NXP Semiconductors UM11623 User manual

UM11623
PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board
Rev. 1 — 21 May 2021 User manual
Document information
Information Content
Keywords PCA9959HN, SPI, Arduino port, EVK, LED, LED driver
Abstract The PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board is a daughter card equipped with
Arduino ports, designated for easy test and design of the PCA9959HN IC, 24-
channel SPI serial bus 63 mA / 5.5 V constant current LED driver. The board
is fully compliant with IMXRT1050-EVKB, LPCXpresso55S69 (LPC55S69-
EVK) and i.MX 8M Mini LPDDR4 EVK (8MMINILPD4-EVK, 8MMINID4-EVK),
including GUI software control. The board can be attached to any device
equipped with Arduino ports.

NXP Semiconductors UM11623
PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board
1 Revision history
Rev Date Description
v.1 05/05/2021 Initial version
Table 1. Revision history
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2 Introduction
This document describes the PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board. The evaluation board
is built around the PCA9959HN, a 24-channel SPI serial bus 63 mA / 5.5 V constant
current LED driver produced by NXP Semiconductors. The evaluation board serves
as a daughter card that can be connected through an Arduino port to various Arduino
compatible (including original Arduino Uno R3) EVK / motherboards for testing and
measuring the characteristics of the PCA9959HN Device Under Test (DUT).
The PCA9959HN-ARD daughter card communicates through the Arduino port with the
host device via the high-speed SPI bus (up to 10 MHz clock frequency). The board
is equipped with a pair of Fuji connectors that supports a SPI daisy chain scalable
architecture. Thus, users can create a stack of similar boards that share SPI bus. The
Fuji connectors are of the board-to-board type, allowing the user to attach the boards in
a vertical stack instead of connecting link cables between the boards. Alongside the SPI
bus, three additional digital lines allow the mother board to control the DUT through the
Arduino port or the Fuji connectors.
Power is delivered from the mother board (EVK) through the Arduino port. The power
rails are shared with the Fuji connectors, so the DUT can be powered either from the
Arduino connectors or the Fuji connectors.
The board contains four RGB LEDs and 12 white LEDs allocated to all 24 outputs of the
PCA9959HN DUT. The board also contains jumpers and connectors that allow users to
disconnect the onboard LEDs, to perform short tests, and to connect external LEDs to
PCA9959HN outputs.
Additionally, a Graphical User Interface (Windows platform) is provided to facilitate the
evaluation of the daughter board. The GUI is used in combination with the following NXP
evaluation boards: IMXRT1050 EVK board, LPCXpresso55S69 development board, and
i.MX 8M Mini LPDDR4 EVK board.
3 Finding kit resources and information on the NXP web site
NXP Semiconductors provides online resources for this evaluation board and its
supported device(s) at http://www.nxp.com.
The information page for the PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board is at http://
www.nxp.com/PCA9959HN-ARD. The information page provides overview information,
documentation, software and tools, parametrics, ordering information and a Getting
Started tab. The Getting Started tab provides quick-reference information applicable
to using the PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board, including the downloadable assets
referenced in this document.
3.1 Collaborate in the NXP community
The NXP community is for sharing ideas and tips, ask and answer technical questions,
and receive input on just about any embedded design topic.
The NXP community is at http://community.nxp.com.
4 Getting ready
Working with the PCA9959HN-ARD requires the kit contents, additional hardware, and a
Windows PC workstation with installed software.
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4.1 Kit contents
•Assembled and tested evaluation board in an anti-static bag
•Quick Start Guide
4.2 Assumptions
Familiarity with the SPI bus is helpful but not required.
4.3 Static handling requirements
CAUTION
This device is sensitive to ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD). Therefore care
should be taken during transport and handling. You must use a ground strap
or touch the PC case or other grounded source before unpacking or handling
the hardware.
4.4 Minimum system requirements
This evaluation board requires a Windows PC workstation. Meeting these minimum
specifications should produce great results when working with this evaluation board.
•PC with Windows 10 operating system
•One USB port (either 3.0 or 2.0 or 1.1 compatible)
•One of three EVK boards (MIMXRT1050-EVK, LPC55S69-EVK, 8MMINILPD4-EVK)
along with the associated firmware / GUI software
•USB cable for power and data connection between PC and EVK board (if not included
in the EVK package)
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5 Getting to know the hardware
5.1 PCA9959HN-ARD features
•Combined Arduino port/Fuji connector for data and power
•Multiple board connections in stack architecture
•Onboard LEDs for all 24 outputs of the DUT IC
•Onboard jumpers for LED connection, and short tests
•Onboard connectors for external LEDs
•Fully compliant with IMXRT1050 EVK board, including GUI (Windows 10)
•Fully compliant with LPCXpresso55S69 development board, including GUI (Windows
10)
•Compliant with 8MMINILPD4-EVK board, including GUI for Windows 10 (see Note)
Note: i.MX Mini LPDDR4 EVK boards require the use of an IMX8MMINI-IARD interposer
board between the EVK and PCA9959HN-ARDUINO daughter board (see IMX8MMINI-
IARD User Manual).
5.2 Kit featured components
Figure 1 shows the top silkscreen of the board,
See Figure 2 and Figure 3 for top and bottom view of the PCA9959HN-ARD daughter
card. The following figures allow users to quickly find the location of the board
components involved in test and measurement evaluations. The Arduino port connectors
(J5, J6, J35, J36) are located on the bottom side of the board.
Figure 1. PCA9959HN-ARD silkscreen (top view)
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PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board
Figure 2. PCA9959HN-ARD board (top view)
Figure 3. PCA9959HN-ARD board (bottom view)
5.3 Block diagram
Figure 4 shows a block diagram of the PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board. The block
diagram includes Arduino interface (J5, J6, J35, and J36 connectors) and the data
lines connected to the port. The blue lines in the drawing refer to the SPI bus and the
purple lines represents the control bus. The J46 and J47 connectors are Fuji connectors
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(see Section 5.5 "Fuji connectors"). J46 is the Fuji output connector (pin header) and
is located on the top layer of the board. J46 is intended to be mated with a similar Fuji
input connector (J47) on a board mounted directly on top of the first board. In this way,
several boards can be connected in a stack. J47 is the Fuji input connector and is located
on the bottom side of the board, in the same physical place as J46. The first board is
powered and communicates through the Arduino connectors; the other attached boards
draw power and communicate through the Fuji connectors.
aaa-041995
SDO
LED0
SCLK
SDI
CS
SDO
to next SDI
from previous SDO
SCLK
SDI
CS
OE
RESET
SPI-MOSI
SPI-MISO
SPI-CLK
SPI-SEL
OE
RESET
MOSI
MISO
SCK
SS
D9
D8
3.3 V
5 V
GND
GND
I MAX
7 5 4 10 9 8 6 3
7 5 4 10 9 8 6 3
LED1 LED2 LED3 LED4 LED5
REXT OSC
x4
U2
U4
LED6 LED7 LED8 LED9 LED10 LED11 LED12 LED13 LED14 LED15 LED16 LED17 LED18 LED19 LED20 LED21 LED22 LED23
J83
J82
J25
J75
D4
D19D18D17
J59 J60 J61 J62 J63 J64
PCA9959
J65 J66 J67 J68 J69 J70 J71 J72 J73 J74
D5 D7 D9 D11 D13 D15
D6 D8 D10 D12 D14
J23
VCC_5V0_MAIN
VCC_5V0_MAIN
VCC_5V0_MAIN
WHITE LED
RGB LED
U5
VCC_5V0_MAIN
D16 J58 J57J49
J76
J78
J81
J80
J79
J77
J26
J47
J47
FUJI CONN. - IN
NEXT BOARD
FUJI CONN. OUT (TOP SIDE)
ARDUINO
INTERFACE
FUJI CONN. - IN
BOTTOM SIDE
J46
J36
J5
VCC_5V0_MAIN
J21
VCC_5V0_MAIN
VCC_3V3
D2
J6
VCC_5V0
VCC_3V3
J35
J84
Figure 4. PCA9959HN-ARD block diagram
5.4 Arduino port
The connectors J5, J6, J35, and J36 are the mated pin headers of Arduino Uno R3
connectors, having the same electrical function and being placed on the board so that the
daughter board can be directly inserted in the Arduino port. The daughter board circuit
uses only seven signal lines. Table 2 shows the Arduino connector pins and how they are
used in the circuit (see SPF-46842.pdf schematic file).
Ref Des # Arduino label PCA9959HN-ARD function
1 NC Not used
2 IOREF Not used
3 RESET Not used
4 3.3V Power supply
5 5V Not used
6 GND Power supply return
7 GND Power supply return
J6 (Power)
8 Vin Not used
Table 2. Pin chart of Arduino connectors and their usage
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Ref Des # Arduino label PCA9959HN-ARD function
1 A0 Not used
2 A1 Not used
3 A2 Not used
4 A3 Not used
5 A4 / SDA [1] Not used
J35 (analog, digital,
I2C)
6 A5 / SCL [1] Not used
1 D0 / RX Not used
2 D1 / TX Not used
3 D2 REXT SELECT (SW_EN)
4 D3 / PWM Not used
5 D4 Not used
6 D5 / PWM Not used
7 D6 / PWM Not used
J5 (digital, UART,
PWM)
8 D7 Not used
1 D8 RESET (RESET_B_D8)
2 D9 / PWM OUTPUT ENABLE (OE_B_D9)
3 D10 / SS / PWM SPI – SELECT (SPI_C0_D10)
4 D11 / MOSI / PWM SPI – MOSI (SPI_MOSI_D11)
5 D12 / MISO SPI – MISO (SPI_MISO_D12)
6 D13 / SCK SPI – CLOCK (SPI_CLK)
7 GND Power supply return
8 AREF Not used
9 A4 / SDA [1] Not used
J36 (mixed)
10 A5 / SCL [1] Not used
Table 2. Pin chart of Arduino connectors and their usage...continued
[1] A4 / SDA common line for J2 – 5 and J4 – 9. A5 / SCL common line for J2 – 6 and J4 – 10.
5.5 Fuji connectors
Fuji connectors J46 and J47 allow several PCA9959HN-ARD daughter boards to be
configured in a stack architecture. The connector J46 is the Fuji output pin header placed
on top of the layout. Fuji connector J46 is the pin receptacle located on the bottom of the
layout. When two boards are connected, J47 of the secondary board is inserted into Fuji
output connector (J46) of the primary (base) daughter board. Table 3 shows the pin map
of Fuji connectors and the function of the pins.
J46 Fuji output connector (top) J47 Fuji input connector (top)
1 3.3 V rail distribution 1 3.3 V rail distribution
2 5 V rail distribution 2 5.0 V rail distribution
3 Input control of switch U5 3 Connected to GND. Close the switch U5 of the previous
board.
4 I MAX (R EXT) control distribution 4 I MAX (R EXT) control distribution
5 RESET distribution 5 RESET distribution
Table 3. Pin chart of Fuji connectors and their functions
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J46 Fuji output connector (top) J47 Fuji input connector (top)
6 SDO (U2) distribution to next board SDI
(U2)
6 SDO (U2) from previous board
7 OE distribution 7 OE distribution
8 SDO (U2) from last board to SPI-MISO 8 SDO (U2) from next board (SDO bridge)
9 SPI – CS distribution 9 SPI – CS distribution
10 SPI – CLOCK distribution 10 SPI – CLOCK distribution
11 GND 11 GND
12 GND 12 GND
Table 3. Pin chart of Fuji connectors and their functions...continued
5.6 SPI bus
The SPI bus has a daisy chain architecture. When a single daughter board (inserted
in the Arduino port) is used, the MOSI line (J36, pin 4) goes from Arduino port to the
DUT SDI input (U2, pin 6). The signal is turned back from SDO (U2, pin 4) through
the switch U5 (closed), to the MISO input of the Arduino port (J36, pin 5). U5 is closed
because the control input is pulled up (high state) through R89. When a secondary board
is inserted into the Fuji output connector, the U5 control input located on the first board
is pulled down to ground through pin 3 of J46 and J47 of the next board. The switch U5
(first board) is open, the signal path of the SPI is: MOSI (Arduino port) – SDI input (U2,
first board) – SDO output (U2, first board) – pin 6 (J46 first board) – pin 6 (J47 second
board) – SDI (U2, second board) – SDO (U2, second board) – U5 (second board which is
closed) – pin 8 (J47, second board) – pin 8 (J46, first board) – MISO (Arduino port). The
daisy chain loop is then closed through both DUTs on the two interconnected daughter
boards. The SPI clock and chip select lines are sent directly to the DUT (U2) on the first
card, and through the Fuji connectors to the secondary card.
For SPI characteristics and data format, see the PCA9959 data sheet Table 1 and Table
2, which details the pin map of the Arduino port and the Fuji connectors.
Note: For IMXRT1050 EVK, the SPI lines on the EVK board are not linked to the
Arduino connector. Before using the EVK, the user must populate the DNP 0 Ω resistors
R278 to R281 (see the EVK schematic diagram file SPF-30168_A1.pdf, available at
www.nxp.com.
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Figure 5. Location of the 0 Ω resistors R278 to R281 on the MIMXRT1050-EVK board
5.7 Control bus
The control bus contains three additional control lines (purple color in Figure 4): OE
(Output Enable), RESET, and I MAX. OE and RESET are routed to the OE and RESET
inputs of the DUT, directly from Arduino port for the first (or base daughter board) and
through Fuji connectors for the additional boards (pin 5, and pin 7).
The I MAX line controls the switch U4. When U4 is open, the resistor R83 is connected
between the REXT input of the PCA9959HN (pin 39) and ground. R83 sets the maximum
current delivered at the outputs of the DUT at 20 mA. When U4 is closed, R79 is
paralleled with R83, the resulting maximum current increases to 50 mA. For more details
regarding control lines, see the PCA9959 data sheet Table 1 and Table 2.
5.8 LED section
The PCA9959HN features 24 LED drivers (PWM controlled, current sink sources). Four
RGB LEDs are allocated to the first outputs (LED0 to LED11). The outputs LED12 to
LED23 drives white LEDs. The LEDs can be disconnected from the IC outputs with
jumpers.
The RGB LED D16 has jumpers connected in parallel for short testing. The jumpers J76
to J81 allow the user to redirect the corresponding output lines of D16 and D17 RGB
LEDs from the onboard LEDs to the RGB LED external connectors (J21 and J26). Using
the connectors, the user can easily attach external LEDs for testing. In the same manner,
the corresponding lines of white LEDs D14 and D15 can be redirected with J82 and J83
jumpers to white LED external connectors J23 and J25.
5.9 Power distribution
The power supply is provided from the EVK mother board for the first card, and through
the Fuji connectors for all additional cards. There are two power rails: 3.3 V and 5.0 V.
The main power consumption is from the 5.0 V power rail. The necessary current for one
daughter board when all LEDs are turned ON is 1.2 A (I MAX: 50 mA). Due to current
limitations, the number of boards installed in the stack is limited. The limitation depends
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on the type of EVK being used and the current rating of the Arduino/Fuji connectors
(approx. 4.5 A). The current limitation as a function of the EVK is as follows:
•IMXRT1050 EVK:
–EVK powered from USB: limited by the current rating of the USB connector – max. 2
boards
–EVK powered from power barrel connector (J2): limited by power rating of Arduino /
Fuji connectors – max. 3 boards
•LPCXpresso55S69 EVK: limited by the current rating of the USB connector – max. 2
boards
•i.MX LPDDR4 EVK: limited by the current delivered by the EVK power supply – max. 2
boards
The onboard LED D2 is a 3.3 V rail indicator, and D3 is a 5.0 V rail indicator.
5.10 Schematic, board layout and bill of materials
The schematic, board layout and bill of materials for the PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation
board are available at http://www.nxp.com/PCA9959HN-ARD.
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6 Installing and configuring software tools
PCA9959HN-ARD evaluation board is designed and built as a daughter board able to
work with a mother board equipped with an Arduino port. The board was built to be fully
compatible with the following NXP evaluation boards:
•MIMXRT1050-EVK
•LPC55S69-EVK
•8MMINILPD4-EVK
Each of the above evaluation/development boards is supported by firmware that can
be downloaded from the NXP site (www.nxp.com). Before beginning to use a paired
EVK – PCA9959HN-ARD configuration, the EVK motherboard must be programmed
with the corresponding firmware package. Additionally, a GUI application (Windows 10)
is available for download from the NXP site, allowing rapid testing and operation of the
PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board in conjunction with the EVK. The GUI application
is common for all three EVKs and for the PCA995x LED Controller development card
family, manufactured by NXP (PCA9957, PCA9959, and PCA9955B ICs).
For details regarding installation of the EVK firmware and GUI host software, see
UM11581, Arduino shields GUI and firmware installation manual.
Once the software is installed, the first step is to select the correct EVK from the
graphical interface. The board can then be controlled from the GUI interface. See
Section 7 "Configuring the hardware" and Section 8 "GUI description" for more details on
using the GUI software to operate the PCA9959HN-ARD.
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7 Configuring the hardware
7.1 Using the PCA9959HN-ARD with MIMXRT1050-EVK board
Figure 6 shows the required hardware for operation of the PCA9959HN-ARD daughter
board with MIMXRT1050-EVK.
The following hardware is necessary when working with this kit:
•One MIMXRT1050-EVK board
•One PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board
•One USB-A/USB Micro-B cable
•A PC with Windows 10 operating system
The MIMXRT1050-EVK mother board can be powered by one of the following three
methods:
•Connecting an external 5 VDC power supply to the barrel power connector (J2) on the
board
•Connecting a USB cable from the PC to the Micro-B USB connector (J9) on the board
•Connecting a USB cable from the PC to the USB connector (J28) on the board. When
the PC is connected in this fashion, the USB port can simultaneously act as a debug
interface. Therefore, by using a single USB cable connected to J28, the EVK can be
powered and at the same time linked to the PC for data exchange.
The older USB ports (from PC) are not able to deliver the necessary current (500 mA),
before establishing the communication, use an external power supply (connected to J2).
From J1 on the EVK board (see Figure 6), the user can select the power configuration for
the mother board. For more details, see i.MX RT1050 Evaluation Kit.
Figure 6. PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board and MIMXRT1050-EVK board
To configure the hardware and workstation, complete the following procedure:
1. On the MIMXRT1050-EVK board, populate R278, R279, R280, R281 with zero-ohm
resistors (0402 package) to link the SPI lines to the Arduino connector (see Note in
Section 5.6 "SPI bus").
2. Configure the suitable power configuration of EVK (J1). If using J28 for power supply,
the J1 jumper shall be placed in position 5-6. If using an external power supply
(connected to J2), the jumper J1 is placed in position 1-2.
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3. Insert the PCA9959HN-ARD daughter card into the Arduino connector on the EVK.
See Figure 6.
4. Using USB connector J28, connect the EVK board to a USB port on the computer.
5. Install the IMXRT1050 target firmware (download from NXP site and see UM11581 for
step-by-step instructions).
6. Install GUI application on PC (see UM11581, Arduino shields GUI and firmware
installation manual).
7. Open the GUI application to operate the device from the PC. For details regarding
GUI operation, see Section 8 "GUI description".
Figure 7. PCF85063AT-ARD daughter board / MIMXRT1050-EVK board assembly
7.2 Using the PCA9959HN-ARD with an LPCXpresso55S69 development
board
Figure 8 shows the necessary hardware involved when using the PCA9959HN-ARD
board with an LPCXpresso55S69 board. This configuration consists of:
•One LPCXpresso55S69 development board
•One PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board
•One USB-A/USB Micro-B cable
•A PC with Windows 10 operating system
The LPCXpresso55S69 development board is equipped with four USB Micro-B
connectors: P5, P6, P9, and P10. The board can be powered through any USB port.
Using P6 USB connector to connect the board to the PC simplifies the start-up operation
because P6 is designated for debugging and the USB cable, thus accomplishing two
tasks at the same time: powering the board, and serving as a data link between the EVK
board and PC. For more details, see LPCXpresso55S69 Development Board.
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Figure 8. PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board and LPCXpresso55S69 mother board
The following steps describe how to assemble, power up, program, and operate the
configuration shown in Figure 8:
1. Insert the PCA9959HN-ARD daughter card to P16 – P19 connectors located on
LPCXpresso55S69 development board (see the marked pins of P16 – P19, Figure 8).
2. Connect the development board using port P6 USB port of PC.
3. Install the LPCXpresso55S69 target firmware (download from NXP site and see
UM11581 for step-by-step instructions).
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4. Install GUI application on PC (see UM11581, Arduino shields GUI and firmware
installation manual).
5. Open the GUI application to operate the device from the PC. For details regarding
GUI operation, see Section 8 "GUI description".
Figure 9 shows the two boards in operation.
Figure 9. PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board / LPCXpresso55S69 board assembly
7.3 Using the PCA9959HN-ARD with an i.MX 8M Mini LPDDR4 EVK
When 8MMINILPD4-EVK board is used with the PCA9959HN-ARD board, a third board
(IMX8MMINI-IARD interposer board) must be used, especially designed and built as EVK
– daughter board interconnection. The EVK board i.MX 8M Mini LPDDR4 is not equipped
with an Arduino port; instead it has a 2 x 20 pin expansion connector (J1003, see i.MX
8M Mini LPDDR4 EVK user manual). J1003 is a multipurpose port, containing various
digital I/O lines, including specialized I2C and SPI buses. Starting from the expansion
connector pin chart, an Arduino port interposer board was developed, with the role of
signal-to-signal bridge between the 2 x 20 connector pins on the i.MX 8M Mini LPDDR4
EVK and the mated connectors of the Arduino port present on the PCA9959HN-ARD
daughter board.
Figure 10 shows how these three boards are connected. This configuration consists of:
•One 8MMINILPD4-EVK board
•One PCA9959HN-ARD board
•One IMX8MMINI-IARD interposer board
•One USB-A / USB-C cable
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•One USB-A / USB Micro-B cable
•A PC with Windows 10 operating system
It is recommended to attach the PCA9959HN-ARD to the Arduino connectors of the
IMX8MMINI-IARD interposer board first, and then the resulting assembly to the i.MX 8M
Mini LPDDR4 EVK. This can be done by plugging J1 connector located on the interposer
board to J1003 connector on the EVK.
To power up the EVK, an USB-C type cable connected to PORT 2 of the EVK is used.
The power switch SW101 on the EVK board must be set to ON position to power up
the setup. Data communication is achieved by routing a separate USB (Micro-B type)
cable from a USB port on the PC to debug port (J901) on the EVK (see Figure 10 and
Figure 11).
For more details regarding the power-up and operation of the setup assembly, see i.MX
8M Mini LPDDR4 EVK Board Hardware User's Guide (IMX8MMEVKHUG.pdf), and
IMX8MMINI-IARD User Manual. The files can be downloaded from NXP site.
Figure 10. PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board, IMX8MMINI-IARD interposer board, and
8MMINILPD4-EVK board assembly
To configure the hardware and workstation, complete the following procedure:
1. Insert the PCA9959HN-ARD onto the IMX8MMINI-IARD interposer board Arduino
connectors (located on the top side).
2. Attach IMX8MMINI-IARD connector J1 (located on the bottom of the board) into
J1003 expansion board located on the top side of i.MX 8M Mini LPDDR4 EVK (see
Figure 10).
3. Power-up the EVK board using an USB Type C cable attached to Port 2.
4. Connect the EVK to the PC using a USB Micro-B cable attached to J901 debug port.
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5. Place SW101 in the ON position to power-up the boards.
6. Install the MIMXRT1050 target firmware (download from NXP site and see UM11581
for step-by-step instructions).
7. Install GUI application on PC (see UM11581, Arduino shields GUI and firmware
installation manual).
8. Open the GUI application to operate the device from the PC. For details regarding
GUI operation, see Section 8 "GUI description".
Figure 11. PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board / 8MMINILPD4-EVK board operation
7.4 Using the PCA9959HN-ARD with another device
The PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board can be operated with other EVK board, with
an Arduino port. In this case, a firmware shall be developed according with PCA9959
specifications, and then attach PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board to the EVK to operate
the board.
For non-Arduino devices, using the pin chart of Arduino connectors (see Table 2),
make the necessary electrical connections (for power, SPI bus and control lines). Use
PCA9959 data sheet for firmware development, according with IC specifications. Ensure
accurate electrical connections and avoid data conflicts on the signal lines to prevent IC
damage.
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8 GUI description
A GUI application is available for the three EVK boards from NXP Semiconductors. The
application is common for all EVKs/development boards.
This section describes the GUI application and how the user can control the
PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board from the graphical interface. First, install the GUI
package and software on the PC (Windows 10). For more details, see UM11581.
Once installation is complete, make sure that one of the three supported EVKs with
the attached PCA9959HN-ARD daughter board is connected to the PC and powered-
on. Open the NXP_GUI(PCA995x) GUI application. An interface appears as shown in
Figure 12.
8.1 Settings
Figure 12. Graphical user interface — Settings tab activated
The GUI application starts with the Settings tab (marked with red arrow). In the right side
of the blue region are located two read-only flags mapped in “MODE2 register (#01h).
The FAULT flag indicates that the PCA9959HN-ARD’s internal controller has detected
an LED output error (no load, short). The OVERTEMP flag indicates that the PCA9959
die temperature exceeds its specified limit (see section 7.2.3 “LED error detection” and
section 7.2.4 “Overtemperature protection” in PCA9959 data sheet).
Note: Due to the absence of status registers for the LED outputs in the PCA9959 IC, for
the PCA9959HN-ARD board, the LED indicators on the GUI are not indicating the status
of the onboard LEDs (there is no information to be read and displayed in the GUI).
Below the LED indicators are three sections: General Setting on the right, Device
Setting in the middle, and Board Setting on the left.
Board Setting parameters are:
• Select EVK displays a list of EVKs. Selecting a wrong EVK board causes the
connection to fail and a pop-up window with the message: “Unable to Connect with
EVK” appears on the screen.
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• Select COM Port displays the port selected for the communication. The port is
automatically selected by the system and is shown here as (COM3, Figure 12).
• Select Board allows the user to select the correct daughter board (the application can
support three different boards). In Figure 12, the selected board is PCA9959. Selecting
the wrong EVK or daughter board, causes the connection to fail and a pop-up window
with the message: “Unable to Connect with Daughter Card” appears on the screen.
Click Connect to establish the connection with the EVK.
Device Setting parameters are:
• REXT Settings selects the maximum current delivered by the LED drivers. This
selection is determined by the status of switch U4 on the PCA9959HN-ARD board (see
Section 5 "Getting to know the hardware").
OE controls the OE input of the DUT.
• SPI Frequency selects the bus speed. The drop-down box allows the selection of four
values: 100 kHz, 1 MHz (default value), 4 MHz, and 10 MHz.
Clicking the Set All button at the bottom of the section causes the selected values to be
set in the daughter board. Clicking Reset Chip returns the DUT's internal registers to
their default values.
The PCA9959 device’s internal controller has many 8-bit registers that provide detailed
control, and error management. The internal registers are organized in four groups
of LED gradation control, each LED channel being assigned to one of groups. For
each group, PCA9959 supports 64-grid gradation brightness control, allowing for each
LED output to be on with individual preset current value, or off. The GUI application is
reflecting the PCA9959, allowing the user to set the values of the registers, without any
constraint. Therefore, the user must fully understand the internal register map of the
PCA9959 device. Additionally, in Section 9 "Operation example" a set of instructions
are provided, to help the user for quick check of the PCA9959HN-ARD board and
understanding how to write the internal registers of the PCA9959 device.
General Settings
The displayed parameters in the section, belongs to internal registers “MODE1” and
“MODE2” (00h, and 01h). See the PCA9959 device data sheet for bit level details
regarding the mode registers. Set the values for each parameter and click the Write
button to update the PCA9959 mode registers with the desired configuration. The Read
button brings back the data from the mode register to GUI interface. The status bar
located in the bottom side of the interface shows the connection status between the PC
and the EVK.
Note: Due to high complexity of the internal register map and functions of PCA9959HN
IC, for proper operation and testing of the daughter board from GUI application, the user
should read in detail the data sheet of PCA9959 IC.
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