ARTERY AT-START-F415 User Manual

Introduction

The AT-START-F415 is designed to help users explore the high-performance features of the 32-bit microcontroller, AT32F415, embedded with an ARM Cortex®-M4 core, and to assist in developing applications. The AT-START-F415 is an evaluation board based on the AT32F415RCT7-7 chip, featuring LED indicators, buttons, a USB micro-B connector, a USB type A connector, and an Arduino™ Uno R3 extension connector. This evaluation board integrates the AT-Link-EZ debugging/programming tool, eliminating the need for external development tools.

Contents

The manual is structured into the following sections:

• 1. Overview: Features and definitions.
• 2. Quick start: Guidance on getting started and supported toolchains.
• 3. Hardware and layout: Details on the board's physical components, power supply, programming/debugging interfaces, boot modes, clock sources, LEDs, buttons, USB OTG, and extension connectors.
• 4. Schematic: Circuit diagrams for various board sections.
• 5. Revision history: A log of document updates.

List of tables

• Table 1: Boot mode selection jumper setting
• Table 2: 0 Ω resistor setting
• Table 3: Arduino™ Uno R3 extension connector pin definition
• Table 4: Document revision history

List of figures

• Figure 1: Hardware block diagram
• Figure 2: Top layer layout
• Figure 3: Bottom layer layout
• Figure 4: USB OTG interface appearance
• Figure 5: Schematic (AT-Link-EZ)
• Figure 6: Schematic (microcontroller)
• Figure 7: Schematic (power supply and peripherals)
• Figure 8: Schematic (extension connectors)

1 Overview

1.1 Features

The AT-START-F415 evaluation board offers the following characteristics:

• An on-board AT32F415RCT7-7 microcontroller featuring an ARM Cortex®-M4, 32-bit processor, 256 KB Flash memory, and 32 KB SRAM, housed in an LQFP64 7x7 mm package.
• On-board AT-Link connector: The integrated AT-Link-EZ serves for programming and debugging. It is a simplified version of AT-Link and does not support offline mode. The AT-Link-EZ can be detached from the main board by bending along a joint, allowing the AT-START-F415 to connect to an independent AT-Link for programming and debugging.
• An on-board 20-pin ARM® standard JTAG connector is available for programming/debugging.
• Various power supply methods:
  • Via the USB bus of the AT-Link-EZ.
  • Via the USB OTG bus (VBUS) of the AT-START-F415.
  • External 7~12 V power supply (VIN).
  • External 5 V power supply (E5V).
  • External 3.3 V power supply.
• 4 LED indicators:
  • LED1 (red) indicates 3.3 V power-on.
  • Three user LEDs: LED2 (red), LED3 (white), and LED4 (green).
• Two buttons: a user button and a reset button.
• An 8 MHz HSE crystal.
• A 32.768 kHz LSE crystal.
• On-board USB type A and micro-B connectors for USB OTG functionality.
• Multiple extension connectors for easy integration with prototype boards:
  • Arduino™ Uno R3 extension connector.
  • LQFP64 I/O port extension connector.

1.2 Definition of terms

• Jumper JPx ON: Jumper is installed.
• Jumper JPx OFF: Jumper is not installed.
• Resistor Rx ON: Shorted by solder or a 0 Ω resistor.
• Resistor Rx OFF: Open circuit.

2 Quick start

2.1 Get started

To begin using the AT-START-F415 board, follow these steps:

1. Check Jumper Positions:
   • JP1: Connect to GND or OFF (BOOT0 pin is 0, with a pull-down resistor on the AT32F415RCT7-7).
   • JP4: Optional or OFF (BOOT1 state is not critical).
   • JP6 and JP7: Select the upper IO.
2. Connect to PC: Connect the AT-START-F415 board to a PC using a USB cable (Type A to micro-B). The board will be powered via the AT-Link-EZ USB connector (CN6). LED1 (red) will be continuously lit, and LEDs 2 through 4 will blink sequentially.
3. User Button Interaction: Pressing the user button (B2) changes the blinking frequency of the three user LEDs.

2.2 Toolchains supporting AT-START-F415

• ARM® Keil®: MDK-ARM™
• IAR™: EWARM

3 Hardware and layout

The AT-START-F415 board is centered around the AT32F415RCT7-7 microcontroller in an LQFP64 7x7 mm package. Figure 1 illustrates the connections between the AT-Link-EZ, the AT32F415RCT7-7, and its peripherals, including buttons, LEDs, USB OTG, and extension connectors. Figures 2 and 3 detail these features on the AT-Link-EZ and AT-START-F415 board respectively.

Figure 1. Hardware block diagram Description:

This diagram shows the core components and their interconnections. The central element is the AT32F415RCT7-7 microcontroller. It connects to the AT-LINK-EZ module, which provides programming and debugging capabilities. Peripherals include a Micro-USB connector for power and data, a USB Type-A connector for host functionality, user LEDs (LED2-LED4), a user button, and a reset button. Extension connectors are also shown: an Arduino extension connector and an LQFP64 I/O extension connector. The diagram indicates connections between these blocks, highlighting the microcontroller's I/O ports and debug interfaces.

Figure 2. Top layer Description:

The top layer diagram displays the physical layout of the AT-START-F415 board. Key components labeled include the AT32F415RCT7-7 microcontroller, the AT-LINK-EZ module, USB connectors (Micro-B and Type-A), Arduino Uno R3 extension connectors, LQFP64 I/O extension connectors, user LEDs (LED1-LED4), user and reset buttons, boot mode selection jumpers, the 8 MHz HSE crystal, the 32.768 kHz LSE crystal, and the 20-pin ARM standard JTAG connector. It also indicates jumpers for IDD measurement and IO/USB OTG selection.

Figure 3. Bottom layer Description:

The bottom layer diagram illustrates the component placement and PCB traces on the underside of the AT-START-F415 board. It shows the microcontroller package, various connectors, and other surface-mounted components, along with silkscreen markings for component identification and board revision.

3.1 Power supply selection

The 5 V power supply for the AT-START-F415 can be provided via a USB cable connected to the AT-Link-EZ USB connector (CN6) or the AT-START-F415 USB OTG connector (CN5). Alternatively, an external 5 V power supply (E5V) or a 7~12 V power supply (VIN) can be used, with an on-board 5 V voltage regulator (U1) providing the necessary 5 V. This 5 V supply is then regulated down to 3.3 V by voltage regulator U2 for the microcontroller and peripherals.

The 5 V pin on connector J4 or J7 can also serve as an input power source. The board requires a 5 V power supply unit. The 3.3 V pin on J4, or the VDD pins on J1 and J2, can be used for direct 3.3 V input power, requiring a 3.3 V power supply unit.

Note: The AT-Link-EZ will only be powered if a 5 V supply is provided through its USB connector (CN6); other power supply methods do not power the AT-Link-EZ.

When another application board is connected to J4, the VIN, 5 V, and 3.3 V pins can be used as output power. The J7 5V pin provides 5 V output, and the VDD pins of J1 and J2 provide 3.3 V output.

3.2 IDD

To measure the power consumption of the AT32F415RCT7-7, JP3 should be OFF (symbol IDD) and R13 should be ON. If JP3 is OFF and R13 is OFF, an ammeter must be connected to measure power consumption; otherwise, the microcontroller cannot be powered.

• JP3 OFF, R13 ON: AT32F415RCT7-7 is powered. (Default setting, JP3 is not mounted before shipping).
• JP3 ON, R13 OFF: AT32F415RCT7-7 is powered.
• JP3 OFF, R13 OFF: An ammeter must be connected to measure power consumption. If no ammeter is present, the AT32F415RCT7-7 cannot be powered.

3.3 Programming and debugging

3.3.1 Embedded AT-LINK-EZ

The evaluation board includes the Artery AT-Link-EZ, a tool for programming and debugging the AT32F415RCT7-7. The AT-Link-EZ supports SWD interface mode and virtual COM ports (VCP) to connect to the USART1_TX/USART1_RX (PA9/PA10) pins of the AT32F415RCT7-7. When used this way, PA9 and PA10 are affected by the AT-Link-EZ: PA9 is weakly pulled up by the VCP RX pin, and PA10 is strongly pulled up by the VCP TX pin. Removing resistors R9 or R10 allows PA9 and PA10 to be used without these restrictions.

The SWO debug port of AT-Link-EZ connects to the TRACESWO (PB3) pin via R53. If SWO debug is disabled, PB3 remains unaffected. For concerns, R53 can be set to OFF.

Refer to the AT-Link User Manual for detailed operations, firmware upgrades, and precautions.

The AT-Link-EZ PCB can be separated from the AT-START-F415 board by bending along a joint. The AT-START-F415 can then connect to the AT-Link-EZ's CN7 via CN2 (if not mounted) or connect to another AT-Link for programming and debugging.

3.3.2 20-pin ARM® standard JTAG connector

The AT-START-F415 also provides standard JTAG or SWD connectors for programming and debugging. To use these interfaces, either detach the AT-Link-EZ or set resistors R41, R44, and R46 to OFF. Then, connect the programming/debugging tool to CN3 (if not mounted).

3.4 Boot mode selection

Three boot modes can be selected at startup via pin configuration. Table 1 details the jumper settings:

3.5 External clock source

3.5.1 HSE clock source

Three hardware modes are available for setting the external high-speed clock sources:

• On-board crystal (default setting): Uses the 8 MHz crystal on the board. Requires R1 and R15 ON, R14 and R16 OFF.
• Oscillator from external PD0: External oscillator connected via pin 5 of J2. Requires R14 and R16 ON, R1 and R15 OFF.
• HSE not used: PD0 and PD1 are used as GPIO. Requires R14 and R16 ON, R1 and R15 OFF.

3.5.2 LSE clock source

Three hardware modes are available for setting the external low-speed clock sources:

• On-board crystal (Factory default setting): Uses the 32.768 kHz crystal. Requires R6 and R7 ON, R5 and R8 OFF.
• Oscillator from external PC14: External oscillator connected via pin 3 of J2. Requires R5 and R8 ON, R6 and R7 OFF.
• LSE not used: PC14 and PC15 are used as GPIO. Requires R5 and R8 ON, R6 and R7 OFF.

3.6 LED indicators

• Power LED1: Red, indicates 3.3 V power supply.
• User LED2: Red, connected to PC2 pin of AT32F415RCT7-7.
• User LED3: Yellow, connected to PC3 pin of AT32F415RCT7-7.
• User LED4: Green, connected to PC5 pin of AT32F415RCT7-7.

3.7 Buttons

• Reset button B1: Connected to NRST for resetting the AT32F415RCT7-7.
• User button B2: By default, connected to PA0. Can be used as a wake-up button (R19 ON, R21 OFF) or connected to PC13 as a TAMPER-RTC button (R19 OFF, R21 ON).

3.8 USB OTG

The AT-START-F415 board supports USB full-speed/low-speed host or full-speed device communication via its USB micro-B connector (CN5). In device mode, the AT32F415RCT7-7 connects directly to a host via USB micro-B, with VBUS supplying 5 V to the board. In host mode, an external USB OTG cable is needed, and the board controls the USB micro-B connector's power supply via a PD2 port and transistor S8550.

An additional USB type A connector (CN1) is present, serving as a USB host connector primarily for U disks and other devices, without requiring an OTG cable. This USB type A connector does not have power switch control.

Figure 4. USB OTG interface appearance Description:

This figure shows the USB connectors on the board. It labels the USB Type-A connector as 'USB HOST' (CN1) and the USB Micro-B connector as 'CN5'. It also indicates pins like VBUS, GND, and data lines (USB_P, USB_M) for both connectors, along with associated resistors and jumpers (JP6, JP7) for OTG functionality selection.

When PA9 or PA10 of AT32F415RCT7-7 are used for OTG_FS_VBUS or OTG_FS_ID functions, JP6 or JP7 must select the lower OTG_FS setting. This configuration connects PA9 or PA10 to the USB micro-B connector and disconnects them from the Arduino Uno R3 and LQFP64 I/O extension connectors, as well as the AT-Link connector.

3.9 0 Ω resistors

Table 2 details the configuration and function of various 0 Ω resistors on the board:

(1) The factory default Rx state is shown in BOLD.

3.10 Extension connectors

3.10.1 Arduino™ Uno R3 extension connector

Female plugs J3-J6 and male J7 support standard Arduino™ Uno R3 connectors, making most Arduino™ Uno R3 compatible daughter boards suitable for the AT-START-F415.

Note 1: The I/O ports of AT32F415RCT7-7 are 3.3 V compatible with Arduino™ Uno R3, but 5 V is incompatible.

Note 2: Pin 8 of J3 is VDDA, which has the same level as VDD and lacks the AFEF function defined by Arduino™ Uno R3.

3.10.2 LQFP64 I/O port extension connector

The extension connectors J1 and J2 allow the AT-START-F415 to connect to external prototype or packing boards. The I/O ports of the AT32F415RCT7-7 are accessible through these connectors. J1 and J2 can also be used for measurements with an oscilloscope, logic analyzer, or voltmeter probe.

(1) 0 Ω resistor setting is shown in Table 2.

4 Schematic

The schematic section provides detailed circuit diagrams for various parts of the AT-START-F415 board.

Figure 5. Schematic (AT-Link-EZ) Description:

This schematic illustrates the AT-Link-EZ module, including its USB interface components (Micro-USB connector, USB data lines, VBUS), the AT32F415 microcontroller used within the AT-Link-EZ, its programming/debugging interfaces (SWD, SWO, JTAG), status LEDs, and associated passive components like resistors and capacitors.

Figure 6. Schematic (microcontroller) Description:

This schematic details the connections of the main AT32F415RCT7-7 microcontroller. It shows its power and ground connections, clock sources (8 MHz crystal, 32.768 kHz crystal, and external oscillator inputs), boot mode selection jumpers (BOOT0, BOOT1), reset circuitry, and the pin assignments for GPIO, USART, SPI, I2C, ADC, and timer functions, connecting to various board peripherals and extension headers.

Figure 7. Schematic (power supply and peripherals) Description:

This schematic covers the power supply circuitry, including voltage regulators (5V and 3.3V), input connectors (DC JACK, USB), and power distribution. It also details the circuits for peripherals such as the USB host (Type-A connector), user buttons, LEDs, USART1 interface for ISP, and the 20-pin ARM standard JTAG connector. Test points are also indicated.

Figure 8. Schematic (extension connectors) Description:

This schematic illustrates the pinouts and connections for the extension connectors on the board. It specifically details the Arduino Uno R3 connectors (J3, J4, J5, J6, J7) and the LQFP64 I/O port extension connectors (J1, J2), showing how the microcontroller's pins are mapped to these headers for external interfacing.

5 Revision history

Table 4 outlines the document's revision history:

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