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HomeLearnProgram STM32 Blue Pill (STM32F103C8T6) with Arduino IDE

Program STM32 Blue Pill (STM32F103C8T6) with Arduino IDE

STM32 Blue Pill is a feature-rich development board based on STM32F103C8T6 processor - a 32-bit ARM Cortex M3 processor running at 72MHz frequency. Unlike the common Arduino board which is easy to use, programming the STM32 Blue Pill can be confusing especially for a new user.

There are several ways to program the STM32 Blue Pill with Arduino IDE - some require external hardware, others just need an USB cable. In the following guide, we will cover three common methods of downloading the sketch in Arduino IDE:

Arduino HID bootloader
ST-Link compatible emulator and programmer
USB to 3.3V TTL adapter

So roll up our sleeves and get started.

Download and install Arduino IDE

The first thing you need to do is to download and install the Arduino IDE to your computer. You can get the latest version from the official Arduino website: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Follow the link below to install the Arduino IDE:

Windows: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Windows
Mac OSX: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/MacOSX

Install STM32 Add-on to Arduino IDE

In your Arduino IDE, go to File > Preferences

Add the URL below to Additional Board Manager URLs text box:

https://github.com/stm32duino/BoardManagerFiles/raw/master/STM32/package_stm_index.json

If the text box is not empty, you can separate the URLs with a comma.

Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager

Search for STM32, select latest version and click Install.

There are a few megabytes of data to download and install, so be patient.

Once the installation is completed, quit and restart the Arduino IDE.

1. Arduino bootloader (Windows & Mac OSX)

The STM32 Blue Pill is pre-flashed with Arduino bootloader which allows you to download the sketch through the Type-C connector.

NOTE: Using JLink / ST-Link dongle or USB to 3.3V TTL adapter to program the board will erase this bootloader.

Setup Arduino IDE

Connect STM32 Blue Pill to your computer USB port.

From the Tools > Board > STM32 Board, select Generic STM32F1 series

Select Tools > Board Part Number > Blue Pill F103C8

Under USB Support, select CDC (generic "Serial" supersede U(S)ART)

Under Upload method, select HID Bootloader 2.2

Finally select COM port that is assigned to the STM32 Blue Pill. For Windows, you can check the assigned COM port in Device Manager.

These are your Tool configurations:

Upload sketch

Create new sketch and copy / paste the code below:

/*
  Blink onboard LED at 0.1 second interval
*/
void setup() {
  // initialize digital pin PB2 as an output.
  pinMode(PB2, OUTPUT); // LED connect to pin PB2
}
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(PB2, HIGH);   // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  delay(100);               // wait for 100mS
  digitalWrite(PB2, LOW);    // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  delay(100);               // wait for 100mS
}

Click on the upload button to compile and upload the code to STM32 Blue Pill.

You should see the blue LED blink at 0.1 second interval.

2. STM32 Emulator And Programmer Dongle (Windows only)

NOTE: Using JLink / ST-Link dongle to program the board will erase the Arduino bootloader.

Install STM32CubeProg

Download and install STM32CubeProg from ST.com: https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stm32cubeprog.html

Start the STM32CubeProg. It will look like this:

Close the STM32CubeProg.

Connect STM32 Blue Pill to ST-Link compatible Emulator And Programmer dongle

Follow the wiring diagram below to connect the STM32 Blue Pill to ST-Link compatible Emulator And Programmer dongle.

STM32 Blue Pill	ST-Link compatible Dongle
GND	GND
SCK	SWCLK
DIO	SWDIO
3V3	3.3V

Connect the dongle to your computer. NOTE: Do not connect STM32 Blue Pill to computer via Type-C USB cable.

Set the STM32 Blue Pill to bootloader mode using both BOOT0 and NRST button:

press and hold the BOOT0 button
press and release NRST (reset) button to power cycle the processor
release BOOT0 button

Start the STM32CubeProg. In the top right corner, below the Not Connected message, find the dropdown to the left of the Connect button

Select ST-Link and Click Connect button.

You should see the Target information panel in the bottom right corner.

Now close the STM32CubeProg and start Arduino IDE.