MCUDev Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Discussion and questions about boards that can run MicroPython but don't have a dedicated forum.
Target audience: Everyone interested in running MicroPython on other hardware.
cmechmann
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:16 am

Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by cmechmann » Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:57 am

First, I'm an absolute newbee with coding. The last time I attempted anything was Basic on a Vic 20. Decades ago.
I applaud you for the work you have done with this board.
I'm an old car mechanic. Yes I still get my hands dirty.
I was looking into making a board that would act as a controller for a digital dash that the display could be configurable.
There are many ODBII boards for this, but not for analog inputs, unless you spend a great deal on pre made stuff and have to settle on their displays.
I had toyed with a few Arduino sketches with Mega boards and quickly found they are not going to be fast enough if I tied several sketches together.
I have used ST micro stuff before(EEproms) and have had very good success with them.
When I started to see STM32 dev boards, I just had to check it out.
I bought 2 of the Black STN32f407vet6 from Hiletgo through Amazon. They are the same as the boards you have shown with small differences. On the front silkscreen under the STM32_F4VE there is a SN. 171215. Both boards have the same number. On the back silkscreen has a cert mark left of the STM324VE. Under that "for.MCUDEV" On the right lower has the same STM32_F4VE. But under that ver 2.1 SN 171215.
Traces and solder mask are very clean.
Looks like a lot of time was spent setting these boards up. With all the features I'm surprised they don't have a native system/firmware on them. They look like they were set up for outsourced work by a high end company. The quality of these boards looks on par with genuine Arduino type boards.
I have been able to install Micropython on them and have started to run some of the examples. Using your pin config files. THANK YOU.
I have also been reading the tutorials, but it is going to take time for me to get it down.
What I intend.
2 counters. 1 for speedometer 1 for tach.
At least 6 ADC , with room for expansion, for gauges.
10 on/off channels for things such as turn signal, indicator lights.
I would use 2 separate boards and split the duties between them. 1 for speedo, 3 ADC, 5 on/off.
Then each board would need to output to an SPI port for a Nextion type display. The quick boot time of these boards is key.
Then I would like to output to another IO (USB) if I could, to drive a slimmed down version of Raspbian on a Pi for a main display. I have it's boot time down to 12 secs, but hasn't been stripped yet.
I will be monitoring this post.
And again Thank You.

DJShadow1966
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2019 4:55 am
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by DJShadow1966 » Sun Jun 23, 2019 4:59 am

Hello

Many thanks I have just ordered the board, been looking through the files and would like to know if there is any progress on the SDCard and also getting the TFT interface working ?

Regards Mike

lukesky333
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 4:07 pm
Location: Austria

Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by lukesky333 » Tue Jun 25, 2019 12:19 pm

mcauser wrote:
Tue Jun 04, 2019 2:43 pm
@lukesky333 board defs updated. Datasheet added to the /docs folder.
Is it possible for you to adapt the defs for this board (STM32F407ZGT6) too?
Seems to be similar to the other but with RTC, CAM and TFT support...

Thanks!

EDIT: I can provide the schematics for this board, if it helps!
Last edited by lukesky333 on Thu Jun 27, 2019 8:42 am, edited 2 times in total.

cmechmann
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:16 am

Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by cmechmann » Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:41 pm

I guess I don't get it or I'm missing on something.
The biggest issue I have seen with the "other" boards(not Pyboard, Maple, ESP, etc.) is the lack of tech support for them.
Now grated some of the other boards quality is so-so(some Blue pills) but there are many that have very good build quality.
It just seems that the makers of some of these boards put a lot of effort in design and manufacture. Only to have to sell them cheap to be competitive. At least they do put a minimal sketch on them to show they at least work. From there is it is a pain to research for support. I would consider paying another few bucks if they had more support and some kind of dev software.
I had teased around with the Nextion displays a little. While not great. Sure beats Stone's and 4Gs pricing. And they have a WYSIWYG editor.
The reason I payed $15.00 instead of $10.00 was due to I could get it from a known vendor and wouldn't take a month. If they had a native, tested, feature full firmware, I would consider $20.00. I was very close to getting one of the cheaper Nucleos. And would end up with around half the capabilities of these boards. These boards are comparable to the Arduino board that didn't come to be(OTTO).
It just seems a shame. The closest micropython board is the Pyboard. Then there is the ARCH MAX(for mbed).
Being that I am getting older, I don't think that I will get fluent in coding. So I have been futsing around with some of the "block/bloq" editors. Least that way I can visually try to learn will building. And I really want to be able to use these boards. But any of the block editors would be very limited with these boards, even if they were supported.

OutoftheBOTS_
Posts: 847
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:18 am

Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by OutoftheBOTS_ » Wed Jun 26, 2019 5:58 am

cmechmann wrote:
Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:41 pm
I guess I don't get it or I'm missing on something.
The biggest issue I have seen with the "other" boards(not Pyboard, Maple, ESP, etc.) is the lack of tech support for them.
Now grated some of the other boards quality is so-so(some Blue pills) but there are many that have very good build quality.
It just seems that the makers of some of these boards put a lot of effort in design and manufacture. Only to have to sell them cheap to be competitive. At least they do put a minimal sketch on them to show they at least work. From there is it is a pain to research for support. I would consider paying another few bucks if they had more support and some kind of dev software.
I had teased around with the Nextion displays a little. While not great. Sure beats Stone's and 4Gs pricing. And they have a WYSIWYG editor.
The reason I payed $15.00 instead of $10.00 was due to I could get it from a known vendor and wouldn't take a month. If they had a native, tested, feature full firmware, I would consider $20.00. I was very close to getting one of the cheaper Nucleos. And would end up with around half the capabilities of these boards. These boards are comparable to the Arduino board that didn't come to be(OTTO).
It just seems a shame. The closest micropython board is the Pyboard. Then there is the ARCH MAX(for mbed).
Being that I am getting older, I don't think that I will get fluent in coding. So I have been futsing around with some of the "block/bloq" editors. Least that way I can visually try to learn will building. And I really want to be able to use these boards. But any of the block editors would be very limited with these boards, even if they were supported.
China culture is communist i.e when u invent something it is considered immoral to clam you own the IP but rather any IP developed is shared to everyone as a community. This means in China it is normal practice to copy anything someone else invents. This leads to lots of cheap copies being made so you need to sell as many as quick as possible before the market becomes flooded with copies of your product. They make there money by selling very large numbers in a very short time then making something new and doing it again.

Although there is plenty of really poor quality designed and built Chinese products there is also some well designed stuff too. The biggest problem is always with support, if your going to be buying cheap Chinese products direct from China then you need to be able to hack them with little support.

OutoftheBOTS_
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Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by OutoftheBOTS_ » Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:08 am

mcauser wrote:
Mon Jun 03, 2019 2:17 pm
@lukesky333 I put together these ones for the board:
https://github.com/mcauser/MCUDEV_DEVEBOX_F407VGT6 - 1Mbyte flash
https://github.com/mcauser/MCUDEV_DEVEBOX_F407VET6 - 512Kbyte flash
Both are 100 pin LQFP chips and it looks like larger flash is the main difference.

I guessed some of the pin numbers based on other boards by the same vendor.
Need to check them against their datasheet for this board.
I could only find a low resolution jpg. Do you have the pdf version?
Has anyone found where to buy the screen with correct pinout to plug directly into the TFT header on these boards like the pics here https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3296996 ... 39d7x1OP4K

I dud find it Taobao here https://translate.googleusercontent.com ... esq3OEjpnQ but that is a super difficult place to buy them from

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mcauser
Posts: 507
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2015 8:03 am

Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by mcauser » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:07 pm

@OutoftheBOTS_ Acelex on AliExpress sells them:
AU $18.31 16% Off | 3.2 inch TFT LCD screen with resistive touch screens ILI9341 display module
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bSr3uNvm

OutoftheBOTS_
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Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by OutoftheBOTS_ » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:02 pm

mcauser wrote:
Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:07 pm
@OutoftheBOTS_ Acelex on AliExpress sells them:
AU $18.31 16% Off | 3.2 inch TFT LCD screen with resistive touch screens ILI9341 display module
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bSr3uNvm
That screen is a 2.4" tftf that fits the STM32f407 black with the FSMC 16bit parallel inferface.

I am after the little SPI screen that fit the MCUDev DevEBox STM32F407VET6 or some sellers called it the STM32f407 mini. I am particularly liking the 1.8" as it seems to fit the dev board perfectly and have used this size and resolution on other projects and find it really good balance between not too small and the draw backs of large high res screens
screen.JPG
screen.JPG (116.97 KiB) Viewed 11770 times

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mcauser
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Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by mcauser » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:35 pm

Found both the 1.44 and 1.8 TFTs on AliExpress.
Bit pricey when you include shipping.
AU $7.85 | 1.8 inch 8PIN 65K SPI TFT LCD Screen with Adapter Board ST7735 Drive IC STM32F103 160(RGB)*128
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/c88qXgtE

Search for 128*128 or 160*128 gets more useful results than “mcudev tft“

OutoftheBOTS_
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Re: Black STM32F407VET6 + STM32F407ZET6 dev boards

Post by OutoftheBOTS_ » Mon Jul 15, 2019 6:51 am

A bit more searching I have found this 128x128 1.44" at a much better price https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3289107 ... 7c41tGAD05

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