MicroMod Artemis Processor Board Hookup Guide

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Contributors: Nate, Ell C
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Introduction

Leveraging the ultra powerful Artemis Module, the SparkFun MicroMod Artemis Processor is the brain board of your dreams. With a Cortex-M4F with BLE 5.0 running up to 96MHz and with as low power as 6uA per MHz (less than 5mW), the M.2 MicroMod connector allows you to plug in a MicroMod Carrier Board with any number of peripherals. Let's have a look at what this processor board has to offer!

SparkFun MicroMod Artemis Processor

SparkFun MicroMod Artemis Processor

DEV-16401
$14.95

Required Materials

In addition to your MicroMod Artemis Processor Board, you'll need a carrier board to get started. Here we use the Machine Learning Carrier Board, but there are a number of others you can choose from.

SparkFun MicroMod ATP Carrier Board

SparkFun MicroMod ATP Carrier Board

DEV-16885
$19.95
1
SparkFun MicroMod Data Logging Carrier Board

SparkFun MicroMod Data Logging Carrier Board

DEV-16829
$21.50
1
SparkFun MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board

SparkFun MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board

DEV-16400
$19.95

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

SparkFun Qwiic Cable Kit

KIT-15081
$8.95
20
Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

CAB-15424
$8.95
1
USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

CAB-14743
$5.50
4

Depending on which Carrier Board you choose, you may need a few extra peripherals to take full advantage of them. Refer to the Carrier Boards' respective Hookup Guides for specific peripheral recommendations.

Suggested Reading

The SparkFun MicroMod ecosystem is a unique way to allow users to customize their project to their needs. Do you want to send your weather data via a wireless signal (eg. Bluetooth or WiFi)? There's a MicroMod processor for that. Looking to instead maximize efficiency and processing power? You guessed it, there's a MicroMod processor for that. If you are not familiar with the MicroMod system, take a look here:

MicroMod Logo
MicroMod Ecosystem

We also recommend taking a look through the following tutorials if you are not familiar with the concepts covered in them:

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!

Designing with MicroMod

This tutorial will walk you through the specs of the MicroMod processor and carrier board as well as the basics of incorporating the MicroMod form factor into your own PCB designs!

MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board Hookup Guide

Get hacking with this tutorial on our Machine Learning Carrier Board!

Hardware Overview

While the Artemis module is pretty self-contained, let's have a look at a few of the unique features of this MicroMod Processor Board.

Power

Power is supplied by the carrier board, but it should be noted that all pins are 3.3V.

M.2 Connector

All of our MicroMod Processor boards come equipped with the M.2 MicroMod Connector, which leverages the M.2 standard and specification to allow you to install your MicroMod Processor board on your choice of carrier board.


M.2 Connector from the Front M.2 Connector from the Back

Artemis Processor

The SparkFun Artemis Processor provides a Cortex-M4F with BLE 5.0 running up to 96MHz and with as low power as 6uA per MHz (less than 5mW). This module is powerful enough to run TensorFlow, Machine Learning, and all sorts of voice recognition software. A deep dive into all of Artemis's delightful features can be found in the Designing with the SparkFun Artemis tutorial.

Artemis Module on the MicroMod Artemis Processor Board

Op Amp

Incoming analog voltages over 2V will saturate the Artemis's analog to digital converter. We've integrated an OpAmp to scale the incoming 0-3.3V voltages down to the 0-2V range that the Artemis can handle.

Highlighted OpAmp

RTC

An onboard RTC crystal has been integrated.

Highlighted RTC

Status LED

We've also included a Status LED for all your blinky needs.

Highlighted status LED

Artemis MicroMod Processor Pin Functionality

Note: You may not recognize the COPI/CIPO labels for SPI pins. SparkFun is working to move away from using MISO/MOSI to describe signals between the controller and the peripheral. Check out this page for more on our reasoning behind this change.
AUDIO UART GPIO/BUS I2C SDIO SPI Dedicated
Function Bottom
Pin
   Top   
Pin
Function
(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 (I)
SPI SCK1 SDIO_SCK (O) 60 59 SPI_COPI (O) LED_DAT
AUD_MCLK (O) 58 57 SPI_SCK (O) LED_CLK
CAM_MCLK PCM_OUT I2S_OUT AUD_OUT 56 55 SPI_CS#
CAM_PCLK PCM_IN I2S_IN AUD_IN 54 53 I2C_SCL1 (I/O)
PDM_DATA PCM_SYNC I2S_WS AUD_LRCLK 52 51 I2C_SDA1 (I/O)
PDM_CLK PCM_CLK I2S_SCK AUD_BCLK 50 49 BATT_VIN / 3 (I - ADC) (0 to 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
Artemis
Pin
Alternate
Function
Primary
Function
Bottom
Pin
   Top   
Pin
Primary
Function
Alternate
Function
Artemis
Pin
(Not Connected) 73 G5 A29
- 72 71 G6 D14
D23 QSPI3 SPI_CS1 70 69 G7 D15
D4 QSPI2 68 67 -
D26 QSPI1 66 65 TX1 ADC_D- A12
D6 QSPI0 SPI_CIPO1 64 63 ADC_D+ A13
D7 QSPI_CS SPI_COPI1 62 61 SPI_CIPO D43
D5 QSPI_SCK SPI_SCK1 60 59 SPI_COPI D38
D18 CAM_MCLK 58 57 SPI_SCK D42
D18 CAM_MCLK 56 55 SPI_CS D41
A11 CAM_PCLK 54 53 SCL1 D8
D36 PDM_DATA 52 51 SDA1 D9
D37 PDM_CLK 50 49 BATT_VIN / 3 A31
D28 G4 48 47 PWM1 D45
D27 G3 46 45 -
A34 G2 44 43 -
A33 G1 42 41 -
A16 G0 40 39 GND
A35 ADC1 38 37 -
A32 ADC0 34 33 -
D44 PWM0 32 31 -
- 24 23 SWDIO D21
- 22 21 SWDCK D20
- 20 19 RX1 D25
D1 D1 18 17 TX1 ADC_D- A12
D2 I2C_Interrupt 16 15 CTS1 D17
D39 SCL 14 13 RTS1 D10
D40 SDA 12 11 BOOT
D0 D0 10 9 -
- 8 7 GND
RESET 6 5 USB_D-
- 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
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_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
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
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
PWM1 O Pulse width modulated output 1. 3.3V
Digital D0 I/O General digital input/output pin. 3.3V
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

Board Dimensions

The board measures 22mm x 22mm, with 15mm to the top notch and 12mm to the E key. For more information regarding the processor board physical standards, head on over to the Getting Started with MicroMod tutorial and check out the Hardware Overview section.

MicroMod Processor Board Dimensions

Hardware Hookup

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

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

MicroMod Processor Board inserted into the carrier board

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

screwing in the machine screw

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: If you've never connected a CH340 device to your computer before, you may need to install drivers for the USB-to-serial converter. Check out our section on "How to Install CH340 Drivers" for help with the installation.

How to Install CH340 Drivers

August 6, 2019

How to install CH340 drivers (if you need them) on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Software Setup

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.

Installing the Arduino Core for Apollo3

To get started with the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board, you'll need to install the SparkFun Apollo3 Arduino Core. Open the Arduino IDE (must be v1.8.13 or later) and navigate to File->Preferences, like so:

Arduino Preferences, under File

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

In the "Additional Board Manager URL" box, make sure you have the following json file:

language:c
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sparkfun/Arduino_Apollo3/main/package_sparkfun_apollo3_index.json

If you have more than one json file, you can click on the button outlined in red and add the json link at the end. It'll look something like the following:

Additional Boards Manager URL location in the Preferences Dialog

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

  • Go to Tools -> Board and select the Boards Manager

Arduino Boards Manager Dialog, under Tools

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

Search for "Apollo3", and you should find the SparkFun Apollo3 Boards board package. Make sure the Version 1.2.1 is selected and click Install.

Board manager showing SparkFun Apollo3 Artemis install

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

Installation may take a few minutes -- included in the install are all necessary source files for the Arduino core and Apollo3 libraries, plus all of the compiler and software-upload tools you'll need to use the Artemis with Arduino.

Once the board definitions have been installed, you should see the Artemis MicroMod Processor board under your Tools -> Board -> SparkFun Apollo3 menu.

Artemis MicroMod processor dropdown
Having a hard time seeing? Click the image for a closer look.

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).

Arduino Board Select

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.

Blink Basics Example in the pulldown

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!

blink blink blink

Example 2: PDM

We've built the Arduino core for Artemis from the ground up and a large number of our built-in examples will work out of the box with the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board. You'll find them under File->Examples->'Examples for SparkFun Artemis MicroMod'.

Let's run a quick one from the examples here and take advantage of the two built in microphones on the Machine Learning Carrier Board we're using. Go to File->Examples->PDM->Example1_MicrophoneOutput

Arduino sub menu showing Artemis examples

Click above image for full menu context

Make sure you have the correct board and port selected, and then upload the code. Once the code finishes transferring, open the serial monitor and set the baud rate to 115200. You should see something like the following:

PDM Microphone example serial output

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

Notice that if you hoot and holler, the output changes.

Within the 'Examples for SparkFun Artemis Micromod' menu, we've got examples for setting up multiple I2C ports (it's amazingly easy), writing to EEPROM, using SoftwareSerial (all 48 pins can be serial!), using the the onboard microphone, and using servos (up to 32!). We're adding more all the time so be sure to keep your core up to date.

Further Examples

With the MicroMod system, the possibilities for examples with all the processor/carrier board are endless, and we just can't cover them all. You'll notice that in this tutorial, we've selected the Machine Learning Carrier Board, but have focused our examples on the Artemis Processor Board. If you're interested in examples specifically for our carrier board, head on over to our Machine Learning Carrier Board Hookup Guide.

Troubleshooting

Resources and Going Further

Want more information on the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board? Check out these links!

MicroMod Documentation:

Artemis Documentation:

Looking for some project inspiration using your Artemis Processor Board? The tutorials below can help you get started!

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!

Designing with MicroMod

This tutorial will walk you through the specs of the MicroMod processor and carrier board as well as the basics of incorporating the MicroMod form factor into your own PCB designs!

Cellular Function Board - Blues Wireless Notecarrier

Add a global cellular module to your MicroMod project with the SparkFun Cellular Function Board - Blues Wireless Notecarrier. With this Function board you can not only send data to and from your MicroMod project, you can even update the firmware on the STM32 MicroMod Processor.