7
9120A–AUTO–01/08
ATA6831/ATA6832 Driver ICs
5.
Design Software
5.1
Installation
The ATA6831 design kit includes the software ATA6831. The user can also download the latest
revision of the software from the Atmel
®
web site, http://www.atmel.com/. Start the installation
process by running the .exe file from the CD-ROM or from the downloaded file. The
ATA6831.exe file is saved to a user-defined directory (for example, D:\Programs\ATA6831), and
the system files are saved to the system directories. Use the parallel cable supplied with the kit
to connect the PC’s parallel port to the basic application board. Double-click the ATA6831 icon
to start the software user interface (
Figure 5-1.
Software Icon
5.2
Description
The ATA6831 design kit and the software user interface demonstrate the principal functions of
the ATA6831 and enable designers to create a design according to their own requirements. The
software user interface includes all functions of the ATA6831 and provides convenient control of
the ATA6831 via the application board. Use the adjust register (representing the microcontroller)
on the left side of the software user interface to pre-adjust the required input data (
). Selecting PHx or PLx will switch the output stage to PWM mode; in this case an exter-
nal PWM signal with 5V COMS logic level and maximum frequency up to 25 kHz has to be
applied to the board. Any output set to PWM mode is tagged with a dedicated PWM symbol in
the software user interface. Click the Send Data button to shift the pre-adjusted data (16 bits)
into the input register of the serial peripheral interface. The output drivers are activated in accor-
dance with the 16-bit input information. For more detailed information about the serial peripheral
interface, please refer to the datasheet for ATA6831.
Click the Send Data Loop button to initiate an uninterrupted data transfer. In this case, each out-
put is directly adjusted by switching the accessory bit. Click the Reset button to reset all bits to
the starting condition. Click the End button to switch the software off.
By default, 3 input register bits are selected, setting the bits to “1” and choosing the following
modes:
• SI = Software inhibit is set, for normal operation
• OCS = Overcurrent shutdown is set, activating overcurrent shutdown
• OLD = Open-load detection is set, turning open-load detection off
Before the first data word is sent, the IC is in standby (inhibit) mode. As soon as the first data
word is sent, the IC reports the previous condition.
If available, up to three parallel interface ports (LPT1 to LPT3) can be selected to establish a
connection. The software detects the connected port.
