UART between STM32F4 and an Arduino Uno

Question

I am able to successfully send strings and numbers between two STM32F407VG Discovery boards and between two Arduino Uno boards but I am unable to do it between an STM32F4 and an Arduino Uno.

Here is what I did:

• Arduino Uno RX --> PA2
• Arduino Uno TX --> PA3
• A pin from the STM32F4 ground to the arduino ground.

I use the default configuration 9600 baudrate, 8 bit data size, 1 stop bit and no parity. Output type of the gpios on the stm32f4 is push pull and they are pulled up.

Is there something I am missing?

Answer 1

Probably the logic levels of the UARTs of the two MCUs are not compatible, since they are powered with different voltage levels.

As the the STM32F405 datasheet says, that MCU has a supply voltage range of 1.8V...3.6V, whereas the Arduino UNO board powers its MCU (ATmega 328P) at 5V.

As Bence Kaulics confirms in its comment, your F4 discovery board powers its MCU at 3V, so a logic high on its TX line cannot be higher than 3V, which is the exact minimum input voltage required for a logic high for an ATmega328P powered at 5V (V_IH=0.6Vcc=0.6*5V=3V – see datasheetat p.313):

So you need a level shifter between the two boards on the TX line of your discovery board and, possibly, also on its RX line (but this latter could be not necessary, because the STM32 MCU has 5V-tolerant inputs).

Something like this level shifter may work for you:

Answer 2

Sometimes it can be due to PULL-UP resistor setting at STu Rx pin too.

You can either set your USART pins to pull-up/pull-down configuration or floating.
Here are sample codes to make the change Rx pin to floating:

---

void usartSetup (void) {
  // make sure the relevant pins are appropriately set up.
  RCC_APB2ENR |= RCC_APB2ENR_IOPAEN;              // enable clock for GPIOA
  GPIOA_CRH   |= (0x0BUL  < < 4);                  // Tx (PA9) alt. out push-pull
  GPIOA_CRH   |= (0x04UL  << 8);                  // Rx (PA10) in floating
  RCC_APB2ENR |= RCC_APB2ENR_USART1EN;            // enable clock for USART1
  USART1_BRR  = 64000000L/115200L;                // set baudrate
  USART1_CR1 |= (USART1_CR1_RE | USART1_CR1_TE);  // RX, TX enable
  USART1_CR1 |= USART1_CR1_UE;                    // USART enable
  }

int SendChar (int ch)  {
  while (!(USART1_SR & USART1_SR_TXE));
  USART1_DR = (ch & 0xFF);
  return (ch);
}

int GetChar (void)  {
  while (!(USART1_SR & USART1_SR_RXNE));
  return ((int)(USART1_DR & 0xFF));
}

---

OR

with HAL library:

---

*#include <stm32f4xx_hal.h>
#include <stm32_hal_legacy.h>
#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C"
#endif
void SysTick_Handler(void)
{
    HAL_IncTick();
    HAL_SYSTICK_IRQHandler();
}
static UART_HandleTypeDef s_UARTHandle = UART_HandleTypeDef();
int main(void)
{
    HAL_Init();
    __USART2_CLK_ENABLE();
    __GPIOA_CLK_ENABLE();

    GPIO_InitTypeDef GPIO_InitStructure;
    GPIO_InitStructure.Pin = GPIO_PIN_2;
    GPIO_InitStructure.Mode = GPIO_MODE_AF_PP;
    GPIO_InitStructure.Alternate = GPIO_AF7_USART2;
    GPIO_InitStructure.Speed = GPIO_SPEED_HIGH;
    GPIO_InitStructure.Pull = GPIO_NOPULL;
    HAL_GPIO_Init(GPIOA, &GPIO_InitStructure);

    GPIO_InitStructure.Pin = GPIO_PIN_3;
    GPIO_InitStructure.Mode = GPIO_MODE_AF_OD;
    HAL_GPIO_Init(GPIOA, &GPIO_InitStructure);
    s_UARTHandle.Instance        = USART2;
    s_UARTHandle.Init.BaudRate   = 115200;
    s_UARTHandle.Init.WordLength = UART_WORDLENGTH_8B;
    s_UARTHandle.Init.StopBits   = UART_STOPBITS_1;
    s_UARTHandle.Init.Parity     = UART_PARITY_NONE;
    s_UARTHandle.Init.HwFlowCtl  = UART_HWCONTROL_NONE;
    s_UARTHandle.Init.Mode       = UART_MODE_TX_RX;

    if (HAL_UART_Init(&s_UARTHandle) != HAL_OK)
        asm("bkpt 255");

    for (;;)
    {
        uint8_t buffer[4];
        HAL_UART_Receive(&s_UARTHandle, buffer, sizeof(buffer), HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        HAL_UART_Transmit(&s_UARTHandle, buffer, sizeof(buffer), HAL_MAX_DELAY);
    }
}*