How to use the STM32CubeIDE target status

1 Introduction

Two modes are proposed to debug MCU (Cortex-M based) firmware:

Engineering mode dedicated to preliminary Cortex-M debug, it implies a specific Boot Mode: the Engineering boot where Cortex-M only is started and its firmware is loaded via JTAG/SWD into dedicated RAM.

Production mode targeting product, it means to use Cortex-A Linux running on MPU in order to load the Cortex-M Firmware to debug. In that case boot mode is normal mode.

In order to manage the various states of MPU target, a dedicated Target Status widget is available on the bottom right side of the IDE. It is detecting console, booted target (Linux prompt) and gives the IP address.

In the production mode, a status light in the bottom right of the STM32CubeIDE window provides information regarding the current status of the connection between the computer and the embedded Linux® system. This widget can be intrusive since it is based onto console detection in order to discover STM32MP target and get their IP status. The console resource cannot be shared with another application.

Information

The serial console is a shared resource and the target widget status has the lowest priority. If there is an active console view for the serial port, this prevents further target status updates until the serial port is disconnected from the view.

2 Right-click menu

This menu is available by right clicking onto the widget. It provides:

• Start/stop & IP address copy services
• Short cut access to Preferences management and Serial Console

3 Preferences

In order to set visibility and pooling frequency of the widget visit the Preferences menu.

4 Target status

Status light	Icon	Description
Black		The light completely off meants that the widget is disabled.
Red		Indicated that there is no connection to the target, or the USB cable to the ST-Link is removed.
Yellow		Indicates a dysfunction such as: No network connection between the computer and the MPU. The console is opened.
Yellow		If booted into engineering mode no console is supported by the MPU target and status is shown as busy. If this status is shown while in production mode after a board reset then the first boot stages do not support console.
Yellow		Console detected, meaning Linux is booting.
Green		Linux booted (prompt detected)
Green		Linux booted (prompt detected)
Green		IP address detected

Microcontroller Unit (MCUs have internal flash memory and are intended to operate with a minimum amount of external support ICs. They commonly are a self-contained, system-on-chip (SoC) designs.)

Cortex^®

debug and test protocol, named from the Joint Test Action Group that developed it

Serial Wire Debug

Random Access Memory (Early computer memories generally hadserial access. Memories where any given address can be accessed when desired were then called "random access" to distinguish them from the memories where contents can only be accessed in a fixed order. The term is used today for volatile random-acces ssemiconductor memories.)

Linux^® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Microprocessor Unit

(Software)Integrated development/design/debugging environment

spelling for older versions of STLink, ST in-circuit debugger and programmer for the STM8 and STM32 microcontroller families

Microcontroller Unit (MCUs have internal flash memory and are intended to operate with a minimum amount of external support ICs. They commonly are a self-contained, system-on-chip (SoC) designs.)

Cortex^®

debug and test protocol, named from the Joint Test Action Group that developed it

Serial Wire Debug

Random Access Memory (Early computer memories generally hadserial access. Memories where any given address can be accessed when desired were then called "random access" to distinguish them from the memories where contents can only be accessed in a fixed order. The term is used today for volatile random-acces ssemiconductor memories.)

Linux^® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Microprocessor Unit

(Software)Integrated development/design/debugging environment

spelling for older versions of STLink, ST in-circuit debugger and programmer for the STM8 and STM32 microcontroller families

ST in-circuit debugger and programmer for the STM8 and STM32 microcontroller families (See ST-LINK for more details)