STM32H563RGT6 - Good replacement for STM32F429 if I don't need the display?

[TotoCobalt]

Hello,
I am looking for the MCU for my project. I need the Ethernet and Can bus, so STM32F429 was in my mind first, but as I don't need the display function, I tried to find more affordable option.
But I couldn't find the right one in STM32F4 series, and instead, I found STM32H5 series (STM32H563).

When I did some research, STM32H563 doesn't seem to work with FreeRTOS or some special configuration to add the FreeRTOS. But I want to use RTOS as I need the firmware update via Ethernet.
My question is
1. Is the firmware update via Ethernet for STM32H563 with FreeRTOS available?

2. If not, is it better to use Zephyr OS even though STM32CubeIDD doesn't support Zephyr OS directly?
I want to get the opinions before I order the dev kit.

[Ozone]

A F405/407 variant ?

> ... I tried to find more affordable option.

Affordability is usually a function of Flash size and pin count.
You could check what memory sizes and IO channels you need for your application, LQFP64 is the smallest casing variant.

> 1. Is the firmware update via Ethernet for STM32H563 with FreeRTOS available?

Update capability (bootloader) and OS are unrelated.
The bootloader just needs to do the consistency and correctness check, and otherwise flash what fits the criteria.
I don't know if any STM32 variant supports ethernet in the ROM bootloader.
Otherwise you need a second-stage BL, which complicates things a bit.

[TotoCobalt]

Thank you for the reply.

1) STM32F407 will be a good option, but I thought that STM32H563 has lower price + better performance, that's why I wanted to know if I can add the FreeRTOS on it smoothly. I found that X-Cube-FREERTOS is available for STM32H563, but I also found some articles that people struggled to install it and some people believe that STM32H5 series can't be used with FreeRTOS.
If X-Cube-FREERTOS doesn't support full function as FreeRTOS, then I would consider STM32F407 instead.

2) I found the below article, that's why I believe that DFU via Ethernet is available for STM32F429.

STM32 Firmware Update With Embedded Web Server - Hackster.io

And, I use Zephyr OS for the other platform, and Zephyr OS supports DFU very smoothly with its MCUBoot. That's why I thought that Update capability (bootloader) and OS are related.
I did further research and I found that I need to create Bootloader project to do DFU with FreeRTOS. That's fine to have the separate Bootloader project, but I wonder if anyone already went through the path that I am exploring now.

[Ozone]

My company uses FreeRTOS for a few of its ECUs, although none of them is STM32-based.
These devices have a specific second-stage BL that loads the application - which consists of FreeRTOS and the application code in this case.
Flash sector / bank setup of the MCU will play an important role in BL implementation.

> And, I use Zephyr OS for the other platform, and Zephyr OS supports DFU very smoothly with its MCUBoot. That's why I thought that Update capability (bootloader) and OS are related.

This is probably correct.
I suppose it incorporates a BL adapted for that purpose, that checks for proper Zephyr versions and refuses anything else.

> ...but I thought that STM32H563 has lower price + better performance, ...

I doubt that, at least for the plain MCU.
Although I'm sure there are H563 boards which are cheaper than certain F4xx boards, at least those with displays.

 

[Saket_Om]

Hello @TotoCobalt 

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@TotoCobalt wrote:

1. Is the firmware update via Ethernet for STM32H563 with FreeRTOS available?

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As @Ozone mentioned firmware update has no relation with OS. 

The system bootloader for STM32H5 does not support firmware update via ethernet. 

[Ozone]

> The system bootloader for STM32H5 does not support firmware update via ethernet. 

Which would have suprised me if it did, considering the code space required for a sensible set of MII/RMII ICs and ethernet stack to support.

Perhaps some specific second-stage BL like Arduino or MBed and similiar environments.