The STM32F103C8T6 development board which is also known as Blue Pill is a small and affordable development board. It is based on the ARM Cortex-M3 processor and features 64KB of flash memory, 20KB of SRAM, and a maximum clock speed of 72MHz. The Blue Pill is a popular choice for hobbyists and developers who want to experiment with embedded systems and microcontrollers. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the Blue Pill’s schematic diagram and pinout.
Documents
STM32F103C8 Product Page
Datasheet
How to program the stm32f103c8t6?
Step 1: Setting up the development environment
To program the Blue Pill, you will need a development environment that includes the necessary tools and software. A popular choice is the STM32CubeIDE, which is an integrated development environment (IDE) that includes a compiler, debugger, and other tools. You will also need to download the STM32F1xx HAL library, which provides a set of functions for configuring and controlling the microcontroller.
what are the other IDE which can be used to program stm32f103c8t6?
- Keil MDK: Keil MDK is an integrated development environment (IDE) that supports the ARM Cortex-M processor family, including the STM32F103C8T6. It includes a compiler, linker, debugger, and other tools for developing embedded applications.
- Eclipse IDE: Eclipse is a popular open-source IDE that supports a wide range of programming languages and platforms, including the STM32F103C8T6. Eclipse provides a plugin called “GNU ARM Eclipse” that includes tools for building and debugging ARM-based projects.
- Visual Studio Code: Visual Studio Code is a popular open-source code editor that supports a wide range of programming languages and platforms, including the STM32F103C8T6. You can use Visual Studio Code with extensions to provide support for C/C++ development, debugging, and uploading code to the board.
Can IAR Embedded Workbench be used to program?
Yes, IAR Embedded Workbench is another popular IDE that can be used to program the STM32F103C8T6. IAR provides a comprehensive toolchain that includes a C/C++ compiler, linker, and debugger, as well as tools for code analysis and optimization.
Step 2: Configuring the microcontroller
Before writing code for the Blue Pill, you need to configure the microcontroller’s peripherals and registers. This involves setting up clock and power management, GPIO pins, timers, interrupts, and other peripherals, depending on your project’s requirements. The STM32F1xx HAL library provides functions for configuring the microcontroller, which you can use in your code.
Step 3: Writing and compiling the code
Once the microcontroller is configured, you can write your code using a programming language such as C or C++. You can use the STM32F1xx HAL library functions to interact with the microcontroller’s peripherals and registers. Once you have written your code, you need to compile it using the compiler included in your development environment.
Step 4: Uploading the code to the board
Once you have compiled your code, you need to upload it to the Blue Pill board. This involves connecting the board to your computer using a USB cable and using a programming tool such as ST-Link or J-Link to upload the code. You can use the programming tool’s software or your development environment’s built-in upload tool to upload the code.
Schematic Diagram:
The STM32F103C8T6 Blue Pill’s schematic diagram is relatively simple and straightforward. The board features a 3.3V voltage regulator, which is used to provide power to the microcontroller and other components. The board also includes an external crystal oscillator (HSE) and a 32.768 kHz crystal oscillator (LSE) for real-time clock (RTC) functionality.
Other key components on the board include:
Reset circuitry: The Blue Pill features a reset button and an external reset circuit to ensure the reliable and safe operation of the microcontroller.
USB connector: The board includes a USB connector that can be used for programming and communication with the microcontroller.
LED indicators: There are two LED indicators on the board, one for power and one for user-defined purposes.
Pinout:
The STM32F103C8T6 Blue Pill’s pinout is organized into four rows of headers, with a total of 20 pins. Here is a brief overview of the pin functions:
- PA0 to PA15: These pins are general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins that can be used for a variety of purposes, including digital input/output and analog input.
- PB0 to PB15: These pins are also GPIO pins, with the same capabilities as the PA pins.
- PC13 to PC15: These pins are typically used for the onboard LED indicators, but can also be used as GPIO pins.
- VDD: This is the 3.3V power supply pin.
- VSS: This is the ground pin.
- BOOT0: This pin is used to select between the bootloader and the user code during programming.
- NRST: This is the reset pin.
- SWDIO and SWCLK: These pins are used for programming and debugging the microcontroller using the Serial Wire Debug (SWD) protocol.
The STM32F103C8T6 Blue Pill is a versatile and affordable development board that is well-suited for a wide range of projects. Its simple schematic diagram and clear pinout make it easy to work with, even for beginners. With its powerful ARM Cortex-M3 processor, ample memory, and rich set of peripherals, the Blue Pill is a great choice for anyone looking to dive into the world of microcontroller programming.
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