Get to Know the Analog Devices BF548 EZ-KIT Lite

The ADSP-BF548 Blackfin Processor from Analog Devices delivers system-level integration tools for the most challenging converged signal processing applications. With more than two times the on-chip memory of the 53X, plus numerous user interface peripherals, the ADSP-BF548 can help you build complex applications while reducing overall system complexity. This white paper describes some of the peripherals featured in the new ADSP-BF548 EZ-KIT Lite evaluation kit and how you can access them using the NI LabVIEW Embedded Module for ADI Blackfin Processors.

General-Purpose I/O

The LabVIEW Embedded Module for Blackfin Processors features a simple API for accessing digital and analog components of the Elemental I/O Node. You can add these configurable nodes to the LabVIEW Project and simply drag and drop them into the application.

Figure 1. Elemental I/O is a simple way to access general purpose digital lines.

Keypad

Increasingly, you need more than just buttons and LEDs to achieve the control necessary to take advantage of your embedded device features. Therefore, the ADSP-BF548 EZ-KIT Lite provides additional user interfaces., the simplest of which is the numeric keypad.

Figure 2. You can determine which button on the keypad was pressed using this VI.

With the BF Keypad Get Pushed Button VI, you can easily determine which of the buttons on the keypad was pressed and program the device to behave accordingly. The VI returns a row and column index, so if you were to press the number 3 on the keypad, the returned values would be row=0 and column=2. You can find a few simple keyboard examples in the NI Example Finder (Help>>Find Examples…).

Rotary Encoder

The ADSP-BF548 EZ-KIT Lite features a rotary encoder for a simple yet intuitive user interface.

The encoder provides a group of designated registers that offer information on the current count of the encoder as well as the status, maximum possible count, and minimum count. The LabVIEW Embedded Module for Blackfin Processors features a simple interface to access the values of those registers.

Figure 3. This VI accesses the values of the encoder registers including position.

Find a few simple rotary controller examples in the NI Example Finder (Help>>Find Examples…).

LCD

For the most complex applications, you need a more flexible user interface. Therefore, the ADSP-BF548 EZ-KIT Lite also provides a Sharp LQ043T1DG01 LCD driver touch screen. With this screen, you can completely customize your user interface.

From LabVIEW, you can write or read the LCD screen using 2D buffers in the same way you would read a 1D audio buffer from a codec. You must set each pixel value to its desired RGB values individually, so even though this approach provides the most flexibility, it also requires the most significant development effort.

Find a Sharp LCD touch screen example in the NI Example Finder (Help>>Find Examples…).

Conclusion

The BF548 processor develops a variety of features related to user interfaces.  Some are very simple, like digital I/O and others are more sophisticated like the touch panel LCD.  Using the LabVIEW Embedded for Blackfin processors, engineers can design a variety of user interfaces from simple to complex.

Related Resources

Test-drive the LabVIEW Embedded Module for Blackfin Processors.

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