How to test the STM32WB BLE radio on a custom board?

[EGuna]

(1) We use our own custom board with the STM32WB55RGV6, we want to test the radio.

Question:

Is the CPU2 CM0+ already programmed with the "stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_fw.bin" from the factory?

I have tried to download the "stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_fw.bin" using ST-Link Utility and with assistance of a STM32WB Nucleo board, with address: 0x080CB000. The firmware download process was successful, no error message shown.

(2) We have tested the board, by downloading a blink LED firmware to the CPU1 CM4F, it works well.

(3) We also have tried to download the example "BLE_HeartRate" firmware, but the BLE is not detected by the ST BLE Sensor Mobile Application and by the ST BLE Profile App.

• firmware source: C:\STM32WB\Projects\NUCLEO-WB55.Nucleo\Applications\BLE\BLE_HeartRate

Questions:

Is there any document or instruction on how to do further tests, especially the radio portion?

What kind of tools needed?

Should we use STM32CubeMonitor-RF app?

Any comment, question back, or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes,

Edy Gunawan

.

[EGuna]

The schematic is as below:

[EGuna]

To update the firmware on CPU2 CM0+, do the following:

(1) Connect the Boot0 pin to VDD

(2) Using command line: STM32_Programmer_CLI.exe -c port=usb1 –fwdelete

(3) Next, write command:

STM32_Programmer_CLI.exe -c port=usb1 -fwupgrade stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_fw.bin 0x080CB000 firstinstall=1

Result:

After that:

(1) put back the Boot0 pin to low (pulled down by 10K resistor to GND)

(2) connect to Nucleo board's ST-Link (SWDIO, SWCLK, NRST, GND, VDD 3.3)

(3) Use ST-Link Utility to flash the CPU1 CM4F with BLE_beacon binary

Check using ST BLE Sensor app, the beacon is still not found.

Any further analysis ?

[abbas14]

We are also facing the same problem!

Tried all these procedures, but no sign of BLE working.

Could anyone please guide us through initializing BLE in a fresh STM32WB controller?

[TChan.1]

Me too. I used a 3GHz spectrum analyser and found nothing output from the RF pin at all after going through all the FW flashing.

Appreciate if anyone can share their experience.

[Remi QUINTIN]

​There are a lot of contributions on this community that explains the steps to program the STM32WB microcontroller.

Usual questions: What is the programming port used?

Could you download the option bytes?

Which tool do you use to flash the board. CubeProgrammer in GUI or CLI mode?

[GLasw.1]

Try the following using STM32CubeProgrammer GUI

1. Update the FUS firmware using the USB DFU Bootloader mode.
2. Install the stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_fw into the board, remember to check Start stack after upgrade checkbox in order for the stack to start correctly using the same USB DFU Bootloader mode.
3. Verfiy the stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_fw stack is running by clicking the button Read FUS State in USB DFU Bootloader mode. The FUS State should be FUS_ERROR and FUS Status should be FUS_NOT_RUNNING implying the stm32wb5x_BLE_Stack_fw is running.
4. Now download the BLE_HeartRate demo into the board.
5. Return the board from USB DFU Bootloader mode to normal mode
6. Reset the board and scan the board using ST BLE Sensor app using a smartphone capable of BLE mode.

For more details instructions, please say so.

[ICMosquera]

I tried this step on my Custom Board also but I stuck on Step 3, BTW, I use stm32WB55CC. Do you have any particular settings for this chip? any help would be appreciated.

Im starting to doubt that maybe I should just use BLE module interfaced in UART instead of WB MCus. :sad_but_relieved_face: