UART Interrupts With Nucleo-L476

cbarb2747 · ‎2026-04-09

I have looked https://community.st.com/t5/stm32-mcus/implementing-uart-receive-and-transmit-functions-on-an-stm32/ta-p/694926 and https://wiki.st.com/stm32mcu/wiki/Getting_started_with_UART#Configure_UART_Interrupt and tested sending tx data with a Salae Logic analyzer. And I am able to see the data sending. However, I cannot for the life of me get an rx interrupt to trigger. It seems like my code is correct, but something is off.

/* USER CODE BEGIN Header */
/**
  ******************************************************************************
  * @file           : main.c
  * @brief          : Main program body
  ******************************************************************************
  * @attention
  *
  * Copyright (c) 2026 STMicroelectronics.
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * This software is licensed under terms that can be found in the LICENSE file
  * in the root directory of this software component.
  * If no LICENSE file comes with this software, it is provided AS-IS.
  *
  ******************************************************************************
  */
/* USER CODE END Header */
/* Includes ------------------------------------------------------------------*/
#include "main.h"

/* Private includes ----------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN Includes */

/* USER CODE END Includes */

/* Private typedef -----------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN PTD */

/* USER CODE END PTD */

/* Private define ------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN PD */

/* USER CODE END PD */

/* Private macro -------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN PM */

/* USER CODE END PM */

/* Private variables ---------------------------------------------------------*/
UART_HandleTypeDef huart4;

/* USER CODE BEGIN PV */

/* USER CODE END PV */

/* Private function prototypes -----------------------------------------------*/
void SystemClock_Config(void);
static void MX_GPIO_Init(void);
static void MX_UART4_Init(void);
/* USER CODE BEGIN PFP */
uint8_t rx_data[16] = {};
uint8_t tx_data[16] = { "Hello\n" };
/* USER CODE END PFP */

/* Private user code ---------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN 0 */

/* USER CODE END 0 */

/**
  * @brief  The application entry point.
  * @retval int
  */
int main(void)
{

  /* USER CODE BEGIN 1 */

  /* USER CODE END 1 */

  /* MCU Configuration--------------------------------------------------------*/

  /* Reset of all peripherals, Initializes the Flash interface and the Systick. */
  HAL_Init();

  /* USER CODE BEGIN Init */

  /* USER CODE END Init */

  /* Configure the system clock */
  SystemClock_Config();

  /* USER CODE BEGIN SysInit */

  /* USER CODE END SysInit */

  /* Initialize all configured peripherals */
  MX_GPIO_Init();
  MX_UART4_Init();
  /* USER CODE BEGIN 2 */
  HAL_UART_Receive_IT(&huart4, rx_data, sizeof(rx_data));
  /* USER CODE END 2 */

  /* Infinite loop */
  /* USER CODE BEGIN WHILE */
  while (1)
  {
    /* USER CODE END WHILE */

    /* USER CODE BEGIN 3 */
  }
  /* USER CODE END 3 */
}

/**
  * @brief System Clock Configuration
  * @retval None
  */
void SystemClock_Config(void)
{
  RCC_OscInitTypeDef RCC_OscInitStruct = {0};
  RCC_ClkInitTypeDef RCC_ClkInitStruct = {0};

  /** Configure the main internal regulator output voltage
  */
  if (HAL_PWREx_ControlVoltageScaling(PWR_REGULATOR_VOLTAGE_SCALE1) != HAL_OK)
  {
    Error_Handler();
  }

  /** Initializes the RCC Oscillators according to the specified parameters
  * in the RCC_OscInitTypeDef structure.
  */
  RCC_OscInitStruct.OscillatorType = RCC_OSCILLATORTYPE_HSI;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.HSIState = RCC_HSI_ON;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.HSICalibrationValue = RCC_HSICALIBRATION_DEFAULT;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.PLL.PLLState = RCC_PLL_ON;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.PLL.PLLSource = RCC_PLLSOURCE_HSI;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.PLL.PLLM = 1;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.PLL.PLLN = 10;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.PLL.PLLP = RCC_PLLP_DIV7;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.PLL.PLLQ = RCC_PLLQ_DIV2;
  RCC_OscInitStruct.PLL.PLLR = RCC_PLLR_DIV2;
  if (HAL_RCC_OscConfig(&RCC_OscInitStruct) != HAL_OK)
  {
    Error_Handler();
  }

  /** Initializes the CPU, AHB and APB buses clocks
  */
  RCC_ClkInitStruct.ClockType = RCC_CLOCKTYPE_HCLK|RCC_CLOCKTYPE_SYSCLK
                              |RCC_CLOCKTYPE_PCLK1|RCC_CLOCKTYPE_PCLK2;
  RCC_ClkInitStruct.SYSCLKSource = RCC_SYSCLKSOURCE_PLLCLK;
  RCC_ClkInitStruct.AHBCLKDivider = RCC_SYSCLK_DIV1;
  RCC_ClkInitStruct.APB1CLKDivider = RCC_HCLK_DIV1;
  RCC_ClkInitStruct.APB2CLKDivider = RCC_HCLK_DIV1;

  if (HAL_RCC_ClockConfig(&RCC_ClkInitStruct, FLASH_LATENCY_4) != HAL_OK)
  {
    Error_Handler();
  }
}

/**
  * @brief UART4 Initialization Function
  * @PAram None
  * @retval None
  */
static void MX_UART4_Init(void)
{

  /* USER CODE BEGIN UART4_Init 0 */

  /* USER CODE END UART4_Init 0 */

  /* USER CODE BEGIN UART4_Init 1 */

  /* USER CODE END UART4_Init 1 */
  huart4.Instance = UART4;
  huart4.Init.BaudRate = 115200;
  huart4.Init.WordLength = UART_WORDLENGTH_8B;
  huart4.Init.StopBits = UART_STOPBITS_1;
  huart4.Init.Parity = UART_PARITY_NONE;
  huart4.Init.Mode = UART_MODE_TX_RX;
  huart4.Init.HwFlowCtl = UART_HWCONTROL_NONE;
  huart4.Init.OverSampling = UART_OVERSAMPLING_16;
  huart4.Init.OneBitSampling = UART_ONE_BIT_SAMPLE_DISABLE;
  huart4.AdvancedInit.AdvFeatureInit = UART_ADVFEATURE_NO_INIT;
  if (HAL_UART_Init(&huart4) != HAL_OK)
  {
    Error_Handler();
  }
  /* USER CODE BEGIN UART4_Init 2 */

  /* USER CODE END UART4_Init 2 */

}

/**
  * @brief GPIO Initialization Function
  * @PAram None
  * @retval None
  */
static void MX_GPIO_Init(void)
{
  GPIO_InitTypeDef GPIO_InitStruct = {0};
  /* USER CODE BEGIN MX_GPIO_Init_1 */

  /* USER CODE END MX_GPIO_Init_1 */

  /* GPIO Ports Clock Enable */
  __HAL_RCC_GPIOC_CLK_ENABLE();
  __HAL_RCC_GPIOH_CLK_ENABLE();
  __HAL_RCC_GPIOA_CLK_ENABLE();
  __HAL_RCC_GPIOB_CLK_ENABLE();

  /*Configure GPIO pin Output Level */
  HAL_GPIO_WritePin(LD2_GPIO_Port, LD2_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

  /*Configure GPIO pin : B1_Pin */
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pin = B1_Pin;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Mode = GPIO_MODE_IT_FALLING;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pull = GPIO_NOPULL;
  HAL_GPIO_Init(B1_GPIO_Port, &GPIO_InitStruct);

  /*Configure GPIO pins : USART_TX_Pin USART_RX_Pin */
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pin = USART_TX_Pin|USART_RX_Pin;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Mode = GPIO_MODE_AF_PP;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pull = GPIO_NOPULL;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Speed = GPIO_SPEED_FREQ_VERY_HIGH;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Alternate = GPIO_AF7_USART2;
  HAL_GPIO_Init(GPIOA, &GPIO_InitStruct);


  GPIO_InitStruct.Pin = UART4_TX_PIN | UART4_RX_PIN;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Mode = GPIO_MODE_AF_PP;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pull = GPIO_NOPULL;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Speed = GPIO_SPEED_FREQ_VERY_HIGH;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Alternate = GPIO_AF8_UART4;
  HAL_GPIO_Init(GPIOA, &GPIO_InitStruct);

  /*Configure GPIO pin : LD2_Pin */
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pin = LD2_Pin;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Mode = GPIO_MODE_OUTPUT_PP;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pull = GPIO_NOPULL;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Speed = GPIO_SPEED_FREQ_LOW;
  HAL_GPIO_Init(LD2_GPIO_Port, &GPIO_InitStruct);

  /* USER CODE BEGIN MX_GPIO_Init_2 */
  HAL_NVIC_SetPriority(UART4_IRQn, 1, 0);
  HAL_NVIC_EnableIRQ(UART4_IRQn);
  /* USER CODE END MX_GPIO_Init_2 */
}

/* USER CODE BEGIN 4 */
void USART4_IRQHandler(void)
{
  /* USER CODE BEGIN USART2_IRQn 0 */

  /* USER CODE END USART2_IRQn 0 */
  HAL_UART_IRQHandler(&huart4);
  /* USER CODE BEGIN USART2_IRQn 1 */

  /* USER CODE END USART2_IRQn 1 */
}


void HAL_UART_RxCpltCallback(UART_HandleTypeDef *huart)
{

	HAL_UART_Receive_IT(&huart4, rx_data, sizeof(rx_data));

}

/* USER CODE END 4 */

/**
  * @brief  This function is executed in case of error occurrence.
  * @retval None
  */
void Error_Handler(void)
{
  /* USER CODE BEGIN Error_Handler_Debug */
  /* User can add his own implementation to report the HAL error return state */
  __disable_irq();
  while (1)
  {
  }
  /* USER CODE END Error_Handler_Debug */
}
#ifdef USE_FULL_ASSERT
/**
  * @brief  Reports the name of the source file and the source line number
  *         where the assert_param error has occurred.
  * @PAram  file: pointer to the source file name
  * @PAram  line: assert_param error line source number
  * @retval None
  */
void assert_failed(uint8_t *file, uint32_t line)
{
  /* USER CODE BEGIN 6 */
  /* User can add his own implementation to report the file name and line number,
     ex: printf("Wrong parameters value: file %s on line %d\r\n", file, line) */
  /* USER CODE END 6 */
}
#endif /* USE_FULL_ASSERT */

cbarb2747 · ‎2026-04-15

I actually figured out the issue following https://wiki.st.com/stm32mcu/wiki/Getting_started_with_UART I realized my data size between the sender and receiver were not equal. I was able to get the interrupt to hit consistently.

View solution in original post

TDK · ‎2026-04-09

For starters, USART4_IRQHandler is not an interrupt handler. UART4_IRQHandler is. Maybe that fixes it. If not:

Probably you don't interrupts enabled in your IOC file. Can you attach that? There is some configuration needed in UART that isn't shown here. CubeMX will generate all of this for you. You shouldn't need to enable them manually like this:

/* USER CODE BEGIN MX_GPIO_Init_2 */
  HAL_NVIC_SetPriority(UART4_IRQn, 1, 0);
  HAL_NVIC_EnableIRQ(UART4_IRQn);
  /* USER CODE END MX_GPIO_Init_2 */

There is also the possibility that the data coming in is bad and triggers an error instead of a successful reception.

Does receiving work in blocking mode?

If you feel a post has answered your question, please click "Accept as Solution".

Andrew Neil · ‎2026-04-10

@cbarb2747 wrote:
I cannot for the life of me get an rx interrupt to trigger.

How, exactly, are you sending the data?

Do you have any shield(s) or other external hardware connected?

How to write your question to maximize your chances to find a solution

Before moving on to interrupts, have you got basic polled receiving working ?

As @TDK says, this would rule-out any connectivity or signal integrity issues ...

PS:

@cbarb2747 wrote:
tested sending tx data with a Salae Logic analyzer.

Did you also try it on RX ?

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.

Saket_Om · ‎2026-04-13

Hello @cbarb2747

Please refer to the example below:

STM32CubeL4/Projects/NUCLEO-L476RG/Examples/UART/UART_TwoBoards_ComIT at master · STMicroelectronics/STM32CubeL4

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.
Saket_Om

cbarb2747 · ‎2026-04-15

I actually figured out the issue following https://wiki.st.com/stm32mcu/wiki/Getting_started_with_UART I realized my data size between the sender and receiver were not equal. I was able to get the interrupt to hit consistently.