Which is the best way to proceed for the schematic design of a custom board

gianlucamilani · ‎2026-03-20

New question moved from this post.

Another question: which is the best way to proceed for the schematic design of a custom board with series G49 or H5? is it better to:

- start from the datasheet of the MCU,

- or from some applications notes like this https://www.st.com/content/ccc/resource/technical/document/application_note/76/f9/c8/10/8a/33/4b/f0/DM00115714.pdf/files/DM00115714.pdf/jcr:content/translations/en.DM00115714.pdf

- or the reference schematic of the NUCLEO

- or the CUBMX configurator (but all the connections for power, crystal are not specified here)

- or other resources are more indicated for easy design setup?

thanks again

mƎALLEm · ‎2026-03-20

Hello,

For G4: AN5093 "Getting started with STM32G4 Series hardware development boards"

For H5: AN5711 "Getting started with STM32H5 MCU hardware developement"

You need also to refer to the products datasheets.

You can also refer to the respective Nucleo boards/Dico boards or Eval boards (if available) as a reference design.

Example for NUCLEO-H503RB, you can refer to its schematic here.

CubeMx helps you in configure the pinouts and the peripherals not in te schematic. You need to define the pinouts in CubeMx then reflect that in the CAD design.

To give better visibility on the answered topics, please click on "Accept as Solution" on the reply which solved your issue or answered your question.

View solution in original post

mƎALLEm · ‎2026-03-20

Hello,

For G4: AN5093 "Getting started with STM32G4 Series hardware development boards"

For H5: AN5711 "Getting started with STM32H5 MCU hardware developement"

You need also to refer to the products datasheets.

You can also refer to the respective Nucleo boards/Dico boards or Eval boards (if available) as a reference design.

Example for NUCLEO-H503RB, you can refer to its schematic here.

CubeMx helps you in configure the pinouts and the peripherals not in te schematic. You need to define the pinouts in CubeMx then reflect that in the CAD design.

To give better visibility on the answered topics, please click on "Accept as Solution" on the reply which solved your issue or answered your question.

Andrew Neil · ‎2026-03-20

@gianlucamilani wrote:
applications notes like this https://www.st.com/content/ccc/resource/technical/document/application_note/76/f9/c8/10/8a/33/4b/f0/DM00115714.pdf/files/DM00115714.pdf/jcr:content/translations/en.DM00115714.pdf

That's for the F4 series, so not the one for designs based on G4 or H5 !

They are:

AN5711: Getting started with STM32H5 MCU hardware development

AN5093: Getting started with STM32G4 Series hardware development boards

Also look for specific application notes for particular features you'll be using - see the 'Documentation' tab of the Product Page for the chip you're using.

You will also need to study the chip's Datasheet, and follow the recommendations there.

Of course, the schematics of ST boards are good to look at.

CubeMX doesn't really give you anything for PCB design.

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.
A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.

LCE · ‎2026-03-23

Especially when drawing schematics and routing the PCB for any new IC for the first time, I look for its evaluation boards and check what they are doing.

But I found that even this can't be trusted 100% (I had that with a PoE-IC which gave the wrong value for a zener diode and the thing didn't work at all with that), so always double-check with the datasheet and application notes.

PS: I really like to use the ST-Link 14-pin SMD connector (FTSH-107-01-L-DV-K) for flashing and debugging, especially with the ST-Link's UART / virtual COM port.

David Littell · ‎2026-03-24

Don't forget to study the Errata. You can never predict what surprises await the unwary.