Do any of your MCUs have an LDO output pin that can power external peripherals?
I want to save space on my PCB. The MCU is going to be powered via USB port.
Answer
The C8051F38x family of USB microcontrollers offers a controlled output voltage for external devices. The datasheet specifies that the maximum output current from the regulator is 100mA (Including requirement of C8051F38x)
You can learn more about the capabilities of this product family: C8051F38x MCU Family
The following diagram shows the typical configuration:
The output from the EFM32 LDO is on the DECOUPLE pin, but this pin is NOT meant to drive any external components and should only be connected to a 1µF decoupling capacitor to ground.
How do I enter breakpoints in the Development perspective?
Answer
By default, the Development perspective in Simplicity Studio v2 and v3 does not allow users to create breakpoints. (Note: Guidance for users of Simplicity Studio v4 follows below)
To enable breakpoints in a perspective:
Customize the perspective by right clicking on the perspective icon and selecting Customize.
Select the Command Groups Availability tab in the Customize Perspective dialog.
Check the Breakpoints checkbox.
Press OK.
The user should now be able to insert breakpoints into code using the Toggle Breakpoint hotkey or by double-clicking in the blue margin to the left of the source code line.
In Simplicity Studio v4, these elements have evolved slightly. The ability to insert breakpoints in the "Simplicity IDE" perspective (replaces the "Development" perspective) by double-clicking the blue margin to the left of the source code line is now available by default. However, you can still enable additional breakpoint menu options using a similar technique to that used in prior versions:
Customize the perspective by right clicking on the perspective icon and selecting Customize.
Select the Action Set Availability tab in the Customize Perspective dialog.
How do I copy a project between computers or workspaces in Studio 2.0?
Answer
Copying a Studio Project
Studio stores projects in the current workspace, which by default is located at:
C:\SiliconLabs\SimplicityStudio\v2_2\workspace
To copy a project, navigate to the workspace folder and simply copy the project or compress (zip) the project folder.
In the example below, EFM32GG_blink is the project folder for a Giant Gecko blink example project.
Importing an Existing Project into Studio
Once you copy an existing project to a different workspace or to a different machine, use the Import Wizard to import the project into the new Studio workspace:
Launch Simplicity IDE.
Select File->Import from the menu bar.
Select the Existing Projects into Workspace item.
In the Import Projects step, select a directory containing the copied project using the Browse button.
Check the check box next to any projects you wish to import.
(Optional) Check the Copy projects into workspace check box if you wish to copy the existing project from some other location into the current workspace. If the project is already in the workspace, then this is not necessary.
Click the Finish button to complete the import process.
How do I generate per bank hex files for the production programmer?
Answer
There are two three possible methods to generate per bank hex files that the Silicon Labs production programmer can use depending on the input file type, i.e. object files from the linker or bin files.
The first method is to split the compiled object into per bank pieces using OC51 and then generate a hex file for each one using OH51.
The second method is to generate a hex file using OH51 and then split it up using srecord. When using this method, the --crop filter should be used to filter out data not in the bank, and the --offset filter should be used to move the data for the bank into the expected location. Bank 0 should be located at 0x0000, and All other banks at 0x8000.
For the third method, you can use srecord to create the separate hex files directly from a .bin file. Use the srec_cat command with the -crop and -offset switches to create the separate hex files. The example below shows how to split a binary image for a 128K device with 4 flash banks.
8-bit Knowledge Base
Microcontrollers that provides power for peripherals
What's the difference between AN533, AN767 and AN778?
Setting breakpoints in the Development perspective
How to copy and import a project in Studio 2.0
How do I generate per bank hex files for the production programmer?