PIC32-HMZ144 Canbus question

[M@rcel]

My eye fell on this board because, according to the description it supports canbus. Looking at the MCU type (PIC32MZ2048ECG144) and PIC32-HMZ144 user  manual, however, indicates that a MCU is fitted that has no embedded cancontrollers.

Can you shine some light on this?

[JohnS]

Email (or phone) support or sales.

If they do fit the chip without CAN they'll edit the web page and remove the word CAN.

John

[LubOlimex]

Hey guys,

The text of the web-page is is not correct. The PIC32MZ2048 microcontroller has CAN interface (but PIC32MZ2048ECG144 doesn't). However, PIC32-HMZ144 board doesn't have a connector.

Such a connector is not mentioned in the features list. Such a connector is not present in the user's manual.

Best regards,
Lub/OLIMEX

Edit: refer to the user's manual of the board.

[kyrk.5]

Are you sure that the PIC32MZ2048ECG144 have a CAN controler inside? According to the data sheets (http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/60001191E.pdf) page 2 the PIC32MZ2048ECG144 have 0 (!) CAN 2.0B inside. While the PIC32MZ2048ECH144 and PIC32MZ2048ECM144 are having 2.

So if the PIC32 is missing the CAN HW element, then the board can not be used with an external transciever.

I remember me that there was some correction regarding the type of the PIC32 on the PCB. Can you please confirm that the board realy built with the PIC32MZ2048ECG144?

[M@rcel]

Exactly, as far as I can tell the PIC32MZ2048ECG144 has no embedded CANbus controllers. But maybe Olimex fits a different version of the PIC32MZ?

[JohnS]

Possibly, though from the schematics I found they do not.

Still probably faster by far to contact support or sales direct rather than on the forum.

John

[kyrk.5]

I found here the same issue already reported:
https://olimex.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/new-pic32-hmz144-open-source-hardware-development-board-is-in-stock/
"
John Kinkennon
Mar 03, 2015 @ 09:59:11

Lurch asked — did you mean PIC32MZ2048ECH144 ? Mine arrived with an xxxECG144 which means no CAN, fewer DMA channels, but otherwise the same. No problem in my case but I suppose the product description should be corrected.


"

[LubOlimex]

Yep, my bad. The funny part is that I wrote this part in the user's manual:

The main processor of the board is one of the biggest processors of the PIC32MZ family. It has the following
features that distinguish it from the rest of the family:

• Programmable memory (KB): 2048
• Data memory (KB): 512
• Pins count: 144
• I/O pins: 120
• Reprogrammable pins: 53
• ADC channels: 48
• SPI/I2S interfaces: 6
• CAN interface: No

There is a diagram in the user's manual that I also personally edited (removed CAN parts of the original diagram) to fit the PIC32-HMZ144 board.

Anyway, the web-page should be alright now. A new updated and improved example should also available tomorrow (the previous one had few bugs). It is made with a newer version of "MPLAB Harmony".

Thank you for the feedback!

Let me know if you notice other discrepancies.

Best regards,
Lub/OLIMEX

[KeesZagers]

Already early 2014 I suggested to use one of the other (CAN) versions in the Duinomite forum:

https://www.olimex.com/forum/index.php?topic=2228.0

I think a missed chance.

Kees

[M@rcel]

Thanks for the clarification. Because I need dual Can, this board is a nogo for me.

[KeesZagers]

Maybe you need the performace of the HMZ processor, but otherwise you can use the Duinomite products as a dual CAN board. The MEGA has one port complete, including transceiver and connector. The other port is connected to the Arduino port. On the shield you have to add an extra tranceiver and a connector. I also made a dual CAN solution based on the PIC32-T795, where I added the two transceivers on my own carrierboard.