Skip to main content
Explorer
May 10, 2024
Question

How to: STM32F103C8T6 in a PCB design?

  • May 10, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 1816 views

I'm a beginner so bear with me:

I am making a calculator with a STM32 Blue Pill and would like to create a PCB so that the calculator can be decently compact. I am unclear on some things though. Is it normal to place the entire Blue Pill in a PCB design? I couldn't find a footprint for it in KiCAD, however I did find the footprint for just the chip itself (the STM32F103C8T6). This leads me to believe it would be unusual to use the Blue Pill in this way... however if I use just the chip, how would I upload my code to it? And, given how small it is, how would I ever be able to solder it properly to the PCB? I'm just a little unclear on what the normal thing to do is, and also how to do it. Any guidance is much appreciated!

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    1 reply

    Graduate II
    May 10, 2024

    I've put RPi Pico boards as the MCU / USB-VCP on test boards I've built in recent quarters. Cost less than FTDI adapters

    Isn't the Blue Pill just dual-in-line headers? Do you need a symbol? Can't KiCad let you create one?

    Perhaps you can find a symbol via Google or GitHub.

    Not everything is going to be prebuilt in a form you can cut-n-paste