This is not a neopixel library, its a walktrough

Details

An Arduinoless, No specific use, No specific stm32 chip, No weird-ass library abstractions C HAL based DUMB guide to:

Set the number of pixels, load the RGB array, shoot the data out the pwm.

Its just you, me, any stm32 chip with DMA + PWM, and a cup of lemon ginger tea.

Project Logs

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first working version

Javier • 12/21/2021 at 20:36 • 0 comments

Had it working, tested in stm32f7/f4 and bluepill,

BUT new release of cubeMx fucks up the DMA initialization so untill they fix that MX_DMA_Init() should be called BEFORE MX_TIMx_Init()

Build Instructions

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1

Programming: hijacking a stlink

If we remove those two jumpers, our embedded stlink's SWclock and SWDIO lines are available for us to programm standalone boards like the bluepill, no extra bootloader needed except the one from ST.
2
Testing functionalities, led blink
Blinky minimum system test: Lets setup the bluepill board, im going to use the SerialWire port, the external 8Mhz cristal and the PC13 LED for now.

setting up the SW port

setting up the external XTAL

setting up the pwm output

With this minimal setup I generate the code and proceed to do a simple PC13 blinky program.
```
//you can find User defined pin names in main.h
HAL_GPIO_TogglePin(LED_GPIO_Port, LED_Pin);
HAL_Delay(100);
```
generating with cubeMX

voilá, our pc13 led is blinking
3
Testing functionalities, pwm
okay the bluepill is alive now we need to start calculating clocks and shit.

First we need to choose the PWM timer, I chose TIM1.Now we figure out which clock is feeding TIM1, sadly we need to read the family specific reference manual

CubeMX link to latest reference manual.

RM0008 ref manual.

It turns out TIM1 is fed with APB2 clock, so I set the clock source to be taken from the external 8Mhz xtal trough the PLL (more stable and precise than the internal HSI RC) and adjust the APB2 timer clock source as i need.

I am choosing 72Mhz because is the maximum clock speed ,this way we will get less granularity errors.

if we have a 72Mhz pwm and we want a 0, 8Mhz pwm we need a 72/0, 8=90 preescaler

90=90-1 (register stuff)

ini tim1 channel and set duty to 30%

result
```
/* USER CODE BEGIN 2 */
HAL_TIM_PWM_Start(&htim1, TIM_CHANNEL_1);
TIM1->CCR1=27;//27/90= 30% duty cycle
/* USER CODE END 2 */
```