QuickStart: Renesas Cloud Kit CK-RA6M5 with /IOTCONNECT

Purchase the CK-RA6M5 Cloud Kit

1. Introduction

This guide will walk through the steps of setting up the CK-RA6M5 for connecting to the Avnet /IOTCONNECT platform and interacting with the onboard sensors in realtime via a Dynamic Dashboard. This project is based on the Renesas CK-RA6M5 Sample Code and the /IOTCONNECT AT Command-enabled PMOD module for connectivity.

2. Prerequisites

• Renesas CK-RA6M5 v2 Cloud Kit
• FTDI USB Cable
• PC with Windows 11
• Available 2.4GHz WiFi Network
• A Serial Terminal Application such as Tera Term
• Renesas Flash Programmer for Windows

3. Create /IOTCONNECT Account

An /IOTCONNECT account with an AWS backend is required. If you need to create an account, a free trial subscription is available. The free subscription may be obtained directly from iotconnect.io or through the AWS Marketplace.

• Option #1 (Recommended)
  /IOTCONNECT via AWS Marketplace - 60 day trial; AWS account creation required

• Option #2
  /IOTCONNECT via iotconnect.io - 30 day trial; no credit card required

Note

Be sure to check any SPAM folder for the temporary password after registering.

4. Import Device Template

1. Download the pre-made Device Template: ckra6m5_template.json for the CK-RA6M5 Kit.
2. Login to the platform by navigating to console.iotconnect.io
3. From the navigation panel on the left, select the Devices icon and the Device sub-menu.
   
4. At the bottom of the page, select the Templates icon from the toolbar.
   
5. At the top-right of the page, select the Create Template button.
   
6. At the top-right of the page, select the Import" button.
   
7. Click the Browse button, navigate to and select the downloaded template da16k_template.json
8. Click Save

5. Create a Device

In this step, we will create a Device associated with the previously imported Device Template

1. In the ribbon at the bottom of the screen, click the Devices
2. At the top-right, click Create Device
   
3. Enter a custom device Unique ID (also called a DUID) and Device Name such as CK-RA6M5
4. Select the Entity to associate the device (For new accounts, there is only one option)
5. Select the previously imported template ckra6m5
6. Under Device Certificate select Auto-generated
7. Click Save & View
8. Download the Device Configuration Information by clicking the icon in the upper right of the device page
   

6. Obtain Certificates

In this step we will locate and download the device certificates.

1. Just below the Device Configuration Information icon, click the Connection Info link.
   
2. Click on the Certificates icon in the top-right and save the Primary certificate file to your working directory.
   
3. Extract the contents of the *-certificates.zip file for use in the next section.

Important

You will need the information contained within the 'Device Configuration Information' and the 'Certificates' files to complete the following step.

7. Flash & Program the DA16600 PMOD

The DA16600 PMOD included with the kit is leveraged to connect to a WiFi network and communicate with the /IOTCONNECT platform.

Follow the DA16K QuickStart Guide and return to this guide when programmed.

8. Setup Hardware

1. Remove the FTDI wires from the DA16600 PMOD
2. Connect the DA16600 PMOD to the PMOD1 connector of CK-RA6M5
3. Connect the included USB-A to USB-micro cable from the PC to the connector labeled DEBUG1 (next to the Ethernet port)

9. Download and Flash the Pre-Compiled CK-RA6M5 Firmware

1. Download the pre-compiled firmware image: quickstart_ck_ra6m5_v2_ep.hex
2. Download and Install the latest version of the Renesas Flash Programmer for Windows
3. Using File - New Project, create a new project.
4. Select RA as Microcontroller,
5. Enter a Project Name such as QuickStart
6. Navigate to a Project Directory of your choosing: eg C:\Renesas\ck-ra6m5
7. In the Communication section change the Tool to J-Link and the Interface to SWD

9. Press Connect.
10. Verify the connection is successful.

6. Select Add/Remove Files..., click Add File(s)..., navigate to and select the .hex file previously downloaded.

7. Click OK.
8. Press Start to start the flashing process and a progress window will pop up.
9. Verify Operation Completed. message is displayed after the progress bar reaches completes.

10. Check Connectivity

Once the device is flashed, the device will boot, connect to /IOTCONNECT, and begin sending out telemetry.

• Find your device in the /IOTCONNECT "Devices" menu and verify telemetry is visible on the device's Live Data tab.

11. Import Dynamic Dashboard

/IOTCONNECT Dynamic Dashboards are an easy way to visualize data and interact with edge devices.

1. Download the example CK-RA6M5 Demo Dashboard here: ckra6m5_dashboard.json
2. Switch back to the /IOTCONNECT browser window and verify the device status is displaying as Connected
3. Click Create Dashboard from the top of the page
4. Select the Import Dashboard option and Click Browse to select the dashboard template previously downloaded.
5. Select the Template ("ckra6m5") and your Device Name
6. Enter a name (such as CK-RA6M5 Demo) and Click Save the finalize the import

You will now be in the dashboard edit mode. You can add/remove widgets or just click Save in the upper-right corner to exit the edit mode.

Supported /IOTCONNECT Device Commands

Controls state of red LED on the board

• set_red_led <state>
  • on - Turns red LED on
  • off - Truns red LED off

Controls the frequency of the blue LED flashing on the board

• set_led_frequency <freq>
  • 0 - Slow blinking
  • 1 - Medium blinking
  • 2 - Fast blinking
  • 3 - Very fast blinking

12. Resources

• Purchase Renesas Cloud Kit CK-RA6M5
• /IOTCONNECT Resources