Keep your data protected and secure with AT25FF321A and STM32F091RC
A flash that never fades!
Published Feb 26, 2024
Click board™
Flash 10 Click
Dev Board
Nucleo-64 with STM32F091RC MCU
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
STM32F091RC
Keep data and information stored even when the power is off
A
A
Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Flash 10 Click is based on the AT25FF321A, a highly reliable serial Flash memory solution designed for use in various high-volume consumer and connected applications from Dialog Semiconductor. The AT25FF321A is organized as a 32Mbit (16x2 Mbit physical block) Flash memory ideally suited for systems where program code is shadowed from Flash memory into embedded or external RAM (code shadow) for execution and where small amounts of data are stored and updated locally in the Flash memory. The AT25FF321A specifies a minimum of 100.000 endurance cycles with data retention of a minimum of 20 years, allowing it to handle unlimited reads/writes to the memory. The AT25FF321A's erase block sizes are optimized to meet the needs of today's code and data storage applications, supporting flexible and optimized erase architecture for code and data storage
applications (4kB, 32kB, and 64kB block erase operations) and a full-chip erase feature. Optimizing the erase blocks' size can be the most efficient use of memory space. Also, the AT25FF321A contains four specialized 128-byte One-Time Programmable (OTP) security registers which can be used to store a unique device ID and locked key storage. Flash 10 Click communicates with MCU through a standard SPI interface supporting the two most common SPI modes, SPI Mode 0 and 3. Furthermore, this Click board™ provides additional hardware-controlled functions. The configurable Write Protection, marked as WP and routed on the PWM pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, protects all registers (including status and configuration) from write operations and must be held low to inhibit all the write operations to registers. When this pin is low, all memory and register write
operations are prohibited, and the address counter is not incremented. Also, it is possible to use the Reset or Hold function through the RST pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, depending on the state of the HOLD/RESET bit 7 in Status Register 3. In the case of the Hold function, this pin temporarily pauses serial communication without deselecting or resetting the device, while in the case of the Reset feature, a low logic level on the RST pin puts the AT25FF321A into a Reset state. This Click board™ can only be operated with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.
Features overview
Development board
Nucleo-64 with STM32F091RC MCU offers a cost-effective and adaptable platform for developers to explore new ideas and prototype their designs. This board harnesses the versatility of the STM32 microcontroller, enabling users to select the optimal balance of performance and power consumption for their projects. It accommodates the STM32 microcontroller in the LQFP64 package and includes essential components such as a user LED, which doubles as an ARDUINO® signal, alongside user and reset push-buttons, and a 32.768kHz crystal oscillator for precise timing operations. Designed with expansion and flexibility in mind, the Nucleo-64 board features an ARDUINO® Uno V3 expansion connector and ST morpho extension pin
headers, granting complete access to the STM32's I/Os for comprehensive project integration. Power supply options are adaptable, supporting ST-LINK USB VBUS or external power sources, ensuring adaptability in various development environments. The board also has an on-board ST-LINK debugger/programmer with USB re-enumeration capability, simplifying the programming and debugging process. Moreover, the board is designed to simplify advanced development with its external SMPS for efficient Vcore logic supply, support for USB Device full speed or USB SNK/UFP full speed, and built-in cryptographic features, enhancing both the power efficiency and security of projects. Additional connectivity is
provided through dedicated connectors for external SMPS experimentation, a USB connector for the ST-LINK, and a MIPI® debug connector, expanding the possibilities for hardware interfacing and experimentation. Developers will find extensive support through comprehensive free software libraries and examples, courtesy of the STM32Cube MCU Package. This, combined with compatibility with a wide array of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), including IAR Embedded Workbench®, MDK-ARM, and STM32CubeIDE, ensures a smooth and efficient development experience, allowing users to fully leverage the capabilities of the Nucleo-64 board in their projects.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
ARM Cortex-M0
MCU Memory (KB)
256
Silicon Vendor
STMicroelectronics
Pin count
64
RAM (Bytes)
32768
You complete me!
Accessories
Click Shield for Nucleo-64 comes equipped with two proprietary mikroBUS™ sockets, allowing all the Click board™ devices to be interfaced with the STM32 Nucleo-64 board with no effort. This way, Mikroe allows its users to add any functionality from our ever-growing range of Click boards™, such as WiFi, GSM, GPS, Bluetooth, ZigBee, environmental sensors, LEDs, speech recognition, motor control, movement sensors, and many more. More than 1537 Click boards™, which can be stacked and integrated, are at your disposal. The STM32 Nucleo-64 boards are based on the microcontrollers in 64-pin packages, a 32-bit MCU with an ARM Cortex M4 processor operating at 84MHz, 512Kb Flash, and 96KB SRAM, divided into two regions where the top section represents the ST-Link/V2 debugger and programmer while the bottom section of the board is an actual development board. These boards are controlled and powered conveniently through a USB connection to program and efficiently debug the Nucleo-64 board out of the box, with an additional USB cable connected to the USB mini port on the board. Most of the STM32 microcontroller pins are brought to the IO pins on the left and right edge of the board, which are then connected to two existing mikroBUS™ sockets. This Click Shield also has several switches that perform functions such as selecting the logic levels of analog signals on mikroBUS™ sockets and selecting logic voltage levels of the mikroBUS™ sockets themselves. Besides, the user is offered the possibility of using any Click board™ with the help of existing bidirectional level-shifting voltage translators, regardless of whether the Click board™ operates at a 3.3V or 5V logic voltage level. Once you connect the STM32 Nucleo-64 board with our Click Shield for Nucleo-64, you can access hundreds of Click boards™, working with 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels.
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic
Step by step
Project assembly
Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Nucleo-64 with STM32F091RC MCU as your development board.
Track your results in real time
Application Output
This Click board can be interfaced and monitored in two ways:
Application Output- Use the "Application Output" window in Debug mode for real-time data monitoring. Set it up properly by following this tutorial.
UART Terminal- Monitor data via the UART Terminal using a USB to UART converter. For detailed instructions, check out this tutorial.
Software Support
Library Description
This library contains API for Flash 10 Click driver.
Key functions:
flash10_erase_memoryThis function erases the selected amount of memory which contains the selected address.flash10_memory_writeThis function writes a desired number of data bytes starting from the selected memory address.flash10_memory_readThis function reads a desired number of data bytes starting from the selected memory address.
Open Source
Code example
The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.
/*!
* @file main.c
* @brief Flash 10 Click example
*
* # Description
* This example demonstrates the use of Flash 10 click board by writing specified data to
* the memory and reading it back.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes the driver and checks the communication by reading and verifying the device ID.
*
* ## Application Task
* Writes a desired number of bytes to the memory and then verifies if it is written correctly
* by reading from the same memory location and displaying the memory content on the USB UART.
* The whole 4KB block of memory that contains the STARTING_ADDRESS will be erased before writing data.
*
* @author Stefan Filipovic
*
*/
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "flash10.h"
#define DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE_1 "MIKROE"
#define DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE_2 "Flash 10 click"
#define STARTING_ADDRESS 0x012345
static flash10_t flash10;
static log_t logger;
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg; /**< Logger config object. */
flash10_cfg_t flash10_cfg; /**< Click config object. */
/**
* Logger initialization.
* Default baud rate: 115200
* Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
* @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX
* are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will
* need to define them manually for log to work.
* See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
*/
LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
log_info( &logger, " Application Init " );
// Click initialization.
flash10_cfg_setup( &flash10_cfg );
FLASH10_MAP_MIKROBUS( flash10_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == flash10_init( &flash10, &flash10_cfg ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
for ( ; ; );
}
if ( FLASH10_ERROR == flash10_check_communication ( &flash10 ) )
{
log_error( &logger, " Check communication." );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
uint8_t data_buf[ 128 ] = { 0 };
log_printf ( &logger, " Memory address: 0x%.6LX\r\n", ( uint32_t ) STARTING_ADDRESS );
if ( FLASH10_OK == flash10_erase_memory ( &flash10, FLASH10_CMD_BLOCK_ERASE_4KB, STARTING_ADDRESS ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Erase memory block (4KB)\r\n" );
}
memcpy ( data_buf, DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE_1, strlen ( DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE_1 ) );
if ( FLASH10_OK == flash10_memory_write ( &flash10, STARTING_ADDRESS,
data_buf, sizeof ( data_buf ) ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Write data: %s\r\n", data_buf );
Delay_ms ( 100 );
}
memset ( data_buf, 0, sizeof ( data_buf ) );
if ( FLASH10_OK == flash10_memory_read ( &flash10, STARTING_ADDRESS,
data_buf, sizeof ( data_buf ) ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Read data: %s\r\n\n", data_buf );
Delay_ms ( 3000 );
}
log_printf ( &logger, " Memory address: 0x%.6LX\r\n", ( uint32_t ) STARTING_ADDRESS );
if ( FLASH10_OK == flash10_erase_memory ( &flash10, FLASH10_CMD_BLOCK_ERASE_4KB, STARTING_ADDRESS ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Erase memory block (4KB)\r\n" );
}
memcpy ( data_buf, DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE_2, strlen ( DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE_2 ) );
if ( FLASH10_OK == flash10_memory_write ( &flash10, STARTING_ADDRESS,
data_buf, sizeof ( data_buf ) ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Write data: %s\r\n", data_buf );
Delay_ms ( 100 );
}
memset ( data_buf, 0, sizeof ( data_buf ) );
if ( FLASH10_OK == flash10_memory_read ( &flash10, STARTING_ADDRESS,
data_buf, sizeof ( data_buf ) ) )
{
log_printf ( &logger, " Read data: %s\r\n\n", data_buf );
Delay_ms ( 3000 );
}
}
void main ( void )
{
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
