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JPARK.42
Associate
June 8, 2021
Question

Hi, I am an assistant professor at Dept. of EE. I tough embedded system courses with Nucleo-64 F401 board. I want to use the newer evaluation board for the course which has a CAN controller. Is there a recommendation for it? Thanks

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10 replies

Javier1
Principal
June 8, 2021

do you need the builtin canbus transceiver also?

hit me up in https://www.linkedin.com/in/javiermuñoz/
JPARK.42
JPARK.42Author
Associate
June 8, 2021

If possible, it's the best option. However, I can use the external transceiver.

More important one is the budget which is less than 200$ / EA.

Javier1
Principal
June 8, 2021

200$is more than enough i believe.

I dont know any stm32 official board with builtin canbus transceiver. Maybe some ST employee should answer your question.

If i were the one choosing i would pick the latest version of their nucleo-64 f401 board and two of those cheap canbus transceivers.

The entire setup shoulnd cost more than 30$ per student (cheaper if you do big orders)

hit me up in https://www.linkedin.com/in/javiermuñoz/
Javier1
Principal
June 8, 2021

This is a very interesting board, i migth buy some

hit me up in https://www.linkedin.com/in/javiermuñoz/
Paul1
Senior III
June 8, 2021

1. Get some CAN analyzers.

  • Seeed works and low cost (on Digikey): https://www.seeedstudio.com/USB-CAN-Analyzer-p-2888.html
  • None of the CAN Analyzers I've used had a very nice UI, so...
  • Recommend that first thing you do is program your Demo board to be a CAN Analyzer, outputting deciphered packets on UART and USB VCP, and allowing single char typing to trigger different CAN Tx packets (This is a useful project students can keep in their own toolkit, my EE work term students have done it).

2. We used NUCLEO-L476RG(STM32L476RG) for CAN experiments.

  • We now have custom PCB with CAN using STM32L496, upgrade from L476
  • We switched from STM32F4 to L4 series because the older F4 didn't have DE for RS-485
  • The STM32L476RG-Discovery has lots more, but costs more.
  • Check latest available demo boards (Digikey, Mouser...).

3. FYI

  • I find it very useful to pair a breadboard with a Nucleo, and have students (and myself) wire & test circuits like CAN, USB VCP, etc. before ordering PCBs, even new EE's should still learn to breadboard, and pairing with a demo board means breadboard freedom, less flakey wiring, while still getting latest tech/MCU.
  • Add some buttons and LEDs on breadboard just so they get a clue of real life circuits (Debounce, MCU pin current limits, etc.)
  • And this set of ancient ref material is great for simple getting started (Engineer's Notebooks):

http://www.ebook3000.com/Engineer-s-Notebook-II--A-Handbook-Of-Integrated-Circuit-Applications_93703.html

http://thelukens.net/science/electronics/Engineer%27s%20Mini-Notebooks/

Paul

JPARK.42
JPARK.42Author
Associate
June 9, 2021

Good information! Prototyping is important technique to the engineer. I will check those boards also. I appreciate your help.

Fhgfj.1
Visitor II
September 30, 2021

I discover it very useful to pair a breadboard with a Nucleo, and have students (and myself) twine & test circuits like CAN, USB VCP, and so forth. Earlier than ordering PCBs, even new EE's ought to nevertheless learn how to breadboard, and pairing with a demo board method breadboard freedom