Abnormal behaviour with STM32CubeMX

[daded.1]

Hello, 

Hope you're well. I started a project with CubeMX to use makefiles. I am able to compile and flash to the board but the code does not run properly on the f4 discovery board. To debug, I used Keil on a windows system and the code is actually working as expected(no changes made). Getting back to using make on my linux machine, the same code does not work properly on the board.

I then tried CubeIDE on linux and uploaded the code without any modifications and it works. So it leads me to believe that the problem is the cubemx generated makefile or it could be something else I am unaware about. I appreciate any help figuring this out, thank you.

Here is the current makefile

##########################################################################################################################
# File automatically-generated by tool: [projectgenerator] version: [4.5.0-RC5] date: [Mon Mar 10 15:10:23 EDT 2025]
##########################################################################################################################

# ------------------------------------------------
# Generic Makefile (based on gcc)
#
# ChangeLog :
#	2017-02-10 - Several enhancements + project update mode
#   2015-07-22 - first version
# ------------------------------------------------

######################################
# target
######################################
TARGET = f407


######################################
# building variables
######################################
# debug build?
DEBUG = 1
# optimization
OPT = -Og


#######################################
# paths
#######################################
# Build path
BUILD_DIR = build

######################################
# source
######################################
# C sources
C_SOURCES =  \
Core/Src/main.c \
Core/Src/stm32f4xx_it.c \
Core/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_msp.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_tim.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_tim_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_rcc.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_rcc_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_flash.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_flash_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_flash_ramfunc.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_gpio.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_dma_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_dma.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_pwr.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_pwr_ex.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_cortex.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal.c \
Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/stm32f4xx_hal_exti.c \
Core/Src/system_stm32f4xx.c \
Core/Src/sysmem.c \
Core/Src/syscalls.c  

# ASM sources
ASM_SOURCES =  \
startup_stm32f407xx.s

# ASM sources
ASMM_SOURCES = 


#######################################
# binaries
#######################################
PREFIX = arm-none-eabi-
# The gcc compiler bin path can be either defined in make command via GCC_PATH variable (> make GCC_PATH=xxx)
# either it can be added to the PATH environment variable.
ifdef GCC_PATH
CC = $(GCC_PATH)/$(PREFIX)gcc
AS = $(GCC_PATH)/$(PREFIX)gcc -x assembler-with-cpp
CP = $(GCC_PATH)/$(PREFIX)objcopy
SZ = $(GCC_PATH)/$(PREFIX)size
else
CC = $(PREFIX)gcc
AS = $(PREFIX)gcc -x assembler-with-cpp
CP = $(PREFIX)objcopy
SZ = $(PREFIX)size
endif
HEX = $(CP) -O ihex
BIN = $(CP) -O binary -S
 
#######################################
# CFLAGS
#######################################
# cpu
CPU = -mcpu=cortex-m4

# fpu
FPU = -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16

# float-abi
FLOAT-ABI = -mfloat-abi=hard

# mcu
MCU = $(CPU) -mthumb $(FPU) $(FLOAT-ABI)

# macros for gcc
# AS defines
AS_DEFS = 

# C defines
C_DEFS =  \
-DUSE_HAL_DRIVER \
-DSTM32F407xx


# AS includes
AS_INCLUDES = 

# C includes
C_INCLUDES =  \
-ICore/Inc \
-IDrivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Inc \
-IDrivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Inc/Legacy \
-IDrivers/CMSIS/Device/ST/STM32F4xx/Include \
-IDrivers/CMSIS/Include


# compile gcc flags
ASFLAGS = $(MCU) $(AS_DEFS) $(AS_INCLUDES) $(OPT) -Wall -fdata-sections -ffunction-sections

CFLAGS += $(MCU) $(C_DEFS) $(C_INCLUDES) $(OPT) -Wall -fdata-sections -ffunction-sections

ifeq ($(DEBUG), 1)
CFLAGS += -g -gdwarf-2
endif


# Generate dependency information
CFLAGS += -MMD -MP -MF"$(@:%.o=%.d)"


#######################################
# LDFLAGS
#######################################
# link script
LDSCRIPT = stm32f407vgtx_flash.ld

# libraries
LIBS = -lc -lm -lnosys 
LIBDIR = 
LDFLAGS = $(MCU) -specs=nano.specs -T$(LDSCRIPT) $(LIBDIR) $(LIBS) -Wl,-Map=$(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET).map,--cref -Wl,--gc-sections

# default action: build all
all: $(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET).elf $(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET).hex $(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET).bin


#######################################
# build the application
#######################################
# list of objects
OBJECTS = $(addprefix $(BUILD_DIR)/,$(notdir $(C_SOURCES:.c=.o)))
vpath %.c $(sort $(dir $(C_SOURCES)))
# list of ASM program objects
OBJECTS += $(addprefix $(BUILD_DIR)/,$(notdir $(ASM_SOURCES:.s=.o)))
vpath %.s $(sort $(dir $(ASM_SOURCES)))
OBJECTS += $(addprefix $(BUILD_DIR)/,$(notdir $(ASMM_SOURCES:.S=.o)))
vpath %.S $(sort $(dir $(ASMM_SOURCES)))

$(BUILD_DIR)/%.o: %.c Makefile | $(BUILD_DIR) 
	$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) -Wa,-a,-ad,-alms=$(BUILD_DIR)/$(notdir $(<:.c=.lst)) $< -o $@

$(BUILD_DIR)/%.o: %.s Makefile | $(BUILD_DIR)
	$(AS) -c $(CFLAGS) $< -o $@
$(BUILD_DIR)/%.o: %.S Makefile | $(BUILD_DIR)
	$(AS) -c $(CFLAGS) $< -o $@

$(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET).elf: $(OBJECTS) Makefile
	$(CC) $(OBJECTS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@
	$(SZ) $@

$(BUILD_DIR)/%.hex: $(BUILD_DIR)/%.elf | $(BUILD_DIR)
	$(HEX) $< $@
	
$(BUILD_DIR)/%.bin: $(BUILD_DIR)/%.elf | $(BUILD_DIR)
	$(BIN) $< $@	
	
$(BUILD_DIR):
	mkdir $@		

#######################################
# clean up
#######################################
clean:
	-rm -fR $(BUILD_DIR)
  
# Flash the STM32F4
burn: $(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET).bin
	st-flash write $(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET).bin 0x8000000
#######################################
# dependencies
#######################################
-include $(wildcard $(BUILD_DIR)/*.d)

# *** EOF ***

[Andrew Neil]

---

@daded.1 wrote:

Getting back to using make on my linux machine, the same code does not work properly on the board.

So how, exactly, did you do this build?

And how did you load it onto the target?

Tools? versions?

Have you tried debugging it?

What, exactly, does "not work properly" mean?

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

[daded.1]

I used CubeMX to create a new project, setup peripherals and generated a makefile. Inside the makefile I added the command to flash to the board. I then ran make burn and flashed the board. The firmware timer  example does not work as expected. Tried to use STM32CubeMonitor to debug but I was not getting any of the register values to be displayed.

Then I created a new project on windows using CubeMX but generated the project for Keil using the same parameters as before from my linux machine. Compiled and flashed the board and the timer works flawlessly. I was also able to debug. Couldn't see any problems as the code is the same from the firmware examples.

Went back to the linux machine and created a new project with the same parameters but used CubeMX to generate a makefile. The timer does not work and then I opened up CubeIDE, pasted the code and flashed the board. Surprisingly it worked and I was also able to debug from CubeIDE.

So far I believe the problem could be from the generated cubemx makefile as I compared it to the CubeIDE makefile as there are some missing parameters but I am not sure what to change as I get errors when I add some flags. The code is just a basic timer set to toggle from the Firmware examples. 
https://github.com/STMicroelectronics/STM32CubeF4/tree/master/Projects/STM32F429ZI-Nucleo/Examples/TIM/TIM_OCToggle 

################################################################################
# Automatically-generated file. Do not edit!
# Toolchain: GNU Tools for STM32 (12.3.rel1)
################################################################################

-include ../makefile.init

RM := rm -rf

# All of the sources participating in the build are defined here
-include sources.mk
-include Drivers/STM32F4xx_HAL_Driver/Src/subdir.mk
-include Core/Startup/subdir.mk
-include Core/Src/subdir.mk
-include objects.mk

ifneq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),clean)
ifneq ($(strip $(S_DEPS)),)
-include $(S_DEPS)
endif
ifneq ($(strip $(S_UPPER_DEPS)),)
-include $(S_UPPER_DEPS)
endif
ifneq ($(strip $(C_DEPS)),)
-include $(C_DEPS)
endif
endif

-include ../makefile.defs

OPTIONAL_TOOL_DEPS := \
$(wildcard ../makefile.defs) \
$(wildcard ../makefile.init) \
$(wildcard ../makefile.targets) \


BUILD_ARTIFACT_NAME := ppm_f407
BUILD_ARTIFACT_EXTENSION := elf
BUILD_ARTIFACT_PREFIX :=
BUILD_ARTIFACT := $(BUILD_ARTIFACT_PREFIX)$(BUILD_ARTIFACT_NAME)$(if $(BUILD_ARTIFACT_EXTENSION),.$(BUILD_ARTIFACT_EXTENSION),)

# Add inputs and outputs from these tool invocations to the build variables 
EXECUTABLES += \
ppm_f407.elf \

MAP_FILES += \
ppm_f407.map \

SIZE_OUTPUT += \
default.size.stdout \

OBJDUMP_LIST += \
ppm_f407.list \


# All Target
all: main-build

# Main-build Target
main-build: ppm_f407.elf secondary-outputs

# Tool invocations
ppm_f407.elf ppm_f407.map: $(OBJS) $(USER_OBJS) /home/dnld/STM32CubeIDE/workspace_1.17.0/ppm_f407/STM32F407VGTX_FLASH.ld makefile objects.list $(OPTIONAL_TOOL_DEPS)
	arm-none-eabi-gcc -o "ppm_f407.elf" @"objects.list" $(USER_OBJS) $(LIBS) -mcpu=cortex-m4 -T"/home/dnld/STM32CubeIDE/workspace_1.17.0/ppm_f407/STM32F407VGTX_FLASH.ld" --specs=nosys.specs -Wl,-Map="ppm_f407.map" -Wl,--gc-sections -static --specs=nano.specs -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16 -mfloat-abi=hard -mthumb -Wl,--start-group -lc -lm -Wl,--end-group
	@echo 'Finished building target: $@'
	@echo ' '

default.size.stdout: $(EXECUTABLES) makefile objects.list $(OPTIONAL_TOOL_DEPS)
	arm-none-eabi-size  $(EXECUTABLES)
	@echo 'Finished building: $@'
	@echo ' '

ppm_f407.list: $(EXECUTABLES) makefile objects.list $(OPTIONAL_TOOL_DEPS)
	arm-none-eabi-objdump -h -S $(EXECUTABLES) > "ppm_f407.list"
	@echo 'Finished building: $@'
	@echo ' '

# Other Targets
clean:
	-$(RM) default.size.stdout ppm_f407.elf ppm_f407.list ppm_f407.map
	-@echo ' '

secondary-outputs: $(SIZE_OUTPUT) $(OBJDUMP_LIST)

fail-specified-linker-script-missing:
	@echo 'Error: Cannot find the specified linker script. Check the linker settings in the build configuration.'
	@exit 2

warn-no-linker-script-specified:
	@echo 'Warning: No linker script specified. Check the linker settings in the build configuration.'

.PHONY: all clean dependents main-build fail-specified-linker-script-missing warn-no-linker-script-specified

-include ../makefile.targets

Above is the makefile from CubeIDE, thank you!