STM32F4xx grblHAL driver

Note that for Longboard32, genericSTM32F412VG.json needs to be added to .platformio/platforms/ststm32/boards

A grblHAL driver for the STM32F401xC, STM32F407xx, STM32F411xE and STM32F446xx ARM processors.

Loosely based on code from robomechs 6-AXIS-USBCNC-GRBL port, updated for STM32CubeIDE and the latest STM HAL drivers where appropriate.

Building SLB grblHAL with VS Code

1. Install VS Code
2. Clone this repo to a local version and open the folder in VS Code (bottom left blue button ➜ Open Remote Repository... ➜ Login to GitHub and select repo ➜ Set up as mirrored local repo in the Documents ➜ GitHub folder)
3. Make sure the repo is set up recursively to reference submodules by going to View ➜ Terminal, then sending git submodule init then git submodule update (or pass --recursive to the git clone command)
4. Set up PlatformIO by adding it as an extension, this should also set up SienciHAL as a project and ST STM32 as a platform
5. Download genericSTM32F412VG.json and add the file to C:\Users\USER.platformio\platforms\ststm32\boards
6. Press the build checkmark up at the top, right of VS Code. Successful builds can be found in Documents\GitHub\sienciHAL.pio\build
7. If the build isn't successful, ensure all submodules are up-to-date by sending in the terminal:

   git submodule sync --recursive
   git submodule update --init --recursive --force
   git submodule foreach --recursive
   

8. If you have any other issues, ensure sub-module references are set correctly in .gitmodules

A submodule is a link to another repository at a particular snapshot. It allows you to keep a repository as a subdirectory of another repository, which helps in managing projects with multiple dependencies. This allows these sub-repositories to maintain their own histories and stay independent of the parent codebase.

Bring an old build back to life for internal testing

1. Look through git commit history until you find the build, then copy the hash
2. Use git, or GitHub desktop, or any other terminal git app to follow these instructions https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-create-branch-from-a-previous-commit-using-git/
3. Build using VS Code and PlatformIO or whatever process you'd typically use
4. For sanity check, use a hex compare software to check new build against old to ensure you've revived it correctly (like Beyond Compare)

Quickstart

This project can be built with PlatformIO. For additional information on howto import the project, configure the driver and compile the firmware, see the Wiki-page compiling grblHAL.

Install PlatformIO Core and then:

# Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/grblHAL/STM32F4xx.git
cd STM32F4

# List available environments:
pio run --list-targets

# Pick an environment name (left column) matching your board variant and kick off the build with:
pio run --environment nucleo_f411re_protoneer

# To build firmware for all supported board variants, simply skip the `--environment` option:
pio run

# For e.g. Nucleo boards you can upload the firmware (via USB) using the built-in ST-Link programmer:
pio run -e nucleo_f411re_protoneer --target upload

# For help with PlatformIO, try using `-h`:
pio run -h
pio -h

The built firmware is stored inside directories named .pio/build/<env name>/, as firmware.elf (executable) or firmware.bin (binary image).

If the board exposes a USB mass storage device or has a microSD card, simply copy the firmware.bin to the root of this filesystem and reset the board.

If you want to customize the build, take a look at platformio.ini where you can uncomment/customize additional build_flags and lib_deps in the [common] or [env:some_board_variant] sections.

Also see Inc/my_machine.h but beware that settings in this file are ignored by PlatformIO (via the -D OVERRIDE_MY_MACHINE= build flag). If they're not already present in the platformio.ini file, you will need to add them to the build_flags option in the appropriate section.

NOTE: As of Sep, 2021, the PlatformIO environments for the BigTreeTech SKR boards remain untested and might not work. Feel free to drop a note of your success or failure with these boards on https://github.com/grblHAL/STM32F4xx/issues.

Changelog

2021-19-09: Added build option to build a BTT SKR 2 bootloader compatible binary.

This can be built by selecting Release F407 8MHz 32K Bootloader from the build tool dropdown.

NOTE: A build configuration for a debug version has not been added as a programmer/debugger is required and flashing a "normal" debug build is usually appropriate when debugging. This overwrites the bootloader that later has to be restored if a bootloader version is to be flashed again. Alternatively a build configuration has to be added or modified to set the vector table offset by adding the symbol VECT_TAB_OFFSET with value 0x8008000 and configuring it to use the correct loader script.

Bootloader binaries for the SKR2 board can be found here. Be aware that the Bootloader_and_Firmware folder contains Marlin firmware, not grblHAL.

2021-08-10: Added support for BTT SKR 2, this is based on a STM32F407 processor with a 8MHz crystal.

2021-05-28: Added support for BTT SKR PRO, this is based on a STM32F407 processor with a 25MHz crystal.

Building grblHAL with Eclipse

Available driver options can be found here.

Select the processor to build for from the build tool dropdown to build. The .bin created file can be found in the folder with the same name as the menu name when the build is completed.

Build configuration	Targets	Linker script
Release F401 Blackpill	F401 Blackpill	STM32F401CCUX_FLASH.ld
Release F407 25MHz	BT SKR PRO	STM32F407VGTX_FLASH.ld
Release F407 8MHz	BTT SKR 2.0, STM32F407 Discovery	STM32F407VGTX_FLASH.ld
Release F407 8MHz 32K Bootloader	BTT SKR 2.0	STM32F407VGTX_BL32K_FLASH.ld
Release F411 Blackpill	F411 Blackpill	STM32F411CEUX_FLASH.ld
Release F411 Nucleo64	NUCLEO-F446RE	STM32F411CEUX_FLASH.ld
Release F446 8 MHz	Generic	STM32F446RETX_FLASH.ld
Release F446 Nucleo64	NUCLEO-F446RE	STM32F446RETX_FLASH.ld

If the oscillator frequency is different from the default 25 MHz then add the symbol HSE_VALUE and set the value to the frequency in Hz. E.g. 8000000 for 8 Mhz.

A method for flashing the Nucleo F411 and Nucleo F446 is to drop the .bin file on the NODE_F4xxRE flash drive. Note that the file can be dragged from the IDE Project Explorer.

NOTE: Internal flash page for parameters is not at the end of the flash memory due to size restrictions. This means each firmware upgrade will erase any saved parameters.

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If compiling for debugging, edit symbols in project properties C/C++ General > Paths and Symbols > Symbols to match your processor/board.

Remove symbols starting with STM32F4, starting with NUCLEO_F4 and HSE_VALUE. Then add symbols:

STM32F401

• Add STM32F401xC.

STM32F407

• Add STM32F407xx.

STM32F411

• Add STM32F411xE.

• If compiling for the Nucleo F411RE development board add NUCLEO_F411.

STM32F446

• Add STM32F446xx.

• If compiling for the Nucleo F446RE development board add NUCLEO_F446.

See also

CNC breakout boards:

Minimal breakout for Blackpill by avizienis.

CNC breakout for Nucleo-64 by Terje Io.

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2021-09-19