STM32F4 LIBRARY
STM43F4 Library GitHub - Drivers and unit tests for the STM32F4
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STM32F4 Test Code GitHub - Application test code using the STM32F4 driver library
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For a long time I've wanted to become proficient with embedded software, however, when I set out to start learning about this I quickly found that I had very little understanding of what was going on underneath the hood of an embedded system. I wasn't satisfied not knowing how the code I wrote was translating into real world inputs and outputs. I also felt like I lacked the ability to write and structure my code for larger software projects beyond simple prototypes. As a result, I chose to dive deeper into embedded systems by creating my own library for a microcontroller of my choice. I wanted to choose a device that has lots of capability and is well documented so I could learn and be able to use the device for my future projects. For these reasons I chose to use an STM32F4 on a NUCLEO development board.
Embedded software covers a wide range of topics so I had to define my scope of work based on my interests and goals. I decided that very low level work such as defining register addresses and setting up clock speeds was not what I wanted to focus on so I let STM32CubeMX generate that code for me. Instead, my work started with creating drivers for various protocols and hardware features, then writing device drivers and other software tools I wanted to use in my projects.
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Some of the devices I've written drivers for include:
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Bidirectional Brushless ESC
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HC-05 Bluetooth module
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HD44780U screen + PCF8574 I2C module
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Micro SD card (HW-125 SD card adapter)
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LSM303AGR 6-axis magnetometer and accelerometer
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SAM M8Q GPS
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MPU-6050 6-axis accelerometer and gyroscope
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nrF24L01 RF transceiver
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WS2812 LEDs (Neopixels)
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Some of the protocols, hardware features and software tools I've written drivers for include:
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ADC
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DMA
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GPIO
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I2C
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Interrupts
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SPI
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Timers
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UART
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Linked Lists
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Switch debouncing
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I've learned a lot from making this library such as how to write embedded code in C/C++, device communication and data handling, software testing, and how to structure and manage a code base. I plan to continuously build this library as more devices, protocols and software tools are needed for my projects.