1.15 Time System Service Multi-client

This example application demonstrates the multi-client system timer functionality.

Description

For Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board and PIC32 Ethernet Starter Kit :

  • This application demonstrates timer functionality (with two clients to the Time System Service) by periodically printing a message on console every two seconds and blinking an LED every one second
  • Delay, counter and single shot timer functionality is demonstrated on a switch press
  • On a switch press, the application reads the current value of the 64 bit counter (say, count 1)
  • It then starts a delay of 500 milliseconds and waits for the delay to expire
  • Once the delay has expired, the application again reads the current value of the 64 bit counter (say, count 2) and calculates the difference between the two counter values
  • The difference count indicates the time spent for the delay and is printed on the console as, “Delay time = x ms”, where x is the delay value and is equal to 500 milliseconds in the given example
  • The application then starts a single shot timer of 100 milliseconds
  • When the single shot timer expires, a message is printed on the console that says “Single shot timer of 100 ms expired”
  • This message is printed only once on every switch press

For PIC32MX Starter Kit :

  • This application demonstrates timer functionality (with two clients to the Time System Service) by blinking two LEDs at two different period, one every one second and another every two seconds.
  • This application also demonstrates delay functionality. If a switch is kept pressed, an LED is blinked with the period of 500 ms using delay functionality.

Downloading and Building the Application

To clone or download this application from Github, go to the main page of this repository and then click Clone button to clone this repository or download as zip file. This content can also be downloaded using content manager by following these instructions.

Path of the application within the repository is apps/system/time/sys_time_multiclient/firmware.

To build the application, refer to the following table and open the project using its IDE.

Project NameDescription
pic32mx470_curiosity.XMPLABX project for Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board
pic32mx_eth_sk2.XMPLABX project for PIC32 Ethernet Starter Kit
pic32mx_sk.XMPLABX project for PIC32MX Starter Kit

Setting Up the Hardware

The following table shows the target hardware for the application projects.

Project NameDescription
pic32mx470_curiosity.XCuriosity PIC32MX470 Development Board
pic32mx_eth_sk2.XPIC32 Ethernet Starter Kit
pic32mx_sk.XPIC32MX Starter Kit

Setting Up Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board

  • Connect mini USB cable to the ‘Debug USB’ connector(J3) on the board to the computer
  • Install the USB UART click board on to the mikroBUS socket J5 of Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board
  • Connect mini USB cable to the USB UART click board. This will enumerate the USB to UART port
    Note: Ensure that the series resistors on the mikroBUS headers are of value 0 Ohms.

Setting Up PIC32 Ethernet Starter Kit

Setting Up PIC32MX Starter Kit

  • Connect mini USB cable to the ‘Debug USB’ connector(J1) on the board to the computer

Running the Application

For Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board and PIC32 Ethernet Starter Kit:

  1. Open the Terminal application (Ex.:Tera term) on the computer
  2. Connect to the EDBG Virtual COM port and configure the serial settings as follows:
    • Baud : 115200
    • Data : 8 Bits
    • Parity : None
    • Stop : 1 Bit
    • Flow Control : None
  3. Build and Program the application using its IDE
  4. Observe the following message getting printed on the console every two seconds
  5. Press the switch and observe the following output on the terminal (highlighted in red box)
    • “Delay time = 500 ms” indicates the amount of time spent during the delay
    • “Single shot timer of 100 ms expired” is printed only once on every switch press
  6. LED indicates the periodic timer functionality
    • LED is toggled periodically every one second
Refer to the following table for Switch and LED names:

For PIC32MX Starter Kit:

  1. Build and Program the application using its IDE
  2. Observe LED1 blink every 1 sec
  3. Observe LED2 blink every 2 sec
  4. If switch SW1 is continuously pressed then observe LED3 blink every 500ms