Blackpill Circuitpython

[mandor]

Hello.

I've bought F411 WeAct v3.1 black pill from here https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005001456186625.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.305a1802we07ow&gatewayAdapt=glo2deu
Option F411 8M HSE, so 8Mhz crystal with no external memory chip.

Ive installed STM32CubeIDE 1.19 and managed to program blink code via ST-LINK v2 dongle using this tutorial: https://daniellethurow.com/blog/2021/6/16/getting-started-with-stm32-black-pill-getting-blinky-with-stm32cube-ide

I've uploaded (downloaded to the board) circuitpython 10 from https://circuitpython.org/board/stm32f411ce_blackpill_with_flash/
I used STM32 ST-LINK and also STM32CubeProgrammer via same ST-LINK v2 dongle.

I connect the blackpill via USB-a to USB-c cable while holding Boot0 and in device manager i see STM32 BOOTLOADER.
I also tried usbc to usbc cable and different ports.

It's my understanding a CIRCUITPY drive should appear in drives (windows 11) but it doesn't.

I also tried another board because I bought 3 of them.

[8goran8]

I think you would need F411 WeAct v3.1 black pill with flash memory IC.

[mandor]

Ok, but there are two different firmwares/bootloaders on circuitpython web. With and without flash.
How does one upload python code then on the board without external flash?
I have never used circuitpython before.

[mandor]

So I guess I should be using mpremote to program the board.
I found out that holding boot0 while pluging usb activates STM32 bootloader which then allows STM32CubeProgrammer and similar to program via usb. So I programmed the circuitpython on it again to confirm.
But If I plug it in without holding any buttons I get windows message usb device not recognized and device manager says: unknown usb device (device descriptor request failed).

[Doctorandus_P]

I once experimented with this in a blue afternoon and I have gotten it to a working state under Linux. I did have to solder on the extra SPI flash memory. I think I only flashed an image onto it with an ST-Link, and after a reset It showed up in my file system, and I could read python files and write a new python file to it too.

I did find it sort of cute, but I do not have much interest in programming python (and especially for uC's) and that test was all I ever did with it.

[mandor]

After googling and fiddling around a lot, I managed to upload arduino blink sketch on the black pill. It took me so long because I thought for sure I needed to burn the Arduino bootloader first.
I swear google is no help at all anymore. ChatGPT no help at all. I couldn't figure out which port should I use because it dodn't look that it was any of the com ports. Finally I put it into DFU and just tried Upload and it just worked. I did some arduino few years ago and used mainly nano boards. This STM thing was so confusing for me. I just use STM bootloader instead of Arduino? How does that not come up somewhere in my searches.
Anyway I have some code in python. I could rewrite it easily in Arduino C i guess. I'm just curious to try python if someone can offer me a solution.

[8goran8]

STM32 BOOTLOADER is in Device Manager because you held down Boot0 key.
Without that, black pill registers as USB Mass Storage Device.
I just tried it now with adafruit-circuitpython-stm32f411ce_blackpill_with_flash-en_US-10.0.0.bin.

If your black pill does not have a flash IC, load it with adafruit-circuitpython-stm32f411ce_blackpill-en_US-10.0.0.bin
I tested that option as well and it works.

[mandor]

Hi.
As i wrote before, I know there are two versions of circuitpython and I used the one without the flash.
And as I wrote before when I connect it without holding buttons i get device manager: unknown usb device (device descriptor request failed).

[Doctorandus_P]

Oops...

First time it failed to enter my mind that you are attempting circuit python. I used micro python.