2022-09-06 05:50 AM
2022-09-06 10:35 AM
Ok, not exactly clear what you're looking for
Getting a pretty simple STM32 board designed and functional shouldn't be that hard.
The Data Sheet does have a lot of detail.
Most people fail because they decide to skip basic things.
Do not wire up all supplies. Especially the Analogue one
Chose to leave off components and supplies they think are optional or inconvenient.
Don't connect BOOT0 to a pull-down.
Ignore VCAP pins and capacitors. Choosing random components, or nets.
If you follow sound design practices, the board should startup. Due diligence at the pin and netlist level is also important, go back to the original documents, not tables you've generated or had CubeMX generate along the way, basically close the circle. In IC design sending off a bad design is very expensive, so you check it a lot first, and then check it some more, and have others cross-check,
Adding more complicated external parts and interface, you're going to have to read more documentation. By "reference design" I'm assuming parts, driver sw, layout/signal path expectations. Across the STM32 boards and models there's a lot of working templates.
AdaFruit carries some of the Chinese board, though admittedly not the one you want
https://www.adafruit.com/product/5032
2022-09-06 06:06 AM
Seen boards on AliExpress
Couldn't you use NUCLEO H7A3 or EVAL/DISCO H7B3 as direct equivalents?
2022-09-06 06:19 AM
Yeah I saw that. Problem is 70-80 days to deliver. I have a NUCLEO H7A3 and you're probably right in that it is adequate. Along with the Altium files. I'm just always tripped up by subtle differences...
Thanks for your help
2022-09-06 06:20 AM
Also - I want to create a board with 4 layers max and as I recall all the dev boards produced by ST are 6 layers (or more?)
2022-09-06 10:35 AM
Ok, not exactly clear what you're looking for
Getting a pretty simple STM32 board designed and functional shouldn't be that hard.
The Data Sheet does have a lot of detail.
Most people fail because they decide to skip basic things.
Do not wire up all supplies. Especially the Analogue one
Chose to leave off components and supplies they think are optional or inconvenient.
Don't connect BOOT0 to a pull-down.
Ignore VCAP pins and capacitors. Choosing random components, or nets.
If you follow sound design practices, the board should startup. Due diligence at the pin and netlist level is also important, go back to the original documents, not tables you've generated or had CubeMX generate along the way, basically close the circle. In IC design sending off a bad design is very expensive, so you check it a lot first, and then check it some more, and have others cross-check,
Adding more complicated external parts and interface, you're going to have to read more documentation. By "reference design" I'm assuming parts, driver sw, layout/signal path expectations. Across the STM32 boards and models there's a lot of working templates.
AdaFruit carries some of the Chinese board, though admittedly not the one you want
https://www.adafruit.com/product/5032
2022-09-06 11:13 AM
"Stm32h7b0 Development Board Core Board Minimum"
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Stm32h7b0+Development+Board+Core+Board+Minimum%22&tbm=shop
2022-09-06 12:45 PM
Great answers peeps!
Thanks very much for your time and expertise :)
2022-09-06 02:44 PM
You should make it more clear that you wrote a list of what not to do! Otherwise someone will take it as an advice... :D
2022-09-06 03:27 PM
I know what you mean, but sometimes irony sinks in better. And I'm playing to a UK audience..
I'm going to roll the dice on this one, I think the odds are about the same in the general case.