Using the Digital Trainer Canvas

Introduction

This guide explains the use of the Digital Trainer Canvas with the Analog Discovery Studio. The Digital Trainer Canvas is used to host user designed circuitry and connects to the Analog Discovery Studio through the magnets beneath each of the four standoffs in the corners of the Digital Trainer Canvas. The Digital Trainer Canvas includes the following features:

  • Two 630 tie-point prototyping boards as breadboards
  • Two 100 tie-point prototyping boards for voltage rails
  • Three 24 tie-point boards containing power supplies, ground, switch output, and LED input contact points
  • Sixteen user LEDs
  • Sixteen user switches
  • Voltage level selector jumper
  • Canvas power switch

Inventory

Demonstration

1. Setup

1.1

A Digital Trainer Canvas can be purchased as an alternate Canvas for the Analog Discovery Studio in the event that a breadboardable surface with integrated switches and LEDs is desired. The Canvas attaches to the Analog Discovery Studio through magnets beneath each of the four standoffs in the corners.

A blank canvas.
Figure 1: The default state of the Digital Trainer Canvas. What will you build?
1.2

During shipping, a piece of foam is placed underneath the included Breadboard Canvas to protect the contacts that connect the Canvas to the Analog Discovery Studio. If not done so already, remove this foam and the Breadboard Canvas and place the Digital Trainer Canvas onto the Analog Discovery Studio.

Don't worry, you aren't the first or last person to miss this foam.
Figure 2: Don't forget to remove the foam!
1.3

After placing the Digital Trainer Canvas into its slot, connect the Analog Discovery Studio to the host computer using the included USB Type B cable. Connect the included +15 V power supply to the Analog Discovery Studio and turn on the Analog Discovery Studio by flipping the POWER switch on the left-hand side of the platform.

Try to not flip out
Figure 3: Connect the USB, external power supply, and flip the switch to turn on the Analog Discovery Studio.

2. Example Project

2.1

This demonstration uses the solderless breadboards to interact with and be controlled by the Analog Discovery Studio. This example has the Analog Discovery Studio control a four digit, seven-segment display. A simple loopback of the onboard switches and LEDs is also used.

Here is a sneak peak
Figure 4: A preview of the 7-segment display setup.
2.2

Connect the 2×10 MTE Cable that is included with the Analog Discovery Studio to the Digital I/O MTE Connector on the Analog Discovery Studio. The 2×10 end of the MTE Cable is notched so it only fits one way.

Notched housing is notched
Figure 5: The wire housing is notched so that the cable colors match what WaveForms software uses.
2.3

Attach the DIO 0 through 3 to the four cathodes (the digits) of the four digit seven segment display and attach DIO 8 through DIO 15 to the eight anodes (the segments) of the four digit seven segment display. It is recommended to use a 220 Ω resistor in series with each of the cathode connections.

Wire it up
Figure 6: What a connected 7 segment display might look like.

A common four digit seven segment display pinout is shown in Figure 7, but as always it is recommended to consult the manufacturers datasheet for the seven segment display you have for the correct pin placement.

The Decimal Point has earned Pluto status.
(a) The individual segments…
12 pins for 32 different LEDs.
(b) …and a typical pinout for…

Figure 7: A four digit seven segment display.

2.4

The Digital Trainer Canvas is loaded with its own set of 16 switches and 16 LEDs that are independent of the Analog Discovery Studio.

There is a jumper on the right hand side of the Digital Trainer Canvas that dictates which voltage the switches are connected to. For this particular demo setup, either the 3.3 V or the 5 V setting may be used. Slide the power switch on the Digital Trainer Canvas to the ON position after you have made your selection.

Additional information about the series resistors used in conjunction with the embedded IO on the Digital Trainer Canvas can be found in its Reference Manual: Digital Trainer Canvas Reference Manual.

Figure 8: Choose your preferred switch voltage and enable it.
2.5

The output and input of the embedded switches and LEDs are available on the three smaller breadboards at the top of the Digital Trainer Canvas.

Use a set of jumper wires and pin headers to connect a switch output directly to an LED input. This demo connects Switch 15 to LED 15, Switch 14 to LED 14, and so on.

Because of the series resistors present on both the individual switches (470 Ω) and LEDs (680 Ω), no further series resistors are required for this particular configuration.

I only had ready access to set up 12 of the 16 possible connections.
Figure 9: Connect the switch outputs to the LED inputs.
2.6

Open the WaveForms application and open the Patterns instrument. Additional details and resources on how to do this can be found in the Using the Pattern Generator guide.

Figure 10: Open the Patterns instrument.
2.7

Click on the green plus sign ()on the left hand side of the GUI and choose the Bus option.

Highlight DIO 0 through DIO 3 and click the green plus sign ()to insert those digital IO signals into the Bus. Click Add.

Figure 11: Add the four IO pins associated with the cathodes to a single bus.
2.8

In the main Patterns window, configure the new bus as follows:

  • Set Output to PP (peak to peak)
  • Set Type to Walking 1
  • Set Parameter 1 to 2 Hz.

This will enable one of the four digits every half second.

Figure 12: Configure the cathodes so that each digit is enabled for half a second.
2.9

Create a second bus as before and assign DIO 8 through DIO 15 to it.

Set the Bus parameters to have the following:

  • Set Output to PP (peak to peak)
  • Set Type to Walking 0
  • Set Parameter 1 to “16 Hz”. The 16 Hz can be manually typed in by double-clicking on the drop-down menu for Parameter 1.

This will cycle through the 8 segments (the 7 segments plus the decimal point) once before the next digit/cathode is enabled.

Figure 13: Add and configure the 8 anode pins.
2.10

Click the Run button on the left-hand side of the GUI to have individual segments on a single digit light up and turn off sequentially and then progress to another digit. Flip the state of the various on-board user switches to see their corresponding LED light up.

Figure 14: Click the Run button to start the Patterns instrument.
Figure 15: A short video showing the demo we just created.

Next Steps

For more guides on how to use the Analog Discovery Studio, return to the device's Resource Center.

For more information on WaveForms, visit the WaveForms Reference Manual.

For technical support, please visit the Test and Measurement section of the Digilent Forums.

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