Trying (for first time, and without success) to push firmware to a STM32 "blue pill" board (STM32F103C6T6) using a STLINK V2 clone (small red USB device with 10 pins at one end.)
The "blue pill" board has both BOOT pins connected to ground (normal operation). I have made a 4-wire connection between the STLINK V2 clone (pins 2,4,6,8) and the corresponding 4 pins at the narrow end of the "blue pill" board (which is connected to nothing else, and is getting power from the STLINK V2 clone.)
I have not been able to find step-by-step procedure to verify correct operation.
What is being indicated by the single LED on the device (red/blue or flashing red-blue)?
The closest I can get to signs of life is to set (software) Reset mode to Core Reset, then push/hold RESET button on blue pill while clicking "Read" on STM32CubeProgrammer main window.
A transcript of logged error messages (which represent a number of tries of various settings) is below (edited to show each error message on separate line.)
10:00:59 : STM32CubeProgrammer API v2.10.0 | Windows-64Bits
10:01:09 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:01:09 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:01:18 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:01:18 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:01:33 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:01:33 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:01:51 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:01:51 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:02:15 : ST-LINK SN : 3544170029135147324D4E00
10:02:15 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:02:15 : Board : --
10:02:15 : Voltage : 3.17V
10:02:17 : SWD freq : 4000 KHz
10:02:17 : Connect mode: Normal
10:02:17 : Reset mode : Core reset
10:02:17 : Device ID : 0x412
10:02:17 : Revision ID : Rev A
10:02:17 : ST-LINK SN : 3544170029135147324D4E00
10:02:17 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:02:17 : Board : --
10:02:17 : Voltage : 3.15V
10:02:17 : Error: No STM32 target found!
10:02:32 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:02:32 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:02:41 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:02:41 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:02:53 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:02:53 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:03:07 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:03:07 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:03:21 : ST-LINK SN : 3544170029135147324D4E00
10:03:21 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:03:21 : Board : --
10:03:21 : Voltage : 3.17V
10:03:25 : Error: ST-LINK error (DEV_TARGET_HELD_UNDER_RESET)
10:04:35 : ST-LINK SN : 3544170029135147324D4E00
10:04:35 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:04:35 : Board : --
10:04:35 : Voltage : 3.17V
10:04:35 : Error: No STM32 target found!
10:04:46 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:04:46 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:05:00 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:05:00 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:05:09 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:05:09 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:05:18 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:05:18 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:05:32 : ST-LINK SN : 3544170029135147324D4E00
10:05:32 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:05:32 : Board : --
10:05:32 : Voltage : 3.17V
10:05:36 : Error: ST-LINK error (DEV_TARGET_HELD_UNDER_RESET)
10:05:39 : ST-LINK SN : 3544170029135147324D4E00
10:05:39 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:05:39 : Board : --
10:05:39 : Voltage : 3.18V
10:05:41 : SWD freq : 4000 KHz
10:05:41 : Connect mode: Normal
10:05:41 : Reset mode : Core reset
10:05:41 : Device ID : 0x412
10:05:41 : Revision ID : Rev A
10:05:41 : ST-LINK SN : 3544170029135147324D4E00
10:05:41 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:05:41 : Board : --
10:05:41 : Voltage : 3.15V
10:05:41 : Error: No STM32 target found!
10:05:53 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:05:53 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:06:18 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:06:18 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:06:32 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:06:32 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:06:43 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:06:43 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:07:12 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:07:12 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:07:35 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:07:35 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:07:45 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:07:45 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:08:41 : Warning: Device changed, refreshing...
10:08:42 : ST-LINK SN : 2A1F0E0029135147324D4E00
10:08:42 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:08:42 : Board : --
10:08:42 : Voltage : 3.18V
10:08:45 : SWD freq : 4000 KHz
10:08:45 : Connect mode: Normal
10:08:45 : Reset mode : Core reset
10:08:45 : Device ID : 0x412
10:08:45 : Revision ID : Rev A
10:08:45 : ST-LINK SN : 2A1F0E0029135147324D4E00
10:08:45 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:08:45 : Board : --
10:08:45 : Voltage : 3.16V
10:08:45 : Error: No STM32 target found!
10:08:56 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:08:56 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:09:06 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:09:06 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:09:18 : ST-LINK SN : 2A1F0E0029135147324D4E00
10:09:18 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:09:18 : Board : --
10:09:18 : Voltage : 3.18V
10:09:20 : SWD freq : 4000 KHz
10:09:20 : Connect mode: Normal
10:09:20 : Reset mode : Core reset
10:09:20 : Device ID : 0x412
10:09:20 : Revision ID : Rev A
10:09:20 : ST-LINK SN : 2A1F0E0029135147324D4E00
10:09:20 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:09:20 : Board : --
10:09:20 : Voltage : 3.16V
10:09:20 : Error: No STM32 target found!
10:09:39 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:09:39 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:09:53 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:09:53 : Error: Problem occured while trying to connect
10:10:23 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:10:33 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:10:37 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:10:37 : ST-LINK error (DEV_USB_COMM_ERR)
10:10:52 : Warning: Device changed, refreshing...
10:10:52 : ST-LINK SN : 2A1F0E0029135147324D4E00
10:10:52 : ST-LINK FW : V2J29S7
10:10:52 : Board : --
10:10:52 : Voltage : 3.18V
10:10:56 : Error: ST-LINK error (DEV_TARGET_HELD_UNDER_RESET)
The first thing you should try is:
get https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stm32cubeprog.html STM32CubeProgrammer Set the BOOT Pin on the F103C8 to one, reset the Bluepil and try to establish a connection with CubeProgrammer. If the connection is established successfully, do a full chip erase. Set the Boot Pin back to 0, reset the Bluepill and see, if you can connect normally now.
If not, your ST-LinkV2 Clone might be crap. Many of these Clone Devices now come with Fake MCUs or with clones of the STM32F103xB. Especially, if it is the 2-dollar-delivered version from Aliexpress. You can test this, if you have another one or better an original ST-Link. If it works with the other device, the first one is crap.
My experience is: those clones from Aliexpress work for 1-3 month if they are good, and crash after a firmware update or just simpy because you looked from the wrong angle on them.