STM32 Microcontroller Tutorial: From Beginner to Advanced

 This comprehensive STM32 tutorial covers everything from setting up your development environment to programming peripherals and using RTOS. STM32 (based on ARM Cortex-M) is one of the most popular 32-bit MCU families for embedded systems.

1. Getting Started with STM32

Hardware You'll Need

• STM32 development board (common options):

  • Beginner: STM32F103C8T6 (Blue Pill, $5)

  • Wireless: STM32WB55 (Bluetooth 5.0)

  • High-performance: STM32H743 (Cortex-M7, 480 MHz)

• ST-Link programmer/debugger (or onboard debugger like STM32 Nucleo)

• USB cable, breadboard, LEDs, resistors

Software Setup

1. Install STM32CubeIDE (Free official IDE from ST)

   • Includes compiler, debugger, and STM32CubeMX (visual configurator)

   • Download: www.st.com/stm32cubeide

2. Alternative Toolchains

   • PlatformIO (VS Code extension)

   • Keil MDK (Commercial)

   • ARM GCC + Makefile (Advanced users)

2. Your First STM32 Program (Blinky LED)

Using STM32CubeIDE

1. Create New Project

   • Select your MCU model (e.g., STM32F103C8)

   • Configure clock (e.g., 72 MHz for F103)

2. Configure GPIO Pin

   • Open STM32CubeMX view

   • Select a pin (e.g., PC13 on Blue Pill) → Set as GPIO_Output

3. Generate Code

   • Click "Generate Code" → Initialize peripherals

4. Write Main Loop

c

while (1) {
  HAL_GPIO_TogglePin(GPIOC, GPIO_PIN_13);
  HAL_Delay(500); // 500ms delay
}

5. Build & Flash

   • Connect ST-Link → Click "Debug"

---

3. Key STM32 Peripherals Tutorial

A. GPIO (Digital Input/Output)

c

// Read button on PB0
if(HAL_GPIO_ReadPin(GPIOB, GPIO_PIN_0) == GPIO_PIN_SET) {
  HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOC, GPIO_PIN_13, GPIO_PIN_SET); // LED on
}

B. UART (Serial Communication)

c

// Send "Hello" over UART1 (PA9-TX, PA10-RX)
HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart1, "Hello\r\n", 7, HAL_MAX_DELAY);

// Receive data
uint8_t rx_data;
HAL_UART_Receive(&huart1, &rx_data, 1, HAL_MAX_DELAY);

C. ADC (Analog Read)

c

// Read potentiometer on PA0
uint32_t adc_value;
HAL_ADC_Start(&hadc1);
adc_value = HAL_ADC_GetValue(&hadc1);

D. PWM (Motor Control, LED Dimming)

c

// Set PWM duty cycle (50%) on TIM2_CH1 (PA0)
HAL_TIM_PWM_Start(&htim2, TIM_CHANNEL_1);
__HAL_TIM_SET_COMPARE(&htim2, TIM_CHANNEL_1, 500); // 50% of 1000

E. I2C (Sensor Communication)

c

// Read from BMP280 (I2C address 0x76)
uint8_t reg = 0xD0; // Chip ID register
uint8_t data;
HAL_I2C_Mem_Read(&hi2c1, 0x76<<1, reg, 1, &data, 1, 100);

---

4. Intermediate: Using FreeRTOS on STM32

1. Enable FreeRTOS in STM32CubeMX

   • Middleware → FreeRTOS → CMSIS_V2

2. Create Two Tasks

c

void Task1(void *pvParameters) {
  while(1) {
    HAL_GPIO_TogglePin(GPIOC, GPIO_PIN_13);
    osDelay(200); // FreeRTOS delay
  }
}

void Task2(void *pvParameters) {
  while(1) {
    HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart1, "Task2\r\n", 7, 100);
    osDelay(1000);
  }
}

3. Start Scheduler in main()

c

osKernelInitialize();
osThreadNew(Task1, NULL, NULL);
osThreadNew(Task2, NULL, NULL);
osKernelStart();

---

5. Advanced Topics

A. Low-Power Modes

c

// Enter STOP mode (wake on EXTI)
HAL_PWR_EnterSTOPMode(PWR_LOWPOWERREGULATOR_ON, PWR_STOPENTRY_WFI);

B. DMA (Direct Memory Access)

• Use for high-speed ADC/UART transfers without CPU

C. STM32 Hardware Security

• Read Protection (RDP)

• Secure Boot & Flash Encryption

---

6. Debugging Tips

1. Use STM32CubeMonitor for real-time variable tracking

2. SWV ITM Trace (printf debugging via SWD)

3. Logic Analyzer for timing-critical signals

---

7. Project Ideas

Level	Project	Peripherals Used
Beginner	LED Blinky	GPIO
Intermediate	Temperature Logger	UART, I2C, ADC
Advanced	Motor PID Controller	PWM, TIM, Encoder
Expert	RTOS-Based Smart Sensor	FreeRTOS, BLE, DMA

---

Where to Go Next?

• Official STM32 Documentation: ST Microelectronics

• STM32 Communities: STM32duino Forum, EEVBlog

• Books: "Mastering STM32" by Carmine Noviello