The introduction and development environment configuration of STM8

If you’re checking out the ATmega 328, you’ll notice that prices on DigiKey are neatly organized from lowest to highest.
Keep in mind that these prices can change quite a bit, mainly due to stock levels and the ups and downs of the global supply chain.
For the ATmega328 series, you’re looking at the most budget-friendly pick, which is the 2062-1.
Right now, though, stock seems to be lacking, and there’s no solid info on how unit prices shift with minimum order quantities.
Interestingly, about a year back, ATmega chips had better availability compared to others, which really boosted their sales..

Recently, there have been some shortages affecting the availability of ATmega chips, which is a bit of a hassle.
If you’re looking for a more wallet-friendly option, the STM8 series is definitely worth considering, with prices kicking off from just $9.95.
For those into mass production, the STM8-003F3P6 model stands out and can sometimes be found for as low as $401.
When it comes to performance, there’s not a huge gap between STM8 and ATmega chips, although the STM8 does pack in a few more features compared to the ATtini.
Taking into account both cost and performance, the STM8-003F3P6 is generally seen as a better choice for product development.
Plus, people are continuously using the STM8-003F3P6 for a bunch of different projects, which speaks volumes about its reliability..

If you’re diving into the world of STM8 development, you’ll love the possibilities! You can whip up all sorts of simple devices like lighting fixtures or buttons using the STM8 microcontroller.
But before you get started, you’ll need a programmer – specifically, the ST-Link V2.
You can grab this handy tool from the Device Mart link we provided; it’s essential for your programming journey.
While there’s an affordable test board available at 4001 , just a heads up: it doesn’t come with a programmer.
So be sure to snag that programmer to upload your programs onto the microcontroller!.

So, let’s dive into setting up the STM8S103 development board, which is the one you’ll be working with—just a heads up that it’s different from the STM8S003, even though they share similar development environments.
You’ll notice there are some small differences in hardware specs between these two microcontrollers, so keep an eye out for that.
When you’re ready to get started, make sure to solder the pins carefully so they fit into your breadboard without a hitch.
For programming, you’ll be using the ST-Link, and you’ll need to set up the connections accordingly.
Don’t forget that the upper part of the pin header should stick out—it’s designed that way so you can easily connect the ST-Link.
Lastly, to ensure everything stays connected securely, it’s super important to solder pin headers on both sides.
Happy building!.

If you’re diving into STM8 development, there’s a handy template you can download from GitHub to make your setup a breeze.
We’re focusing on Macs here because they’re super popular and run on a solid Unix-based system.
This kind of environment is great for integrating all your development tools, which means setting up and compiling your projects is much easier.
You’ll need a compiler—think of it like how you use GCC for C programs; for STM8 projects, you’ll want SDCC .
And guess what? You can easily install SDCC using Homebrew , which is a package manager for macOS.
Just run brew install sdcc to get started!.

Alright, let’s dive into setting up your STM8 development environment! First off, you’ll want to grab stm8-flash , which is this handy CLI tool that helps you download hex files straight to the MCU, making sure your programs run smoothly on the hardware.
To get it up and running, just clone the source code using git clone , build it with make , and then finish off with make install .
Once you’ve installed it, feel free to delete the folder you used for installation since the tool will be good to go from the command line.
Don’t forget to check out the data page that has a neat little table showing STM8 support, where items are marked as tested (OK), untested (?), or non-functional (NO).
With both SDCC and the STM8 flash in place, you can use an SDM8 SDCC template to see things in action within VS Code .
Plus, the makefile lets you easily configure your processor by simply putting in the name of your specific processor like SMH-S003F3 or 104F3..

Setting up your STM8 development environment is pretty straightforward! You’ve got a bunch of libraries that work with STA files at your disposal.
When plugging in your programmer, make sure the pin configuration is spot on with VDD , SWM , GND , and NRST lined up correctly.
If you’re not near a USB port, no worries—you can power your setup through the pins or with an external supply.
You can even connect a test LED to GPIO B55 and run a simple code to make it blink.
Once that’s done, just jump into your root directory and run make clean, then make to build your project.
Finally, to download that IHX hex file, you’ll hit make flash, but don’t forget—you’ll need to unlock the device with make flash unlock the first time around to enable writing.
Stay tuned, because we’ll dive into controlling digital and analog GPIO using the STM file in our upcoming sessions!.