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Visitor II
January 27, 2025
Solved

STM32C071 LQFP 32pin, need some help for first time design

  • January 27, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 1563 views

I've already become familiar with the NUCLEO-C071 by creating some additional hardware (display, encoder, etc.). Now, I want to design a board using the smaller 32-pin version. However, in this smaller version, I find some differences that I don't know how to address (I have read the datasheet thoroughly multiple times but cannot find any answers):

1) In the 64-pin version, pin 6 is the VBAT to connect a battery or a supercapacitor to maintain the RTC operation in case of power loss. Where has it gone in the 32-pin version?

2) In the 64-pin version, both the quartz for the CPU and for the RTC can be mounted. Can you confirm that in the 32-pin version, the CPU only works without quartz? Even for managing USB?

Thank you to anyone who can help me.

Luca.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Best answer by TDK

    > But without VBAT, how can the RTC stay functional when there's no power supply?

    RTC is powered from VDD. The hardware should be designed to source power from a battery or the main power using a diode or other power selection. Have a pin indicate when the main source is gone and it's only being powered by a battery. The chip should enter a low power mode during that case and wait for power to return on a wakeup pin.

     

    4 replies

    Graduate
    January 27, 2025

    I have not used this device, but it appears to allow one crystal connection on the smaller packages, used as either HSE or LSE.  From the Reference Manual:

    "For the devices housed in 48-pin packages, the HSE and LSE oscillators have separate
    input and output pins (see HSE_NOT_REMAPPED bit of the FLASH option bytes). On
    packages with less than 48 pins, HSE and LSE oscillators have one common input pin
    OSCX_IN and one common output pin OSCX_OUT, which restricts their use to one at a
    time (the other must be disabled)."

    There is no mention of a VBAT pin, apparently this microcontroller does not have that feature unlike most STM32s.

    LMore.2Author
    Visitor II
    January 28, 2025

    Cool!, I didn't realize that the quartz was for both.

    But without VBAT, how can the RTC stay functional when there's no power supply?

    The only solution seems to power everything with a backup battery and try to consume as little power as possible by going into deep sleep mode.

    Tnks

    Super User
    January 28, 2025

    Yes - that!

     

    PS:

    As well as batteries, there's supercaps, etc ...

    Super User
    January 27, 2025

    What's the full part number you're considering?

     


    @LMore.2 wrote:

    1) In the 64-pin version, pin 6 is the VBAT to connect a battery or a supercapacitor to maintain the RTC operation in case of power loss. Where has it gone in the 32-pin version?.


    With the smaller packages, there just aren't enough pins for everything - this is one of the things you lose.

     

    Application Note AN5673Getting started with STM32C0 MCU hardware development:

    https://www.st.com/resource/en/application_note/an5673-getting-started-with-stm32c0-mcu-hardware-development-stmicroelectronics.pdf

     

    And check out all the other Application Notes - see the 'Documentation' tab on the Product Page for whichever part you'll be using; eg,

    https://www.st.com/en/microcontrollers-microprocessors/stm32c071rb.html#documentation

     

    Super User
    January 27, 2025

    > 1) In the 64-pin version, pin 6 is the VBAT to connect a battery or a supercapacitor to maintain the RTC operation in case of power loss. Where has it gone in the 32-pin version?

    VBAT isn't on either chip. Pin 6 is PF3. Where are you seeing that it's VBAT?

    TDK_0-1738008771359.png

     

    LMore.2Author
    Visitor II
    January 28, 2025

    You are right! My mistake, sorry.

    The schematic of NUCLEO-C071 misled me as it lists pin PF3/VBAT (see attached image). I hadn't read the note that says 'fitted: G0 MCU with VBAT'. So using C071, VBAT is never present.

     

    LMore2_0-1738061535522.png

     

    Super User
    January 28, 2025

    Great. Your other question is answered by @Chris21 above. 32-pin can't use a crystal as there is no OSC_OUT pin. The chip does support Crystal-less USB as a device.

    TDK_0-1738073125737.png

     

    Super User
    February 6, 2025