help with blu pill programing - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: ME
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2025, 12:22:09 am
content: I have just uploaded fredzo's latest firmware from this threadhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/10mhz-gpsdo-by-bh3sap/125/It was a new blu pill so did a full chip erase before uploading the bin file from github, All i get now on powering on my gpsdo is a blank display, do i need to upload a bootloader or similar first?.

author: elektryk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2025, 11:49:35 am
content: Are you sure that MCU is not a clone?How did you set the jumpers?

author: ME
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2025, 11:34:12 pm
content: The blupill was from aliexpress so guess its a fake,i tried the jumpers in all positions,I am trying to flash new firmware to the blupill in my bh3sap gpsdo.

author: ozcar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 01:36:14 am
content: You could try this to check if the processor is "fake":https://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/stm32f103c8-diagnostic-bootable-binary-freely-available/Some STM32 code will run just fine on the "fake" processors that get remarked as ST parts, but I don't know anything at all about that gpsdo project in that regard.Fake or not, Blue Pill boards are not known for their high quality workmanship. I had one with solder bridging some of the processor pins (fortunately noticed before I did anything with it), and another had dodgy soldering that left one of the boot pins floating regardless of jumper setting.

author: ME
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 09:55:31 am
content: Is there a programer for them that runs on ubuntu with a gui?.

author: ME
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 12:46:18 pm
content: I tried to program the gpsdo original bp but its connection fails as if its fake, If its fake how was it programed in the first place?.

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 03:31:27 pm
content: Viagra. Programable? Who would have thought.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 07:28:33 pm
content: Quote from: ME on March 06, 2025, 09:55:31 amYes there is a programming software with a GUI that runs on Linux:https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stm32cubeprog.htmlGet yourself a ST-link clone and connect it the the SWD port of the bluepill.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1823628996.htmlEven if it is a clone MCU, a lot of code will still run on it.Edit: When programming with the ST-link, the jumper settings don't matter while programming, but make sure to have them set to run the user program when done. With the boot pins you can start the MCU in system programming mode, in which it allows you to load programs to the FLASH via a serial connection on UART1.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 07:31:01 pm
content: Quote from: ozcar on March 06, 2025, 01:36:14 amYou must have had bad luck then. I have a lot of bluepills from Aliexpress and have not have these kind of problems with them.

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2025, 12:09:49 pm
content: Quote from: ME on March 06, 2025, 09:55:31 amyes, you can use stlink-gui on linux:Code:sudo apt install stlink-guiI tried it on Chinese ST-LINKv2 from aliexpress with blue-pill F103 and with black-pill G431, it works ok