 Capacitive Touch BoosterPack (430BOOST-SENSE1) -- Get one here!
4. Code Composer Studio (Integrated Development Environment)
5. controlSUITE (Everything you need regarding software for C2000)
6. 45 minutes

Software Setup

To run the LED Lighting demo you need to complete the following steps:

1. Download and install CCS v5
2. Download and install controlSUITE
3. Download and install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

Code Composer Studio IDE v5

Code Composer Studio (CCS) v5 is a complete, Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE) that supports the C2000 LaunchPad and the LED BoosterPack.  This tool enables developers to program, debug, and compile code directly onto your LaunchPad evaluation kit.  CCS is available for free without any restrictions when used with the XDS1000 emulator on the C2000 LaunchPad. 

controlSUITE

controlSUITE™ for C2000™ microcontrollers is a cohesive set of software infrastructure and software tools designed to minimize software development time. From device-specific drivers and support software to complete system examples in sophisticated system applications, controlSUITE™ provides libraries and examples specific to the C2000 LaunchPad, the LED BoosterPack, and also for the TMS320F28027 microcontroller on the LaunchPad.  

PC GUI Demo

The LED BoosterPack experimenter’s kit comes with a GUI that provides a convenient way to evaluate the functionality of this kit and the F28027 device without having to learn and configure the underlying project software. The interactive interface using sliders, buttons, and textboxes allows LED lighting with the C2000 device to be demonstrated quickly and easily.

Hardware Setup

If you haven't already done so, make sure the Windows has already installed the appropriate software drivers to run your board. If you're not sure do the following: after CCS is installed, plug the supplied USB cable into the C2000 LaunchPad board and into an available USB port on your computer. Windows will automatically detect the hardware and ask you to install the software drivers. Let Windows run a search for the drivers and automatically install them.

To prepare the C2000 LaunchPad for the PC GUI demo do the following:

(a) No jumper is placed on JP1.
(b) No jumper is placed on JP2.
(c) No jumper is placed on JP3.
(d) Move all switches in S1 to the up position.
(e) Move switch S4 to the up position.

 

To prepare the LED BoosterPack for the PC GUI demo do the following:

(a) Place a jumper on J2.
(b) Place a jumper on J8.
(c) The switch S1 is in the down position.

 

Once the switches and appropriate jumpers have been placed on the LED BoosterPack and the C2000 LaunchPad do the following:

1. Insert a C2000 LaunchPad into the header marked J3, J9 and J4, J10 on the LED BoosterPack.
2. Connect the LED BoosterPack to the included power adapter and plug in the adapter to the mains power.
3. Connect the LaunchPad to the PC using the USB cable included with the C2000 LaunchPad.

Additional Software Setup for PC GUI demo

The GUI for evaluating this kit is named LED_BOOST_PC_GUI.exe and can be found in the C2000 LaunchPad controlSUITE™ package. This GUI is all the software necessary to do a quick evaluation of this kit. To explore deeper, the underlying reference software can be found within controlSUITE.

                                    ***NOTE: The GUI requires Microsoft® .NET framework 3.0 to run. Please ensure that this software isinstalled prior to running this program.
                                        If this demo is being used on a computer that uses a decimal comma, the regional settings ofthe computer may need to be changed to

                                        English for this demo to run correctly.***

 

Follow these instructions to run the GUI included with the LED BoosterPack:

1. Start Code Composer Studio™ version 5.
2. In TI Resource Explorer, look for an entry called controlSUITE and expand the Development Tools section.
3. Expand the entry for BOOSTXL-C2KLED and look for the PC GUI application project. Follow the steps in the right pane of Resource Explorer to import, compile, program, and run the embedded half of this example.
4. Browse to and run the LED_BOOST_PC_GUI.exe GUI. The program shown in the figure below.  This executable resides next to the embedded example application in Resource Explorer.

 

   5.  Click Setup Connection and make sure the baud rate is set to 57600 and that the Boot on Connect box is unchecked.

 

 

   6.  Select the serial COM port. This can be found by going to: Control Panel → System → Hardware tab → Device Manager → Ports(COM and LPT)
        Look for the COM port that is named USB Serial Port (or similar) and note the number. Select this COM port in the Setup Connection window and click OK to close the window.

        Hint: Try selecting the largest number or refreshing the list while connecting or disconnecting the USB cable to or from the board to see which one changes.
   7.  Click Connect in the GUI main window. The status bar at the bottom left corner of the GUI turns green and says Connected once the GUI is connected.
   8.  Use the Color Presets provided or manually adjust the current level for each LED string to vary the color generated by each LED array.
   9.  When finished, set each LED string’s Target Current to 0.00A and press Disconnect to terminate the connection.

Capacitive Touch Lighting Demo

The LED BoosterPack experimenter’s kit comes with an MSP430 device and headers such that a user can connect the Capacitive Touch BoosterPack and use it to control the LEDs.  To explore deeper, the underlying reference software can be found within controlSUITE.

Hardware Setup for Capacitive Touch Lighting Demo

To prepare the C2000 LaunchPad for the demo do the following:

(a) No jumper is placed on JP1.
(b) No jumper is placed on JP2.
(c) No jumper is placed on JP3.
(d) Move all switches in S1 to the up position.
(e) Move switch S4 to the down position.

 

To prepare the LED BoosterPack for the demo do the following:

(a) Place a jumper on J2.
(b) Place a jumper on J8.
(c) The switch S1 is in the up position.

 

Once the switches and appropriate jumpers have been placed on the LED BoosterPack and the C2000 LaunchPad do the following:

1. Insert a C2000 LaunchPad into the header marked J3, J9 and J4, J10 on the LED BoosterPack.
2. Insert an MSP430 Capacitive Touch BoosterPack onto the headers marked J6 and J7.
3. Connect the LED BoosterPack to the included power adapter and plug in the adapter to the mains
   power.
4. Connect the LaunchPad to the PC using the USB cable included with the C2000 LaunchPad.

 

Additional Software Setup for Capacitive Touch Demo 

1.  Start up Code Composer Studio version 5.

2.  In the TI Resource Explorer, look for an entry called controlSUITE and expand the Development Tools section.

3. Expand the entry for BOOSTXL-C2KLED and look for the capacitive touch demo application project. Follow the steps in the right pane of Resource Explorer to import, compile, program, and run the example.

4.  After the example is running, the LEDs can be controlled as follows:
(a) Press the Center button twice to initially turn the LEDs ON.
(b) Spinning one’s finger around the touch wheel, while the LEDs are ON, cycles through the color spectrum.
(c) Pressing the Center button again turns the LEDs OFF.
(d) Subsequent (single) presses of the Center button turns the LEDs ON or OFF.