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Associate
January 3, 2026
Question

Connection Problems with Custom Board, STM32F411RE7

  • January 3, 2026
  • 5 replies
  • 1310 views

Been working on this for a few weeks now, I'm losing my mind. In STM32CubeIDE, only time I can get anywhere is in hardware reset, and there it times out. In STM32CubeProgrammer, it does connect. It can read the MCU name, flash size, all of that. All addresses read 00000000. However, I can't write in the programmer, and I just can't figure out why. Write to memory failed. Failed to erase data. Failed to download data. This is my first time doing something like this, so maybe I'm missing something. But nothing I've looked up has helped.

5 replies

Tesla DeLorean
Guru
January 3, 2026

Assume no one here is familiar with the specifics of your custom design.

Perhaps a minimal schematic of what you've built?

Check the voltage and capacitors on VCAP pin(s). Should have 4U7 on bonded pins, or 2U2 on each individually. Expect around 1.25V if properly powered.

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LoaphsAuthor
Associate
January 3, 2026

Don't know how much this will compress, but this is what I've got. All VCC connected, and reading 1.12 across the 4.7 cap.

Loaphs_1-1767408216297.png

 

TDK
Super User
January 3, 2026

Sounds like a hardware issue with your custom board.

In addition to what @Tesla DeLorean says above, some common issues:

  • All VSSA and VSS pins need to be connected to ground.
  • All VDDA and VDD pins need to be connected to power.
  • If you are using a knock-off usb dongle style programmer, expect it not to work well with STM32CubeIDE. Genuine programmers are relatively cheap.
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TDK
Super User
January 3, 2026

Only see 1 VSS pin in the schematic. Are the other 3 VSS pins 31, 47, 63 connected to ground? Where?

Otherwise things look good.

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LoaphsAuthor
Associate
January 3, 2026

They are all also connected to ground, with the 100nf caps. That long line to the left of the chip.

TDK
Super User
January 3, 2026

I only see VDD pins on the left side of the chip, not VSS.

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TDK
Super User
January 3, 2026

Probably an issue with power then. Monitor NRST if you can, maybe it's resetting. Perhaps bad solder joints or some other workmanship issue is the cause. Schematic otherwise seems good.

All signs point to a hardware issue. Not going to be able to solve that with STM32CubeProgrammer settings.

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LoaphsAuthor
Associate
January 4, 2026

On the programmer, it updated every second or so, as in some connection information in the console. Would that be the board resetting? or is that just how the programmer works?

AScha.3
Super User
January 4, 2026

What "updated" ??

The CubeProgrammer just connects, on "connect" command, nothing else. (in background some periodic check for target still alive running)

Then you decide, what to do.

If behaviour is different - a hardware problem is ...as @TDK said.  

Show the programmer info...like this:

AScha3_0-1767551538954.png

setting:

AScha3_1-1767551598616.png

 

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TDK
Super User
January 4, 2026

0.52 V is not enough voltage for the chip to run.

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