FLASH_PageErase() works but HAL_FLASHEx_Erase() does not

[shane mattner]

SOLVED:  I didn't convert the flashErase_handle.PageAddress to hex, so I was passing in the integer 800_8000, which is much less than 0x800_8000

I'm using the Nucleo F303RE board and as part of a bootloader trying to erase pages of flash containing the user application. `HAL_FLASHEx_Erase()` retuns a OK status but when I reset the processor and jumped to the user application it still worked.  I also stepped through HAL_FLASHEx_Erase() to confirm it was trying to erase the right addresses, which it seemed to be as it started at 0x0800_8000 and increase by 0x800 every iteration of FLASH_PageErase().

Then I tried `FLASH_PageErase()` manually to erase the first page containing the user application (0x0800_8000) and on reboot the user application did not work.  I also tried manually deleting one of the last pages of flash to see that the user application still worked (0x800F7FF), which it did.  I retested both steps multiple times by reflashing the user application, confirming it worked, then trying to manually delete pages.

So it would seem that HAL_FLASHEx_Erase(), which uses FLASH_PageErase(), does not work when the internal function FLASH_PageErase() seems to work ok.

Here's the code:

	if (!verify_flash_address(initial_addr))
	{
		status = HAL_ERROR;
		return status;
	}

	/* Read PRIMASK register, check interrupt status before you disable them */
	/* Returns 0 if they are enabled, or non-zero if disabled */
	uint32_t prim = __get_PRIMASK();

	/* Disable interrupts */
	__disable_irq();
	// Erase flash
	if(HAL_FLASH_Unlock() == HAL_OK)
	{
		printf("unlocked flash\n\r");
//		FLASH_PageErase(0x8008000);
//		FLASH_PageErase(0x800F7FF);
		status = (uint8_t) HAL_FLASHEx_Erase(&flashErase_handle, &PageError);
		printf("status: %d, PageError: 0x%08x\r\n", status, PageError);
		HAL_FLASH_Lock();
	}
	else
	{
		printf("error unlocking flash\n\r");
	}

	/* Enable interrupts back */
	if (!prim) {
		__enable_irq();
	}
	}

[KDJEM.1 · Accepted solution]

Hello @shane mattner ,

Glad to know that the issue is already fixed.

Thank you for your sharing the solution 🙂 :  " SOLVED: I didn't convert the flashErase_handle.PageAddress to hex, so I was passing in the integer 800_8000, which is much less than 0x800_8000"

Thank you.

Kaouthar