Risk of an incorrect connection of ST-LINK to a computer

[abczhang]

您好，请教一下，st-link v2连接电脑USB线束接错会不会损毁st-link？

Translation:

"Hello, I have a question. Will connecting the ST-Link v2 to the computer with the USB cable incorrectly damage the ST-Link?"

In next time please use English language.

[TDK]

If you have this programmer, it was not made by ST and is not guaranteed to work with ST tools, either with or without a USB extension cable.

[abczhang]

谢了，不太懂英文，首先感谢你的回复，而且非常及时，也让我知道，我和老外是可以互联的，当然不能确定是不是老外回复，总之，非常感谢，我用的外形和这个不一样，它上面有两个接口，一个是stm32，一个是stm8，我在中国，下载的stm32cubeIDE本身好像也有问题，st-link专用工具我好像没有找到，一直没办法使用，所以我也无法确定我使用的st-link是不是坏了，如果是坏了，唯一的可能连接电脑的线束可能被接错，我是初学者，我下载的stm32cubeIDE也无法使用，也借此测试我们的网络情况，感谢.！

Translation (by google translator):

Thanks. I don't understand English very well, but first of all, thank you for your reply, especially since it was very timely. It also let me know that I can connect with the foreigner, although I can't be sure if it was a foreigner who replied. Anyway, thank you very much. The one I'm using has a different shape; it has two interfaces, one STM32 and one STM8. I'm in China, and the STM32CubeIDE I downloaded seems to have a problem. I can't seem to find the dedicated tools for ST-Link, so I haven't been able to use it. Therefore, I can't be sure if my ST-Link is broken. If it is, the only possibility is that the cable connecting to the computer might be connected incorrectly. I'm a beginner, and the STM32CubeIDE I downloaded also doesn't work. I'm also using this opportunity to test our network connection. Thank you!

[mƎALLEm]

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@abczhang wrote:

The one I'm using has a different shape; it has two interfaces, one STM32 and one STM8.

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Is that one of these you have:

There are different STLINK versions available on the market, two of them are:

ST-LINK-V2:  https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/st-link-v2.html

and ST-LINK-V3: https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stlink-v3set.html

So could you confirm which one you have? or at least post a photo for it top and bottom of it?

 

[Andrew Neil]

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@abczhang wrote:

Will connecting the ST-Link v2 to the computer with the USB cable incorrectly damage the ST-Link?"

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I don't know if this has lost something in translation, but it would be very difficult to get get the USB connection from the ST-Link to the host computer wrong - unless you are making your own USB cables?

If you mean the connection from the ST-Link to the target then, yes - you could possibly do damage to the ST-Link and/or to the target.

This is why using standard cables and headers (rather than loose wires) is a safer option!

 

As @TDK suggested, beware of fake/clone ST-Links.

[Tesla DeLorean]

Bad USB cables are out there, often charging cables, lacking data wires or improperly twisted/shielded. This is a bigger problem for USB 2.0 High Speed (480 mbps).

Hubs and Docking Stations can give issues with ST-LINK, I've seen issues with data integrity and failure, as the protocol isn't robust. Perhaps sequencing or retry issues.

I suspect non legitimate ST-LINK can be ignored or bricked.

[Andrew Neil]

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@Tesla DeLorean wrote:

Bad USB cables ... charging cables ... Hubs and Docking Stations ... .

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Indeed - and many more!

@abczhang see: https://community.st.com/t5/stm32-mcus/how-to-solve-debugger-connection-issues/tac-p/698105/highlight/true#M956 

[mƎALLEm]

+ If you have this one as bottom image with Chinese text, it's a ST-LINK clone:

Please read this thread: ST-link V2 Connection error