8 External Connectivity

8.1 Servomotor Headers


The Explorer features three-pin headers compatible with typical servomotor pinouts. The control signal of each pin header has a MOSFET-driven open drain output. The 5V supply on the board usually supplies the control signal and power output on the pin headers. External power can be supplied through pin header J310. Select between on-board and external power using pin header J308. Info: The RGB LED will light up when driving servomotors and can be disconnected by removing pin jumpers from J309.

Important:

Servomotors usually require high currents. It is recommended to use an external supply to power servomotors.

The circuit is rated for external power in the range of 5-24V.


The Explorer features a mikroBUS™ socket for Mikroelektronika Click boards™. The socket is connected to the Explorer's main I²C and SPI bus. UART pins are shared between the USB bridge and the mikroBUS™ socket. Select your UART connections using the slide-switch S501. The PWM pin is shared with the single RGB LED and servomotor driver and can be remapped with pin header J203.


The Explorer features a Grove connector. The Grove system allows rapid prototyping using modular building blocks with many modules to choose from. Figure 8-3. Grove Connector


The Explorer includes a 4-pin Qwiic® connector for easy daisy-chaining of multiple devices within the SparkFun Qwiic Connect System. Figure 8-4. Qwiic Connector

The Explorer has a 1x8 PICkit™-compatible connector footprint connected to the CNANO's debug pins.

A slide switch (S100) allows the user to select the programming interface for the connected CNANO. Position 1 for UPDI/ICSP™ and position 2 for SWD.

To use a PICkit™ with the Explorer, the user must insert the included 1x8 right-angled pin header into the staggered footprint J122.

Tip: For repeated use, it is recommended to solder in the 1x8 right-angled pin header.


Figure 8-5. Overview