STM32, programming - [STM32] Program own PCB using STM32L Discovery SWD

Question

Hello, I'm really becomin a pain in the ass here, but I got one new problem here. Lately I designed my own PCB, it's simple board to communicate via USB with my PC and receive data through NRF24L01. The MCU on board is STM32L152RBT6, the same one mounted on STM32L Discovery kit I wanna use to...

tadzik85 · Answer

Remove capacitor on NRTS? CPU is new, never programed?

alagner · Answer

Are jumpers on discovery board properly set?

BlueDraco · Answer

Is the board powered? Note that SWD connector on Discovery board doesn't provide power to the programmed board. Actually only three wires are required for programming the fresh MCU - GND, SWDIO & SWCLK.

SeerKaza · Answer

What program are you using to connect with board, openOCD or STMutility ? First try connect with STMutility This program always works if connections are correct. With openOCD you can have problem with wrong configuration.

Dodano po 4 [minuty]:

I guess u using STMutility when i look yours logs. So you should try do what programs says. Change in Target-Settings connections mode. I had the same problem with by board.

Mishella · Answer

Yes, it's new MCU, freshly mounted after ariving from farnell. I refered to while designing reset button, is it wrong and the capacitor needs to be removed? CN3 is removed to enable SWD flashing external application, don't know if something else has to be done here :/

SeerKaza · Answer

Important is in what order u power up your devices. First power up your board later stlinkv2

Freddie Chopin · Answer

It's not wrong, the capacitor is perfectly OK and I highly recommend to leave it where it is (; 4\/3!!

tadzik85 · Answer

Yes, it's new MCU, freshly mounted after ariving from farnell. I refered to while designing reset button, is it wrong and the capacitor needs to be removed? I just look on discovery schematic, it's can be. Double check conections. Bad soldering?

Mishella · Answer

It's connected to USB and the power LED is on, I guess it's all okay. It's ST-Link V2 ... and I tried the suggested and it ended up with another error saying: 12:30:41 : ST-LINK Firmware version : V2J14S0 12:30:41 : Connected via SWD. 12:30:41 : Connetion mode : Connect Under Reset. 12:30:41 : Debug in sleep and stop mode enabled. 12:30:41 : Device ID:0x416 12:30:41 : Device flash Size : 128KBytes 12:30:41 : Device family :STM32L1xx medium density 12:30:41 : Can not connect to device! Is it possible it can't be flsahed, cause windows won't recognize it? As I plug it in USB, Windows says it's unrecognized device.

Freddie Chopin · Answer

It does not matter. 4\/3!!

Mishella · Answer

I feel lost now, dont know what else should i try, considering I have no access to oscilloscope :/

Freddie Chopin · Answer

Use a multimeter and test all of the connections for shorts or lack of connection. Remember to touch the pins/pads/whatever really gently, because if you press the probe hard, you may "fix" the connection temporarily (for example you push the pin of IC to the trace on PCB and the test is OK, but as soon as you let go the pin bends up again).

Also try to connect using some othe boot mode (BOOT0 and BOOT1 pins) or when pressing down reset. Or try to use OpenOCD - it doesn't bite (that hard [; ).

4\/3!!

Mishella · Answer

I'm about to try anything to make it work ... in fact I never used OpenOCD, so I'm just heading to check it, hope it's easy enough for lame like me

el2010tmp · Answer

Where is BOOT1 ???

Mishella · Answer

I didn't used it on my board ... I only used BOOT0. Is it a big mistake? I assume as I only meant to use BOOT0, I forgot to pull up it with 10K :/

el2010tmp · Answer

No, it is not necessary. It is necessary to Vcc from Your board to discover board [pin 1 SWD].

Mishella · Answer

I use all 5 pins for SWD: VCC/SWDCLK/GND/SWDIO/NRST as it is declared in schematic. So this should not be the problem. My board is profesionally made and I extra paid for 100% e-test, even I tried to check routes and all of them seem to be OK.

SeerKaza · Answer

I still thing that is problems with power up order. I had the same. When I power up stlink first and later board i had problems with connection. Try power up u board from STlink (connect VCC from yours JP1 with VDD on STMdiscovery) When you will be have all conections betwen STlink and your board then connect STMdiscovery to computer and try connect with STMutility (both options in setting normal and under reset)

PS. Sorry my grammar isn't perfect

Anonymous · Answer

0. It's not the worst PCB I have ever seen, but try to improve the layout in the next revision and try to find a better supplier for PCB. USB routing is the worst, too many vias, no shield and different lengths.
1. Be sure about all connections in PCB. As mentioned before, do not press any pin nor IC case; check with probe from side, not from top. One bad soldered pin may cause these issues. I saw this few times at larger cases (TQFP144 and 176).
2. Power up Discovery and your unit. Sequence doesn't matter. They must be powered, both.
3. Connect your PCB with ST-Link hardware.
4. Try to connect with any of these tools: OpenOCD, STM32 ST-LINK Utility or CoFlash.
5. If there is no connection, try to set BOOT0 = 1 and try again.
6. If there is no connection, or conection lost after few seconds, check block capacitors or add (temporary 1..10uF) between #18/#19 and #47/#48, as well.
7. If there is no reliable connection, try to replace the chip or design a better PCB.
Good luck!

alagner · Answer

One more thing that might be the case: some faulty Eagle libraries for STM32 chips are available on the net so check your design carefully for package's misplaced pins etc.

Mishella · Answer

So ... I checked all of the traces and all of them are fine, connections are 100%. I got both devices powered, mine and discovery kit. All 5 of SWD pins are connected between devices and sometimes I get so lucky, I get a connection in ST-Link. I am able to erase flash, program it and run code, but I can't see anything on my device :/ I wanted to blink LEDS for start, nothing happens. I can see device memory is filled with the code that works okey with my discovery kit, diodes are on ste same pins as on kit. It stays dead :/

btw. PCB has so many vias cause of the size, it has to be fitted to 5cm length max. to be cheap.

Anonymous · Answer

Are you sure about LEDs? Did you check all of them with multimeter?
Did you use debugger to trace the programm execution? If it is ok, in the meaning of software, there must be a hardware problem.
Do yoy have a short @ic1 (C10 side)?

Don't worry. It is typical, that the first release doesn't work as it should. The second will be better.
I can understand the size limitations but it's hard to understand things like these:
- bad power distribution with long, thin, wavy lines iso star config,
- almost no use of bottom layer. Next time you may use it for power distribution and try to avoid signals like C1-C15 area. You have a lot of mm2 to use. Do it.
- wrong placement of LED3 in schematic. What about other LEDs in real?

Try to route both USB lines in the same way, the same length with ground shield. You may also try to rotate uC by 90 deg CC to separate clocks and USB signals in layout. Try to avoid any vias for USB and clocks. Connect connector shield with GND.
And please, show the last version of PCB, because I can see some differences between Eagle and photo.

alagner · Answer

And how about reducing debugger's clock speed?

Mishella · Answer

Okay, there is only one small difference between schematic and PCB and it's LDO used, I mounted TPS76933. That's what you can see on the board, I changed it after my PCB was already ordered.
LED3 in fact works fine, after I power PCB, it lights on. Other 2 LEDS i tried with multimeter seems to be OK. Still, I can't see anything happen after I flash my program into MCU, I can see it in memory and can't see anything on the board, the LEDS should only blink ...
The code was compiled in IAR and checked on discovery kit, should be ok.

alagner · Answer

What is the forward voltage of those leds? Try for example setting some MCU pins (preferably the ones connected to the leds) in high state for some time, long enough to measure it with the voltmeter.
Is your circuit properly powered?

Mishella · Answer

Okey, after I finally got to school to osciloscope and could measure all, I found out my 32k crystal was not working. It was brand new one, but after replacing it the PCB works as charm

The leds are blinkin and I encounter no more problems. That was it, no wonder because the mentioned crystal provides base clock for MCU.

I wanna say big thanks to everyone trying to help me out, I really appreciate it

STM32, programming - [STM32] Program own PCB using STM32L Discovery SWD

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