STM32: How to start in Linux

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When developing software for STM32 microcontrollers, I usually include the following steps.

1. Generation of basic project on STM32CubeMX
2. Writing code in any comfortable text editor (I use Sublime Text)
3. Compilation of code with use arm-none-eabi-gcc
4. Firmware of microcontroller with use st-link

The whole process of installation and start-up are described below.

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Stack

• STM32CubeMX
• ST-link

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STM32CubeMX

I prefer to work with STM32CubeMX. It allows you to quickly generate a project with the setting of the periphery and clock frequency of the microcontroller, as well as the ability to connect such cool things as FreeRTOS or lwIP.

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Installation procedure

• Download STM32CubeMX
• For installation need unzip archive and perform of command

sudo ./SetupSTM32CubeMX-4.25.1.linux

• Add in environment variables

STM32CUBEMX_HOME=~/.prog/STM32CubeMX
export PATH=$STM32CUBEMX_HOME:$PATH

• Restart .bashrc

source .bashrc

After configuring the peripherals and clock frequencies, need to generate a project. Also need to configure of the generation of the project. I set the generation Makefile and put a tick to generate *.c and *.h files for each peripheral.

You may have to wait for the required libraries to be downloaded.

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ST-link

To firmware and debug the program on the microcontroller, you will need st-link. It can be cloned from repository and assemble it yourself. I recommend installing from the repository of your distribution - it’s faster.

Also will need a compiler and debugger to build:

• arm-none-eabi-gcc
• arm-none-eabi-gdb

They can also be taken from the repository.

After successful project generation, you will see a bunch of files and folders, that need to be compiled.

The first, need say Makefile is where your compiler is.

#######################################
# binaries
#######################################
BINPATH = /bin
PREFIX = arm-none-eabi-

After all this, need to build a project.

$ make

And fill firmware into the microcontroller using st-link.

You can use the graphical version of STlink-GUI.

$ stlink-gui

I prefer do it from console.

$ st-flash write ./build/how-run.bin 0x08000000
st-flash 1.5.0
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: Loading device parameters....
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: Device connected is: F76xxx device, id 0x10016451
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: SRAM size: 0x80000 bytes (512 KiB), Flash: 0x200000 bytes (2048 KiB) in pages of 2048 bytes
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: Attempting to write 4004 (0xfa4) bytes to stm32 address: 134217728 (0x8000000)
Flash page at addr: 0x08000000 erased
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: Finished erasing 1 pages of 32768 (0x8000) bytes
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: Starting Flash write for F2/F4/L4
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO flash_loader.c: Successfully loaded flash loader in sram
enabling 32-bit flash writes
size: 4004
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: Starting verification of write complete
2018-05-26T17:00:50 INFO common.c: Flash written and verified! jolly good!

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Obstacles, that may stand between you and STM32

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Make error

When you try to build a project, you will see the following error:

If you open Makefile, in block sources you will see repeated lines.

######################################
# source
######################################
# C sources
C_SOURCES =  \
/Src/system_stm32f7xx.c \
Src/main.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_cortex.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_gpio.c \
Src/main.c \
Src/stm32f7xx_it.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_dma_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_pwr_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_tim.c \
Src/gpio.c \
Src/stm32f7xx_hal_msp.c \
Src/stm32f7xx_it.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_dma.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_i2c.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_tim_ex.c \
Src/gpio.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_flash.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_i2c_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_rcc.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal.c \
Src/stm32f7xx_hal_msp.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_pwr.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_rcc_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F7xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f7xx_hal_flash_ex.c

In my case is following lines:

Src/main.c \
Src/gpio.c \
Src/stm32f7xx_it.c \
Src/stm32f7xx_hal_msp.c \

This lines need delete and project should be compiling. This is bug of code generation in STM32CubeMX. We wrote to the developers of STM32CubeMX about this bug. It remains to wait until they fix and release an update.

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No libraries

You may encounter the following error during build.

Compiler say what he cannot find library stdint.h. For fix it error need install

• arm-none-eabi-newlib

It can also be taken from the repository.

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