How to write bytes to flash without restart?

[ADiet.1]

I am trying to use the windows version of STM32_Programmer_CLI.exe (version 2.13.0) to write bytes to a flash (windows 10). The command I am using is like

./STM32_Programmer_CLI.exe -c port=SWD mode=HOTPLUG -w8 0x08080000 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 -w8 0x08080C00 0xAA 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 -v

and although I use the "mode=hotplug", each time I run this command a restart is triggered. I did expect no restart when using "mode=hotplug".

Can I try something else to be sure to avoid a restart/reset?

[Sara BEN HADJ YAHYA]

Hello @ADiet.1​ ,

Thanks for your feedback,

Could you please explain how you've noticed the reset.

I did some tests from my side and no reset has been triggered with HOTPLUG mode.

Waiting for your response,

Sara.

[ADiet.1]

I am connected to the UART debug port to check the log/debug output. This log shows me a reboot/restart of the device.

[Sara BEN HADJ YAHYA]

Hello @ADiet.1​ ,

Could you please share your project and the log output for further check.

Thanks in advance,

Sara.

[ADiet.1]

Hello, here is the complete output:

      -------------------------------------------------------------------
                       STM32CubeProgrammer v2.13.0
      -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
ST-LINK SN  : 53FF6E065056705437210781
ST-LINK FW  : V2J29S7
Board       : --
Voltage     : 3.24V
SWD freq    : 4000 KHz
Connect mode: Hot Plug
Reset mode  : Software reset
Device ID   : 0x447
Revision ID : Rev Z
Device name : STM32L07x/L08x/L010
Flash size  : 128 KBytes
Device type : MCU
Device CPU  : Cortex-M0+
BL Version  : 0xB2
 
 
Downloading 8-bit data...
 
██████████████████████████████████████████████████ 100%
Downloading 8-bit data done successfully
 
Downloading 8-bit data...
 
██████████████████████████████████████████████████ 100%
Downloading 8-bit data done successfully
 
Verifying ...
Read progress:
██████████████████████████████████████████████████ 100%
Download verified successfully

And I checked, the device made a restart again.

[Tesla DeLorean]

https://community.st.com/s/question/0D53W00002Axzb7SAB/how-can-i-use-the-stm32cubeprogrammer-windows-executable-to-read-a-memory-area-without-the-device-resetting

[Sara BEN HADJ YAHYA]

Hello @ADiet.1​ ,

The output you shared doesn't show the reset, could you please share the trace where the reset is observed.

Thanks,

Sara.

[ADiet.1]

An application runs on the device which is being restarted. It starts as if I would switch power off and power on again...

[Sara BEN HADJ YAHYA]

Hello @ADiet.1​ ,

Could you please create a simple project in which you send a counter over USART and re-do the test with the command.

STM32_Programmer_CLI.exe -c port=SWD mode=HOTPLUG -w8 0x08080000 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 -w8 0x08080C00 0xAA 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 -v

If the counter restarted, send me the project.

Thanks in advance,

Sara.

[ADiet.1]

Hello Sara,

thanks for your time looking into this issue with me. I just had some time to take a look again and there seem to be at least two real, reproducible issues with the STM programmer independent of the software running on the device. We can have a teams call so I can show in real life the problems that I have with the hardware/software.

First of all, when I use the command to write bytes to the device I always get an error

Error: Failed to download data! If it's a Flash memory, it may be not erased or protected
 
Downloading 8-bit data done successfully
 
Downloading 8-bit data...
 
██████████████████████████████████████████████████ 100%
Downloading 8-bit data done successfully
 
Verifying ...
Read progress:
██████████████████████████████████████████████████ 100%
Download verified successfully

when I run the command, which is very confusing as below I get the messages that all is fine. Except when I execute the command twice within one second. Then I do not get that error line. Also Independent if I get this error or not the device resets.

The device resetting: I can see that by

1. looking at some UART debug port which shows some output
2. I head a noise from the device (maybe a relais)
3. the LED's used in the device blink off and on

So the device definitively resets. Also, when I write the SAME bytes to the memory the device also resets. Even if the firmware on the device checks some memory/bytes regularly, there is no change of the bytes in the memory. So the software cannot possible detect any change in the memory/bytes/flags, independent of what software is being used on the device. The ONLY event that coincides with the reset is the writing of the flags using the command

./STM32_Programmer_CLI.exe -c port=SWD mode=HOTPLUG -Rst -w8 0x08080000 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 -w8 0x08080C00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 -v

I will however double check with a developer if the software is able to detect when a STM programmer connects to the device and performs a software reset on the disconnect event, but I find that highly unlikely as the firmware has nothing to do directly with the STM programmer.

Otherwise I see no other explanation as that the STM programmer itself triggers the reset itself.

Please let me know if a meeting of some sort can be arranged so I can show you in more detail the issues I have. Thank you