What are STM32 Microcontrollers?

STM32 is a family of 32-bit microcontrollers developed by STMicroelectronics based on the ARM Cortex-M processor architecture. Introduced in 2007, these microcontrollers have gained immense popularity in the embedded systems world thanks to their powerful features, flexibility, and competitive pricing.

Why Choose STM32?

New to embedded systems and wondering why choose STM32 over simpler options like Arduino? Consider these reasons:

• Performance: STM32 outperforms 8-bit microcontrollers used in Arduino boards.
• Cost-effectiveness: Excellent features at competitive prices.
• Variety: Hundreds of options with different capabilities for specific applications.
• Rich peripheral set: Built-in ADCs, DACs, timers, communication interfaces, and more.
• Industry relevance: Highly valued skills in the embedded industry.
• Scalability: Grows with your project complexity without platform changes.

STM32 Family Overview

Key STM32 Concepts

GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output)

GPIO pins are digital pins that can be configured as either inputs or outputs.

static void MX_GPIO_Init(void)
{
  GPIO_InitTypeDef GPIO_InitStruct = {0};

  /* GPIO Ports Clock Enable */
  __HAL_RCC_GPIOA_CLK_ENABLE();

  /* Configure GPIO pin Output Level */
  HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOA, GPIO_PIN_5, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

  /* Configure GPIO pin : PA5 (LED) */
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pin = GPIO_PIN_5;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Mode = GPIO_MODE_OUTPUT_PP;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Pull = GPIO_NOPULL;
  GPIO_InitStruct.Speed = GPIO_SPEED_FREQ_LOW;
  HAL_GPIO_Init(GPIOA, &GPIO_InitStruct);
}

Or direct register manipulation offers the best performance and smallest code size but requires deep knowledge of the hardware.

General-purpose I/Os (GPIO)