Difference between STM32F429i-DISCO & STM32F429i-DISC1

[daemynnur]

Posted on August 04, 2016 at 14:50

Hi y'all

does any one know the difference between STM32F429i-DISCO & STM32F429i-DISC1 that may be causing the issue I have & how to get around it ?basically I've been using a STM32F429i-DISCO to build a demo unit for a client. (STM32F429i-DISCO, patched into an 800x480 LCD & some IO)software developed using MDK-ARMDemo unit works fine,.. just plug 5V in, via the ST-Link USB & off it goes.now trying to build a 2nd demo unit,.. board supplied is STM32F429i-DISC1plugged into PC / MDK-ARM downloads firmware & runs OK (same as 1st one), but when I just plug it intop 5V supply, it does nothing!Power LED (LD2) lights, LD1 flashes red, but nothing else happens.I reckon it's something to do with the ST-Link circuit holding the STM32F429 in reset if no USB is conected, as if I plug it into a differnt PC, it does nothing, until the PC starts to load the USB drivers.any thoughts on how I can get around this would be welcome.(I still need to be able to update via the ST-Link, but cannot have the demo unit plugged into a live USB port, just a PSU)Thanks in advance

[Nesrine M_O]

Posted on August 04, 2016 at 15:29

Hi Daemy,

Please refer to this

https://developer.mbed.org/platforms/ST-Discovery-F429ZI/

-Syrine-

[daemynnur]

Posted on August 04, 2016 at 15:52

Thanks for that,..

I've had a look at the page you linked to,..Maybe it's me being thick, but; apart from someone else asking virtually the same question (also unanswered), I can't see anything that helps work-around the problem of powering the STM32F429i-DISC1 from just a 5V supply & not a USB port.

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on August 04, 2016 at 16:38

You need to update the firmware using the current ST-LINK Utilities (v3.9.0), you'll have to plug it into a computer to do this, I don't see any way around that.

There is a *known* issue with the shipped firmware that stops the board running when plugged into a charger type USB supply. I've seen it first hand, and there are multiple reports here about the issue.The DISC1 ST-LINK firmware adds mbed and VCP support, using a more powerful STM32F103 part.

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on August 04, 2016 at 16:49

apart from someone else asking virtually the same question (also unanswered),

Yeah, dude also said he solved it by updating the firmware, why doesn't that work for you?

[daemynnur]

Posted on August 05, 2016 at 09:55

Hi Clive,

Yeah, like thanks for the reply.

As you suggested, the firmware update did the trick

I must have missed the guy’s update to his own post, although in my defence, it was just a one-line comment right at the bottom of a posted question, which at the time I read it, (before you replied to it commenting that I was complaining that it wasn’t answered), clearly said that it had NO answers.

And I HAD searched the forum for answers before I posted, but didn’t find anything (...seems I’m not alone in that, judging by your replies (now I know there are other posts and have managed to find them) to others who have asked about a similar question)

Thanks for taking the time to reply, it is appreciated

P.S. It seems to me a little surprising, if this is such a *known* issue, that ST hasn’t put something on the product web page about it. 

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on August 05, 2016 at 15:44

The primary use case is plugging it into a computer USB port, most people don't encounter the issue. ST and mbed have always encouraged people to get the most current firmware on the devices, and provides tools and links to accomplish that.

The forum search here is awful (some lame Microsoft SharePoint disaster), I've always used Google. The topic was quite recurrent a few months back when the boards were first released, less so since a couple of firmware releases.