Shield integrates Click boards with Red Pitaya platform

Red Pitaya is an open-source software-defined instrument and an FPGA development tool, often referred to as engineering’s ‘Swiss Army Penknife’. The size of a credit card, Red Pitaya combines the functionalities of multiple lab instruments – oscilloscope, signal generator, and spectrum analyser – with ample programming capabilities and open-source software to jumpstart any project.

Click shields are adapters that bring Click board connectivity to popular development platforms such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, STM32 Nucleo, and now, Red Pitaya.

Comments Nebojsa Matic, CEO of MIKROE: “This Click Shield is the ideal companion for Red Pitaya, designed to unlock even more possibilities for engineering and programming projects. It facilitates the seamless integration of Click boards with your Red Pitaya host board, expanding its capabilities and versatility. Once the Red Pitaya host board is connected with our Red Pitaya Click Shield, designers can access over 1550 of Click boards, plus a library containing functions and example codes for MIKROE compilers.”

Featuring two mikroBUS sockets, the Red Pitaya Click Shield can be powered through an external power supply, supporting a wide voltage range from 12V to 24V, or via a USB Type C connector, ensuring set-up flexibility. Also, the user is offered the possibility of using any Click board with the help of existing bi-directional level-shifting voltage translators, regardless of whether the Click board operates at a selected 3.3V or 5V logic voltage level.

One distinctive feature of the Click Shield is its shuttle-like connector, purpose-built for Logic Analyser connection. This connector is your gateway to easily monitoring and analysing SPI, UART, or I2C signals, providing valuable insights into your projects. Another remarkable feature is the integration of the ZL40213, an LVDS clock fan-out buffer with two identical output clock drivers. This component is designed to distribute low-jitter reference clocks from external or internal sources, depending on your needs. Whether for wired or optical communications applications, the Click Shield ensures minimal jitter, maintaining signal integrity. Moreover, it extends its utility beyond clock signals with a dedicated section for trigger signal distribution and synchronisation.