MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board Hookup Guide a learn.sparkfun.com tutorial

Available online at: http://sfe.io/t1395

Introduction

The MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board combines some of the features of our SparkFun Edge Board and SparkFun Artemis boards, but allows you the freedom to explore with any processor in the MicroMod lineup without the need for a central computer or web connection. Voice recognition, always-on voice commands, gesture, or image recognition are possible with TensorFlow applications. An on board accelerometer and Qwiic ports allow you even more flexibility.

Let's dive in, get a good look at what's available to us, and go over a few quick examples!

Required Materials

You are absolutely going to want to get one of these gems. Pick one up here:

SparkFun MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board

DEV-16400

$19.95

FavoritedFavorite0

You'll need a processor board to get started. Here we use the Artemis Processor Board, but there are a number of others you can choose from.

SparkFun MicroMod Artemis Processor

DEV-16401

$14.95

FavoritedFavorite0

SparkFun MicroMod SAMD51 Processor

DEV-16791

$14.95

FavoritedFavorite0

You'll also need a USB-C cable to connect the Carrier to your computer and if you want to add some Qwiic breakouts to your MicroMod project you'll want at least one Qwiic cable to connect it all together. Below are some options for both of those cables:

SparkFun Qwiic Cable Kit

KIT-15081

$7.95

FavoritedFavorite27

USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

CAB-14743

$4.95

FavoritedFavorite6

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

CAB-15424

$7.95

FavoritedFavorite4

Getting Started with MicroMod

Dive into the world of MicroMod - a compact interface to connect a microcontroller to various peripherals via the M.2 Connector!

FavoritedFavorite0

Hardware Overview

Common Components

Most SparkFun MicroMod Carriers will have some common components and all MicroMod Carriers will have the keyed M.2 MicroMod Connector to plug your processor into. The photo and list below outline some of the components you can expect on most SparkFun MicroMod Carriers.

M.2 MicroMod Connector - This special keyed M.2 connector lets you install your MicroMod Processor of choice on your Machine Learning Carrier Board.
USB-C Connector - Connect to your computer to program your Processor and also can provide power to your MicroMod system.
3.3V Regulator - Provides a regulated 3.3V and sources up to 1A.
Qwiic Connector - The standard Qwiic connector so you can add other Qwiic devices to your MicroMod system.
Boot/Reset Buttons - Push buttons to enter Boot Mode on Processor boards and to Reset your MicroMod circuit.
microSD Slot - Insert a microSD card for reading and writing data.

Annotated photo showing which parts are common components

Machine Learning MicroMod Carrier Board Specific Components

Digital MEMS Microphones

What's better than ONE microphone? TWO!

Microphone 1 supports a PDM interface and is enabled by default. To disable this mic, cut the EN1 jumper. For more information on this microphone, refer to the datasheet here.
Microphone 2 supports an I2S interface and is disabled by default. To enable EN2, solder the jumper pads to close the circuit. For more information on this microphone, refer to the datasheet here.

IMage of the microphones highlighted on the board

GPIO

Along the sides of the Machine Learning Carrier Board, we've broken out dedicated PTHs for UART, digital, analog, pulse width modulation, and SPI. You may also notice that we've included a ground rail on the right side of the board.

I²C Specific GPIO

Additionally, we've broken out the I²C SDA and SCL lines, with 3V3 and GND to complete your I²C functionality. These are primary I²C pins - they are connected to the Qwiic connector.

Accelerometer

The LIS2DH12 is an ultra-low-power, high performance, three-axis linear accelerometer belonging to the “femto” family with digital I²C/SPI serial interface standard output. If you need more detail on this little guy, refer to the Datasheet here.

Camera Connector

With this 24 pin connector, you can add image recognition to your machine learning board by popping in the Himax CMOS Imaging Camera.

JTAG

An unpopulated JTAG footprint is available for more advanced users who need breakpoint level debugging. We recommend checking out our JTAG section for the compatible male header and a compatible JTAG programmer and debugger.

RTC Battery

We've included a 3V Lithium Rechargeable Battery as a backup power source.

Image of the board with the Li battery highlighted

Jumpers

VE Jumper

VIN and 3V3 Jumpers

Cutting these jumpers will disable the VIN and 3V3 LEDs on the front of the board.

I²C Jumper

If you are daisy-chaining multiple Qwiic devices, you will want to cut this jumper; if multiple sensors are connected to the bus with the pull-up resistors enabled, the parallel equivalent resistance could create too strong of a pull-up for the bus to operate correctly. As a general rule of thumb, disable all but one pair of pull-up resistors if multiple devices are connected to the bus. To disable the pull up resistors, use an X-acto knife to cut the joint between the highlighted jumper pads.

RESET PTH

Need an external reset button? These PTH allow you to tie in to the reset functionality.

Machine Learning MicroMod Carrier Pin Functionality

AUDIO

UART

GPIO/BUS

I²C

SDIO

SPI0

Dedicated

Name			Bottom Pin	Top Pin	Name
		(Not Connected)	75		GND
		3.3V	74	73	G5 / BUS5
		RTC_3V_BATT	72	71	G6 / BUS6
	SPI_CS1#	SDIO_DATA3 (I/O)	70	69	G7 / BUS7
		SDIO_DATA2 (I/O)	68	67	G8
		SDIO_DATA1 (I/O)	66	65	G9	ADC_D-	CAM_HSYNC
	SPI_CIPO1	SDIO_DATA0 (I/O)	64	63	G10	ADC_D+	CAM_VSYNC
	SPI COPI1	SDIO_CMD (I/O)	62	61	SPI_CIPO
	SPI SCK1	SDIO_SCK (O)	60	59	SPI_COPI (O)	LED_DAT
		AUD_MCLK (O)	58	57	SPI_SCK (O)	LED_CLK
PCM_OUT / CAM_MCLK	I2S_OUT	AUD_OUT	56	55	SPI_CS#
PCM_IN / CAM_PCLK	I2S_IN	AUD_IN	54	53	I2C_SCL1 (I/O)
PCM_SYNC / PDM_DATA	I2S_WS	AUD_LRCLK	52	51	I2C_SDA1 (I/O)
PCM_CLK / PDM_CLK	I2S_SCK	AUD_BCLK	50	49	BATT_VIN / 3 (I - ADC) (0 / 3.3V)
		G4 / BUS4	48	47	PWM1
		G3 / BUS3	46	45	GND
		G2 / BUS2	44	43	CAN_TX
		G1 / BUS1	42	41	CAN_RX
		G0 / BUS0	40	39	GND
		A1	38	37	USBHOST_D+
		GND	36	35	USBHOST_D+
		A0	34	33	GND
		PWM0	32	31	Module Key
		Module Key	30	29	Module Key
		Module Key	28	27	Module Key
		Module Key	26	25	Module Key
		Module Key	24	23	SWDIO
		UART_TX2 (O)	22	21	SWDCK
		UART_RX2 (I)	20	19	UART_RX1 (I)
	CAM_TRIG	D1	18	17	UART_TX1 (0)
		I2C_INT#	16	15	UART_CTS1 (I)
		I2C_SCL (I/0)	14	13	UART_RTS1 (O)
		I2C_SDA (I/0)	12	11	BOOT (I - Open Drain)
		D0	10	9	USB_VIN
	SWO	G11	8	7	GND
		RESET# (I - Open Drain)	6	5	USB_D+
		3.3V_EN	4	3	USB_D+
		3.3V	2	1	GND

Name		Bottom Pin	Top Pin	Name
	(Not Connected)	75		GND
		74	73	CAMERA_D5
	RTC_3V	72	71	CAMERA_D6
		70	69	CAMERA_D7
		66	65	CAMERA_HSYNC
		64	63	CAMERA_VSYNC
		62	61	SPI_CIPO
		60	59	SPI_COPI
		58	57	SPI_SCK
	CAMERA_MCLK	56	55	SPI_CS
CAMERA_PCLK	I2S_SD	54	53
PDM_DAT	I2S_WS	52	51
PDM_CLK	I2S_SCK	50	49	BATT_VIN/3
	CAMERA_D4	48	47	PWM1	CAM_VDD
	CAMERA_D3	46	45
	CAMERA_D2	44	43
	CAMERA_D1	42	41
	CAMERA_D0	40	39
	A1	38	37
	A0	34	33
	PWM0	32	31
		24	23	SWDIO
		22	21	SWDCK
		20	19	RX1
CAMERA_TRIG	D1	18	17	TX1
	CAMERA_INT	16	15
	I²C_SCL	14	13
	I²C_SDA	12	11	BOOT
HEADER_CS	D0	10	9	VIN
		8	7	GND
	RESET	6	5	USB_D-
	3.3V_EN	4	3	USB_D+
	3.3V	2	1	GND

Signal Group	Signal	I/O	Description	Voltage
Power	3.3V	I	3.3V Source	3.3V
	GND		Return current path	0V
	USB_VIN	I	USB VIN compliant to USB 2.0 specification. Connect to pins on processor board that require 5V for USB functionality	4.8-5.2V
	RTC_3V_BATT	I	3V provided by external coin cell or mini battery. Max draw=100μA. Connect to pins maintaining an RTC during power loss. Can be left NC.	3V
	3.3V_EN	O	Controls the carrier board's main voltage regulator. Voltage above 1V will enable 3.3V power path.	3.3V
	BATT_VIN/3	I	Carrier board raw voltage over 3. 1/3 resistor divider is implemented on carrier board. Amplify the analog signal as needed for full 0-3.3V range	3.3V
Reset	Reset	I	Input to processor. Open drain with pullup on processor board. Pulling low resets processor.	3.3V
Reset	Boot	I	Input to processor. Open drain with pullup on processor board. Pulling low puts processor into special boot mode. Can be left NC.	3.3V
USB	USB_D±	I/O	USB Data ±. Differential serial data interface compliant to USB 2.0 specification. If UART is required for programming, USB± must be routed to a USB-to-serial conversion IC on the processor board.
USB Host	USBHOST_D±	I/O	For processors that support USB Host Mode. USB Data±. Differential serial data interface compliant to USB 2.0 specification. Can be left NC.
CAN	CAN_RX	I	CAN Bus receive data.	3.3V
CAN	CAN_TX	O	CAN Bus transmit data.	3.3V
UART	UART_RX1	I	UART receive data.	3.3V
	UART_TX1	O	UART transmit data.	3.3V
	UART_RTS1	O	UART ready to send.	3.3V
	UART_CTS1	I	UART clear to send.	3.3V
	UART_RX2	I	2nd UART receive data.	3.3V
	UART_TX2	O	2nd UART transmit data.	3.3V
I2C	I2C_SCL	I/O	I²C clock. Open drain with pullup on carrier board.	3.3V
	I2C_SDA	I/O	I²C data. Open drain with pullup on carrier board	3.3V
	I2C_INT#	I	Interrupt notification from carrier board to processor. Open drain with pullup on carrier board. Active LOW	3.3V
	I2C_SCL1	I/O	2nd I²C clock. Open drain with pullup on carrier board.	3.3V
	I2C_SDA1	I/O	2nd I²C data. Open drain with pullup on carrier board.	3.3V
SPI	SPI_COPI	O	SPI Controller Output/Peripheral Input.	3.3V
	SPI_CIPO	I	SPI Controller Input/Peripheral Output.	3.3V
	SPI_SCK	O	SPI Clock.	3.3V
	SPI_CS#	O	SPI Chip Select. Active LOW. Can be routed to GPIO if hardware CS is unused.	3.3V
SPI/SDIO	SPI_SCK1/SDIO_CLK	O	2nd SPI Clock. Secondary use is SDIO Clock.	3.3V
	SPI_COPI1/SDIO_CMD	I/O	2nd SPI Controller Output/Peripheral Input. Secondary use is SDIO command interface.	3.3V
	SPI_CIPO1/SDIO_DATA0	I/O	2nd SPI Peripheral Input/Controller Output. Secondary use is SDIO data exchange bit 0.	3.3V
	SDIO_DATA1	I/O	SDIO data exchange bit 1.	3.3V
	SDIO_DATA2	I/O	SDIO data exchange bit 2.	3.3V
	SPI_CS1/SDIO_DATA3	I/O	2nd SPI Chip Select. Secondary use is SDIO data exchange bit 3.	3.3V
Audio	AUD_MCLK	O	Audio master clock.	3.3V
	AUD_OUT/PCM_OUT/I2S_OUT/CAM_MCLK	O	Audio data output. PCM synchronous data output. I2S serial data out. Camera master clock.	3.3V
	AUD_IN/PCM_IN/I2S_IN/CAM_PCLK	I	Audio data input. PCM syncrhonous data input. I2S serial data in. Camera periphperal clock.	3.3V
	AUD_LRCLK/PCM_SYNC/I2S_WS/PDM_DATA	I/O	Audio left/right clock. PCM syncrhonous data SYNC. I2S word select. PDM data.	3.3V
	AUD_BCLK/PCM_CLK/I2S_CLK/PDM_CLK	O	Audio bit clock. PCM clock. I2S continuous serial clock. PDM clock.	3.3V
SWD	SWDIO	I/O	Serial Wire Debug I/O. Connect if processor board supports SWD. Can be left NC.	3.3V
SWD	SWDCK	I	Serial Wire Debug clock. Connect if processor board supports SWD. Can be left NC.	3.3V
ADC	A0	I	Analog to digital converter 0. Amplify the analog signal as needed to enable full 0-3.3V range.	3.3V
ADC	A1	I	Analog to digital converter 1. Amplify the analog signal as needed to enable full 0-3.3V range.	3.3V
PWM	PWM0	O	Pulse width modulated output 0.	3.3V
PWM	PWM1	O	Pulse width modulated output 1.	3.3V
Digital	D0	I/O	General digital input/output pin.	3.3V
Digital	D1/CAM_TRIG	I/O	General digital input/output pin. Camera trigger.	3.3V
General/Bus	G0/BUS0	I/O	General purpose pins. Any unused processor pins should be assigned to Gx with ADC + PWM capable pins given priority (0, 1, 2, etc.) positions. The intent is to guarantee PWM, ADC and Digital Pin functionality on respective ADC/PWM/Digital pins. Gx pins do not guarantee ADC/PWM function. Alternative use is pins can support a fast read/write 8-bit or 4-bit wide bus.	3.3V
	G1/BUS1	I/O		3.3V
	G2/BUS2	I/O		3.3V
	G3/BUS3	I/O		3.3V
	G4/BUS4	I/O		3.3V
	G5/BUS5	I/O		3.3V
	G6/BUS6	I/O		3.3V
	G7/BUS7	I/O		3.3V
	G8	I/O	General purpose pin	3.3V
	G9/ADC_D-/CAM_HSYNC	I/O	Differential ADC input if available. Camera horizontal sync.	3.3V
	G10/ADC_D+/CAM_VSYNC	I/O	Differential ADC input if available. Camera vertical sync.	3.3V
	G11/SWO	I/O	General purpose pin. Serial Wire Output	3.3V

Hardware Hookup

To get started with the Machine Learning Carrier Board, you'll need a compatible processor board. Here we are using the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board.

Align the top key of the MicroMod Artemis Processor Board to the screw terminal of the Machine Learning Carrier Board and angle the board into the socket. Insert the board at an angle into the M.2 connector.

Note: There is no way to insert the processor backward since the key prevents it from mating with the M.2 connector and as an extra safeguard to prevent inserting a processor that matches the key, the mounting screw is offset so you will not be able to secure an improperly connected processor board.

MicroMod Processor Board inserted into the carrier board - Top angle

The Processor Board will stick up at an angle, as seen here:

MicroMod Processor Board inserted into the carrier board

Once the board in the socket, gently hold the MicroMod Processor Board down and tighten the screw with a Phillip's head.

Once the board is secure, your assembled MicroMod system should look similar to the image below!

Top down image of Machine Learning Carrier Board with Artemis Processor board inserted correctly

Connecting Everything Up

With your processor inserted and secured it's time to connect your carrier board to your computer using the USB-C connector on the Carrier. Depending on which carrier you choose and which drivers you already have installed, you may need to install drivers.

Note: Make sure that for whatever processor board you choose, you have the correct board definitions installed.

For this particular tutorial, we are using the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board. Board definitions for this processor board can be found in the Software Setup and Programming section of the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board Hookup Guide.

If you are using a different processor board, go to our MicroMod Processor Boards landing page, find your processor board, and head on over to that tutorial for help installing your board definition.

Example 1: Blink

Note: This example assumes you are using the latest version of the Arduino IDE on your desktop. If this is your first time using Arduino, please review our tutorial on installing the Arduino IDE. If you have not previously installed an Arduino library, please check out our installation guide.

To get started uploading code and working with your Machine Learning Carrier Board, make sure you have the Artemis MicroMod board definition selected under your Tools>Board menu (or whatever processor you've chosen to use).

Having a hard time seeing? Click the image for a closer look.

Then select your serial port under the Tools>Port menu.

Port Selection for the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board

Loading Blink

Let's start with something basic - let's blink an LED. Go to File->Examples->01.Basics->Blink.

Having a hard time seeing? Click the image for a closer look.

With everything setup correctly, upload the code! Once the code finishes transferring, you should see the STAT LED on the Artemis Processor Board begin to blink!

If the blue LED remains off, it's probably still sitting in the bootloader. After uploading a sketch, you may need to tap the reset button to get your Artemis MicroMod to run the sketch.

Look at all the blinks!

Example 2: Accelerometer

SparkFun has written a library to work with the LIS2DH12 Accelerometer that's included on this board. You can obtain this library through the Arduino Library Manager by searching for "LIS2DH12". Find the one written by SparkFun Electronics and install the latest version. If you prefer downloading libraries manually, you can grab them from the GitHub Repository. We've linked the datasheet for the accelerometer in the Resources and Going Further section, but if you'd like it handy, you can also refer to it here.

SparkFun LIS2DH12 Arduino Library GitHub

With your library installed, navigate to the examples located under File->Examples->SparkFun LIS2DH12 Arduino Library. Let's load up Example1_BasicReadings to get you started.

Having a hard time seeing? Click the image for a closer look.

Making sure you have the correct board and port selected, go ahead and upload your code. Once the code finishes transferring, open the serial monitor and set the baud rate to 115200. You should see x y and z locations flying by, telling you the directions the accelerometer is reading!

Having a hard time seeing? Click the image for a closer look.

Troubleshooting

Need help?

If your product is not working as you expected or you need technical assistance or information, head on over to the SparkFun Technical Assistance page for some initial troubleshooting.

If you don't find what you need there, the SparkFun Forums are a great place to find and ask for help. If this is your first visit, you'll need to create a Forum Account to search product forums and post questions.

SparkFun MicroMod Forums