Arduino_Core_STM32: The Powerful Tool Integrating STM32 with Arduino Ecosystem

What is Arduino_Core_STM32?

Arduino_Core_STM32 is an Arduino-compatible core developed for the STM32 series microcontrollers. It is jointly developed and maintained by STMicroelectronics and the Arduino community. By using this core, you can run Arduino programs on STM32 microcontrollers and access the rich Arduino ecosystem.

This core supports a wide range of STM32 series chips, covering from entry-level STM32F103 to high-performance STM32H7 series. Whether you are starting a new IoT project or want to use Arduino programming on existing STM32 hardware, Arduino_Core_STM32 can provide you with strong support.

Features of Arduino_Core_STM32

Arduino_Core_STM32 has the following main features:

1. Arduino Compatibility

  • • Provides a complete implementation of the Arduino API, ensuring you can seamlessly use Arduino programs and libraries on STM32.

  • • Supports common Arduino board types, such as Uno, Nano, and Leonardo.

  • • Provides Arduino pin mapping, allowing STM32 pins to be directly used with Arduino libraries and example code.

2. Extensive STM32 Chip Support

  • • Supports a wide range of STM32 chips from low-end STM32F0/F1 series to high-end STM32F4/F7/H7 series.

  • • Covers mainstream STM32 development boards on the market, such as Nucleo, Discovery, and BluePill.

  • • Provides rich STM32 pin mapping, ensuring you can flexibly utilize all functions of the STM32 chip.

3. High Performance and Low Power Consumption

  • • Fully utilizes the performance advantages of STM32 chips, supporting CPU clock speeds of up to 400MHz and rich peripherals.

  • • Implements various low-power modes, such as Sleep, Stop, and Standby modes, suitable for battery-powered IoT devices.

4. Rich Peripheral Support

  • • Supports common peripherals on STM32 chips, such as GPIO, ADC, PWM, I2C, SPI, and UART.

  • • Provides support for USB, CAN bus, Ethernet, and FreeRTOS, meeting the needs of complex applications.

5. Excellent Development Experience

  • • Perfectly integrated with the Arduino IDE, allowing development in a familiar Arduino programming environment.

  • • Provides rich example code and documentation to help developers get started quickly.

  • • Supports popular IDEs and build tools such as Visual Studio Code and PlatformIO.

In summary, Arduino_Core_STM32 provides a powerful and easy-to-use solution for project development based on STM32 microcontrollers. Whether you are an Arduino novice or an STM32 expert, it can meet your needs and make it easier for you to develop innovative IoT applications.

Architecture and Implementation of Arduino_Core_STM32

The architecture of Arduino_Core_STM32 mainly consists of the following key components:

1. Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)

  • • Based on the STM32Cube HAL library, providing low-level hardware access for the upper Arduino API.

  • • Encapsulates operations of common peripherals such as GPIO, ADC, PWM, providing a unified interface for upper applications.

  • • Implements functions like power management, interrupt handling, and clock configuration, ensuring that Arduino programs can run in a high-performance manner on STM32.

2. Arduino API Implementation

  • • Provides a complete implementation of the Arduino API, including common functions like pinMode(), analogRead(), delay(), etc.

  • • Well integrates the Arduino API with the underlying HAL library, ensuring Arduino programs can be seamlessly migrated to the STM32 platform.

  • • Implements common Arduino libraries like Tone, Servo, and Wire for easy use by developers.

3. Board Support

  • • Provides corresponding board support packages for different STM32 development boards, including Nucleo, Discovery, and BluePill.

  • • Each board support package defines the pin mapping, peripheral configuration, and startup code for that development board.

  • • Developers can choose the corresponding board support package for development based on the STM32 development board they are using.

Through the collaboration of these key components, Arduino_Core_STM32 achieves a complete solution for running Arduino programs on STM32 microcontrollers. Developers can fully leverage the powerful performance and rich peripherals of STM32 while enjoying the convenience and ecosystem resources of Arduino programming.

How to Get Started with Arduino_Core_STM32

To get started with Arduino_Core_STM32, you need to complete the following steps:

1. Install Arduino IDE

  • • Download and install the latest version of Arduino IDE from the Arduino official website.

2. Add Arduino_Core_STM32 to Arduino IDE

  • • In the Arduino IDE’s “File” > “Preferences” menu, add the Git repository URL of Arduino_Core_STM32 (https://github.com/stm32duino/BoardManagerFiles/raw/main/package_stmicroelectronics_index.json) to “Additional Boards Manager URLs”.

  • • Open “Tools” > “Board” > “Boards Manager”, search for and install the “STM32 Boards (STM32Cube)” package.

3. Select Target STM32 Development Board

  • • In the “Tools” > “Board” menu, select the model of the STM32 development board you are using, such as “Nucleo-F446RE”.

4. Start Writing Arduino Programs

  • • You can now write Arduino programs just like using a regular Arduino board and upload them to the STM32 development board.

  • • In your code, you can use all familiar Arduino functions and libraries, such as pinMode(), analogRead(), Serial.println(), etc.

5. Explore More Features

  • • Check out the rich example code of Arduino_Core_STM32 to learn how to use STM32-specific peripherals and features.

  • • Refer to project documentation for in-depth understanding of configuration options and advanced features of Arduino_Core_STM32.

  • • Join the STM32duino community to communicate with other developers and gain more support.

With these simple steps, you can start developing with Arduino on STM32 microcontrollers. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, Arduino_Core_STM32 can provide you with strong support to help you build innovative IoT applications.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Arduino_Core_STM32 is an excellent development solution for STM32 microcontrollers, perfectly combining the convenience of Arduino with the powerful performance of STM32, providing a strong innovative platform for developers. It is believed that in the future, it will play an increasingly important role in IoT, industrial automation, and education fields.

Project Address: https://github.com/stm32duino/Arduino_Core_STM32

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