FAQ
TL;DR: HK32F030M MCUs ship for $0.15 per 1 000 units and run a 32 MHz Cortex-M0 core; “there is no competition” [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #18941722] Boards kept blinking up to 7 V before failure [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19358946]
Why it matters: Ultra-low pricing plus ARM IP make these chips tempting drop-in upgrades for 8-bit designs.
Quick Facts
• Core: ARM Cortex-M0, 32 MHz internal HSI [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #18941722]
• Memory: 16 kB Flash, 4 kB* RAM, 448 B EEPROM (*newer silicon) [Elektroda, BlueDraco, post #19167018]
• Price: USD 0.15 @ 1 k pcs; recent lots ≈ 0.20 USD [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19007720]
• Typical active current: 3.06 mA @ 32 MHz, 3.3 V [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19374070]
• Package quirks: early SO-8 had NRST on pin 6, later on pin 7 [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19171083]
What makes HK32F030M different from STM32F030?
HK32F030M keeps the same Cortex-M0 core but drops DMA, PLL and external crystal support, adds a beeper like STM8S, and limits timers to three 16-bit units [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #18941722]
Is the pinout identical to STM8S?
The 20-pin TSSOP and 8-pin SO variants mimic STM8S layouts, easing board reuse [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #18941722] Watch for NRST swaps on early SO-8 lots [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19171083]
Will STM32F0 firmware run unmodified?
Peripheral base addresses match, yet register bitfields differ; expect to patch code and headers before it boots correctly [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #18941722]
How do I flash and debug the chip with J-Link?
- Add the XML snippet posted in the thread to JLinkDevices.xml.
- Place the three .FLM loaders in Devices/HK32F030M/.
- Connect SWD and power, then program via J-Link commander [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #18941722]
Can I power it from 5 V?
Yes. One unit survived an hour at 5 V and only mis-behaved above 7 V, though this exceeds absolute-max ratings and risks latent damage [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19358946]
What about Arduino Core support?
No vendor core exists yet. Porting is feasible because register sets resemble STM32F030; UART bootloaders work, but USB DFU is absent [Elektroda, khoam, post #18948238]
How accurate is the 32 MHz HSI?
Datasheet gives ±1 % (typ.); developers have overclocked to 48 MHz without wait-states and even 96 MHz with one wait-state via HSICAL tweaks [Elektroda, dabyd64, post #20598122]
What current should I budget?
New-revision parts idle at 2.75 mA while executing a tight loop at 32 MHz, LEDs off [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19374161] Standby mode drops below 1 µA [Elektroda, dabyd64, post #20598122]
Is on-chip EEPROM reliable?
Users report erase/write works, but page 0xC000000 maps over Flash in the current reference manual, so test thoroughly before field use [Elektroda, BlueDraco, post #19168967]
Any gotchas with reset pin remap?
Early TSSOP-20 parts couldn’t turn NRST into GPIO; later silicon fixes this via GPIOMUX registers [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19167494] “Manufacturer changed features without renaming the part,” notes one tester [Elektroda, BlueDraco, post #19168967]
How do I generate a minimal UART bootloader?
- Enable clock to USART and GPIO.
- Map PA3 (TX) and PA2 (RX) to AF.
- Implement XMODEM receive and write 128-byte frames to Flash pages (128 B each) [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #18941722]
Edge case: what fails first under stress?
At 7 V supply, code execution glitches before any thermal rise; FLASH content remained intact after the test [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19358946]
Can I buy them today and where?
LCSC lists HK32F030MF4P6 for CNY 0.80 (≈ USD 0.12) but recent demand raised quotes to USD 0.20 [Elektroda, victoriii, #18943068; piotr_go, #19007720].
Are there 5 V-tolerant or larger-RAM siblings?
Yes: HK32F0301M offers 48 MHz core and 4 kB RAM at the same price, while HC32F005 adds full 5 V operation for slightly more [Elektroda, piotr_go, post #19007720]
What’s a safe development workflow?
“Use Keil with patched .pdsc files; J-Link clones based on BluePill debug fine,” an adopter confirms [Elektroda, dabyd64, post #20598122]
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