Three LEDs blink in various combinations

Tutorial: Programming LED Blinking Patterns on STM32 "Black Pill" Development Board with STM32CubeIDE

Introduction: In this tutorial, we will delve into programming the STM32 "Black Pill" development board using STM32CubeIDE to create diverse LED blinking patterns. The Black Pill board employs the STM32F103C8T6 microcontroller, while STM32CubeIDE serves as a robust integrated development environment tailored for STM32 microcontrollers.

Components Needed:

• STM32 Black Pill board (STM32F103C8T6)
• USB to Mini-USB cable for programming and power
• Three LEDs (Red, Green, Blue)
• Three current-limiting resistors (220 ohms)
• Breadboard and jumper wires

Software Required:

• STM32CubeIDE (Download and Install from STMicroelectronics website)

Step 1: Setting up STM32CubeIDE

• Download and install STM32CubeIDE on your computer.
• Launch STM32CubeIDE and initiate a new project. a. Select "New STM32 Project" from the Quick Start menu. b. Choose your board or microcontroller (STM32F103C8) and proceed with the Next option. c. Configure project name and location, then click Finish.

Step 2: Configuring GPIOs for LEDs

• In STM32CubeIDE, navigate to the "Pinout & Configuration" tab.
• Configure three GPIO pins for controlling LEDs (e.g., GPIOA Pin 0, Pin 1, Pin 2 for Red, Green, Blue LEDs).
• Set these pins as GPIO Output and enable GPIO clock.

Step 3: Writing LED Blinking Code

• Navigate to the "Core" folder in the project explorer and open main.c.
• Include necessary libraries and header files.

Step 4: Building and Flashing the Project

• Connect your STM32 Black Pill board to your computer using a USB cable.
• Build the project by clicking on the hammer icon in the toolbar.
• Once the build is successful, click the play (debug) button to flash the code onto the board.

Step 5: Testing the LED Blinking Patterns

• After flashing, observe the LED blinking patterns on your Black Pill board.
• LEDs will blink according to the defined patterns in the main loop.

Conclusion: Congratulations! You have successfully programmed your STM32 Black Pill board to control LEDs in different blinking patterns using STM32CubeIDE. Feel free to experiment further by adding new patterns or modifying the existing code to create more complex LED sequences.