FAQ: Possible communication failure between STLINK-V3 and some recent computers
While the STLINK-V3 is compliant with USB 2.0 and exhibits reliable USB performance across various platforms since several years, the USB communication may fail between an STLINK-V3 and some recent computers.
1. Root cause
The root cause comes from the interoperability issues of a eUSB2 to USB 2.0 High-Speed repeater used on certain recent computers. This repeater doesn’t respect the original USB2 specification. As of September 2024, USB-IF has published a new release of the Embedded USB2 (eUSB2) Physical Layer Supplement to the USB Revision 2.0 Specification (Rev.1.2) on their website. This release now includes a new ECN entitled “Repeater HS SYNC Forward”, addressing the interoperability aspect for future devices.
2. Mitigation
To mitigate potential USB communication failures between your host computer and your STLINK-V3 device (this applies to standalone STLINK-V3SET, STLINK-V3MINIE, STLINK-V3MODS probes, and to embedded STLINK-V3 on Nucleo boards and Discovery kits), we suggest the following tested workarounds:
- Try to connect to another USB Type-C® port on your computer if available. Alternatively, using a USB Type-A port of your computer usually solves the issue.
- Connect the STLINK-V3 via an external USB High-Speed hub to the USB Type-C® port of your host computer (tested hub reference: Anker332 5in1).
- Use a different standalone probe to connect to your target board: ST-LINK/V2, STLINK-V3PWR, Segger J-Link.
Our team is actively exploring additional solutions to this issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to resolve this matter.