Silicon Laboratories C8051F91 Series User manual

Rev. 0.2 2/14 Copyright © 2014 by Silicon Laboratories C8051F91x/90x
C8051F91x/90x
C8051F912 DEVELOPMENT KIT USER’SGUIDE
1. Relevant Devices
The C8051F912 Development Kit is intended as a development platform for the microcontrollers in the
C8051F91x-C8051F90x MCU family. The members of this MCU family are C8051F912, C8051F911, C8051F902,
and C8051F901.
Notes:
1. The target board included in this kit is provided with a pre-soldered C8051F912 MCU (QSOP24 package).
2. Code developed on the C8051F912 can be easily ported to the other members of this MCU family.
3. Refer to the C8051F91x-C8051F90x data sheet for the differences between the members of this MCU
family.
2. Kit Contents
The C8051F912 Development Kit contains the following items:
C8051F912 Target Board
C8051Fxxx Development Kit Quick-Start Guide
AC to DC Power Adapter
USB Debug Adapter (USB to Debug Interface)
2 USB Cables
2 AAA Batteries
CD-ROM
Figure 1. C8051F912 Target Board

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3. Hardware Setup Using a USB Debug Adapter
The target board is connected to a PC running the Silicon Laboratories IDE via the USB Debug Adapter as shown
in Figure 2.
1. Connect the USB Debug Adapter to the DEBUG connector on the target board with the 10-pin ribbon
cable.
2. Connect one end of the USB cable to the USB connector on the USB Debug Adapter.
3. Verify that a shorting block is installed on J17 and that SW5 is in the ON position.
4. Connect the other end of the USB cable to a USB Port on the PC.
5. Connect the ac/dc power adapter to power jack P2 on the target board (Optional).
Notes:
Use the Reset button in the IDE to reset the target when connected using a USB Debug Adapter.
Remove power from the target board and the USB Debug Adapter before connecting or disconnecting the
ribbon cable from the target board. Connecting or disconnecting the cable when the devices have power
can damage the device and/or the USB Debug Adapter.
Figure 2. Hardware Setup Using a USB Debug Adapter
PC
USB
Cable
AC/DC
Adapter
Target Board
P0.2 P0.3
J3
J4
J2
`
P3
CP
2103
U3
P2
DEBUG
J9
USB POWER
RESET
P1.6
P1.5
POWER OFF BEFORE
SW4
SWITCHING MODE
2 CELL 1 CELL
J17
IMEASURE
H2
SILICON LABS
www.silabs.com
H1
J6 VDD/DC+
J5
J7 J13
F912
U1
J14
J11
J10
VBAT
WALL_PWR
AAA_BAT
COIN_CELL
TOUCH SENSE SWITCH
P2.0 TOUCH SENSE SWITCH P2.1
J15
J16
R15
J12J8
+3VD
+1VD
VBAT
J1
SW5
ON
OFF
Silicon Laboratories
USB DEBUG ADAPTER
Run
Stop Power
USB Debug
Adapter

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4. Software Setup
Simplicity Studio greatly reduces development time and complexity with Silicon Labs EFM32 and 8051 MCU
products by providing a high-powered IDE, tools for hardware configuration, and links to helpful resources, all in
one place.
Once Simplicity Studio is installed, the application itself can be used to install additional software and
documentation components to aid in the development and evaluation process.
Figure 3. Simplicity Studio
The following Simplicity Studio components are required for the C8051F912 Development Kit:
8051 Products Part Support
Simplicity Developer Platform
Download and install Simplicity Studio from www.silabs.com/8bit-software or www.silabs.com/simplicity-studio.
Once installed, run Simplicity Studio by selecting StartSilicon LabsSimplicity StudioSimplicity Studio
from the start menu or clicking the Simplicity Studio shortcut on the desktop. Follow the instructions to install the
software and click Simplicity IDE to launch the IDE.
The first time the project creation wizard runs, the Setup Environment wizard will guide the user through the
process of configuring the build tools and SDK selection.
In the Part Selection step of the wizard, select from the list of installed parts only the parts to use during
development. Choosing parts and families in this step affects the displayed or filtered parts in the later device
selection menus. Choose the C8051F91x family by checking the C8051F91x/90x check box. Modify the part
selection at any time by accessing the Part Management dialog from the WindowPreferencesSimplicity
StudioPart Management menu item.
Simplicity Studio can detect if certain toolchains are not activated. If the Licensing Helper is displayed after
completing the Setup Environment wizard, follow the instructions to activate the toolchain.

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4.1. Running Blinky
Each project has its own source files, target configuration, SDK configuration, and build configurations such as the
Debug and Release build configurations. The IDE can be used to manage multiple projects in a collection called a
workspace. Workspace settings are applied globally to all projects within the workspace. This can include settings
such as key bindings, window preferences, and code style and formatting options. Project actions, such as build
and debug are context sensitive. For example, the user must select a project in the Project Explorer view in order
to build that project.
To create a project based on the Blinky example:
1. Click the Simplicity IDE tile from the Simplicity Studio home screen.
2. Click the Create new project link from the welcome screen or go to FileNewSilicon Labs MCU
Project.
3. In the Kit drop-down, select C8051F912 Development Kit, in the Part drop-down, select C8051F912, and
in the SDK drop-down, select the desired SDK. Click Next.
4. Select Example and click Next.
5. Under C8051F912 Development Kit in the Blinky folder, select F912-902 Blinky and click Finish.
6. Click on the project in the Project Explorer and click Build, the hammer icon in the top bar. Alternatively,
go to ProjectBuild Project.
7. Click Debug to download the project to the hardware and start a debug session.
8. Press the Resume button to start the code running. The LED should blink.
9. Press the Suspend button to stop the code.
10. Press the Reset the device button to reset the target MCU.
11. Press the Disconnect button to return to the development perspective.
4.2. Simplicity Studio Help
Simplicity Studio includes detailed help information and device documentation within the tool. The help contains
descriptions for each dialog window. To view the documentation for a dialog, click the question mark icon in the
window:
This will open a pane specific to the dialog with additional details.
The documentation within the tool can also be viewed by going to HelpHelp Contents or HelpSearch.

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4.3. Legacy 8-bit IDE
Note: Using the Simplicity Studio tools with the C8051F912 Development Kit is recommended. See section 4. "Software
Setup‚" on page 3 for more information.
Download the 8-bit software from the website (www.silabs.com/8bit-software) or use the provided installer on the
CD-ROM to install the software tools for the C8051F91x/90x devices. After installation, examples can be found in
...\Examples\C8051F91x_90x in the installation directory. At a minimum, the C8051F912 DK requires:
Silicon Labs IDE—Software enabling initial evaluation, development, and debugging.
Configuration Wizard 2—Initialization code generation software for the C8051F91x/90x devices.
Keil C51 Tools—Keil 8051 Compiler/Assembler/Linker toolchain.
CP210x Drivers—Virtual COM Port (VCP) drivers for the CP210x COM interface. More information on this
installation process can be found in Section 4.4.
Other software available includes:
Keil µVision Driver—Driver for the Keil µVision IDE that enables development and debugging on
C8051Fxxx MCUs.
Flash Programming Utilities and MCU Production Programmer—Programming utilities for the
production line. More information on the available programming options can be found on the website:
http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/ProgrammingOptions.aspx.
ToolStick Development Tools—Software and examples for the ToolStick development platform. More
information on this platform can be found at www.silabs.com/toolstick.
Also available on the 8-bit software webpage is the Battery Life Estimator, which gives designers a quick and easy
way to understand the discharge characteristics of different system configurations to help optimize low-power
applications.
The development kit includes the latest version of the C51 Keil 8051 toolset. This toolset is initially limited to a code
size of 2 kB and programs start at code address 0x0800. After registration, the code size limit is removed entirely
and programs will start at code address 0x0000.
To register the Keil toolset:
1. Find the Product Serial Number printed on the CD-ROM. If you no longer have this serial number,
register on the Silicon Labs website (www.silabs.com/8bit-software) to obtain the serial number.
2. Open the Keil µVision4 IDE from the installation directory with administrative privileges.
3. Select FileLicense Management to open the License Management window.
Figure 4. Keil µVision4 IDE License Management Window

C8051F91x/90x
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4. Click on the Get LIC via Internet... button to open the Obtaining a License IDE Code (LIC) window.
5. Press OK to open a browser window to the Keil website. If the window doesn’t open, navigate to
www.keil.com/license/install.htm.
6. Enter the Silicon Labs Product Serial Number printed on the CD-ROM, along with any additional required
information.
7. Once the form is complete, click the Submit button. An email will be sent to the provided email address
with the license activation code.
8. Copy the License ID Code (LIC) from the email.
9. Paste the LIC into the New License ID Code (LIC) text box at the bottom of the License Management
window in µVision4.
10. Press the Add LIC button. The window should now list the PK51 Prof. Developers Kit for Silabs as a
licensed product.
11. Click the Close button.
4.4. CP210x USB to UART VCP Driver Installation
The MCU Card includes a Silicon Labs CP210x USB-to-UART Bridge Controller. Device drivers for the CP210x
need to be installed before the PC software can communicate with the MCU through the UART interface. Use the
drivers included CD-ROM or download the latest drivers from the website (www.silabs.com/interface-software).
1. If using the CD-ROM, the CP210x Drivers option will launch the appropriate driver installer. If downloading
the driver package from the website, unzip the files to a location and run the appropriate installer for the
system (x86 or x64).
2. Accept the license agreement and follow the steps to install the driver on the system. The installer will let
you know when your system is up to date. The driver files included in this installation have been certified by
Microsoft.
3. To complete the installation process, connect the included USB cable between the host computer and the
COM PORT USB connector (J5) on the MCU Card. Windows will automatically finish the driver installation.
Information windows will pop up from the taskbar to show the installation progress.
4. If needed, the driver files can be uninstalled by selecting Windows Driver Package—Silicon
Laboratories... option in the Programs and Features window.

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4.5. Silicon Labs Battery Life Estimator
The Battery Life Estimator is a system design tool for battery operated devices. It allows the user to select the type
of battery they are using in the system and enter the supply current profile of their application. Using this
information, it performs a simulation and provides an estimated system operating time. The Battery Life Estimator
is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Battery Life Estimator Utility
From Figure 5, the two inputs to the Battery Life Estimator are battery type and discharge profile. The utility
includes battery profiles for common battery types such as AAA, AA, A76 Button Cell, and CR2032 coin cell. The
discharge profile is application-specific and describes the supply current requirements of the system under various
supply voltages and battery configurations. The discharge profile is independent of the selected power source.
Several read-only discharge profiles for common applications are included in the pulldown menu. The user may
also create a new profile for their own applications.
To create a new profile:
1. Select the profile that most closely matches the target application or choose the "Custom Profile".
2. Click Manage
3. Click Duplicate
4. Click Edit
Profiles may be edited with the easy-to-use GUI (shown in Figure 6).

C8051F91x/90x
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Figure 6. Battery Life Estimator Discharge Profile Editor
The Discharge Profile Editor allows the user to modify the profile name and description. The four text entry boxes
on the left hand side of the form allow the user to specify the amount of time the system spends in each power
mode. On the right hand side, the user may specify the supply current of the system in each power mode.
Since supply current is typically dependent on supply voltage, the discharge profile editor provides two columns for
supply current. The V2 and V1 voltages at the top of the two columns specify the voltages at which the current
measurements were taken. The Battery Life Estimator creates a linear approximation based on the input data and
is able to feed the simulation engine with an approximate supply current demand for every input voltage.
The minimum system operating voltage input field allows the system operating time to stop increasing when the
simulated battery voltage drops below a certain threshold. This is primarily to allow operating time estimates for
systems that cannot operate down to 1.8 V, which is the voltage of two fully drained single-cell batteries placed in
series.

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The wakeup frequency box calculates the period of a single iteration through the four power modes and displays
the system wake up frequency. This is typically the "sample rate" in low power analog sensors.
Once the battery type and discharge profile is specified, the user can click the "Simulate" button to start a new
simulation. The simulation engine calculates the estimated battery life when using one single-cell battery, two
single-cell batteries in series, and two single-cell batteries in parallel. Figure 7 shows the simulation output window.
Figure 7. Battery Life Estimator Utility Simulation Results Form
The primary outputs of the Battery Life Estimator are an estimated system operating time and a simulated graph of
battery voltage vs. time. Additional outputs include estimated battery capacity, average current, self-discharge
current, and the ability to export graph data to a comma delimited text file for plotting in an external graphing
application.

C8051F91x/90x
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5. Target Board
The C8051F912 Development Kit includes a target board with a C8051F912 device pre-installed for evaluation and
preliminary software development. Numerous input/output (I/O) connections are provided to facilitate prototyping
using the target board. Refer to Figure 8 for the locations of the various I/O connectors. Figure 10 on page 12
shows the factory default shorting block positions.
P1 Expansion connector (96-pin)
P2 Power connector (accepts input from 7 to 15 VDC unregulated power adapter)
P3 USB connector (connects to PC for serial communication)
J1 Enable/Disable VBAT Power LED
J2, J3 Port I/O headers (provide access to Port I/O pins)
J5 Enable/Disable VDD/DC+ Power LED
J6 Provides an easily accessible ground clip
J7 Connects pin P0.7 (IREF0 Output) to resistor R14 and capacitor C19
J8 Connects P0.2 and P0.3 to switches and P1.5 and P1.6 to LEDs
J9 DEBUG connector for Debug Adapter interface
J10, J11 Selects the power supply source (Wall Power, AAA Battery, or Coin Cell)
J12 Connects Port I/O to UART0 interface
J13 Connects external VREF capacitor to the P0.0/VREF
J14 Connects the PCB ground plane to P0.1/AGND
J15 Connects negative potentiometer (R14) terminal to pin P1.4 or to GND
J16 Connects the potentiometer (R14) wiper to P0.6/CNVSTR
J17 Creates an open in the power supply path to allow supply current measurement
H1 Analog I/O terminal block
H2 Provides terminal block access to the input and output nodes of J17
SW4 Switches the device between one-cell (0.9–1.8 V supply) or two-cell (1.8–3.6 V) mode
SW5 Turns power to the MCU on or off
Figure 8. C8051F912 Target Board
P0.2 P0.3
Pin 1
Pin 2
J3
J2
`
P3
CP
2103
U3
P2
DEBUG
J9
USB POWER
RESET
P1.6
P1.5
POWER OFF BEFORE
SW4
SWITCHING MODE
2 CELL 1 CELL
J17
IMEASURE
H2
SILICON LABS
www.silabs.com
H1
Pin 1
J6 VDD/DC+
J5
J7 J13
U1
J14
J11
J10
VBAT
WALL_PWR
AAA_BAT
COIN_CELL
TOUCH SENSE SWITCH
P1.0 TOUCH SENSE SWITCH P1.1
P1.4
J15
GND
J16
R15
J12J8
+3VD
+1VD
VBAT
J1
SW5
ON
OFF
P1
SW2 SW3
PORT1 SW1
PORT0
F912