Configuring Ethernet interface without assigning MDC / MDIO pins (SMI / MIIM bus)

[zbrozek]

I don't use the code-generation features of the STM32CubeMX, but rather use it just for pin-planning purposes when designing hardware. I've noticed that when enabling the Ethernet MAC, that the SMI / MIIM peripheral is automatically enabled and allocated pins. There are many cases where this is inappropriate (e.g., some other device is managing the interface, no management is possible, or another bus type is used) and it would be lovely for STM32CubeMX to treat these two things as the fully-unrelated peripherals that they really are.

The workaround is to manually assign each Ethernet pin individually, but this is brutally unpleasant. Could ST please divorce these two peripherals within the STM32CubeMX software?

[Pavel A.]

Which STM32 is this for? What is the version of CubeMX?

 

[zbrozek]

Which STM32? Any of them with Ethernet. I've had this bother me with the STM32F407, STM32F427, STM32H573, and others.

Which version of STM32CubeMX? Currently 6.15.0

[j o]

This has been a problem for over 6 years! (https://community.st.com/t5/stm32cubemx-mcus/stm32cubemx-ethernet-feature-request/td-p/277165) It is beyond frustrating. Just because we want to use Ethernet, doesn't mean we want to use SMI. Many times we have the processor directly connected to a switch that uses SPI/I2C, not SMI. We want to use those pins for other things, which is perfectly valid with the Ethernet controller, but CubeMX immediately removes the entire Ethernet controller if we try.

[Ghofrane GSOURI]

Hello @zbrozek @j o 

Your change request has been escalated to the development team for a feasibility assessment.

The internal ticket number for your request is 221892.

 

THX

Ghofrane