STM32 Nucleo Embedded C++ Learning Roadmap with PlatformIO and VS Code

STM32 Updated on June 28, 2025

The STM32 Nucleo boards are excellent platforms to learn embedded systems development. Combining them with PlatformIO and Visual Studio Code gives you a modern, flexible, and cross-platform development environment. This roadmap breaks your journey into phases, starting from fundamentals and moving toward advanced topics like multitasking and building real-world applications—all in C++.

Phase 1: Fundamentals

Goal: Get familiar with the development tools and basic C++ for embedded systems.

Tools Setup

  • Install Visual Studio Code
  • Install the PlatformIO IDE extension
  • Connect your STM32 Nucleo board (e.g., Nucleo-F446RE or Nucleo-L476RG)
  • Create a new PlatformIO project and select your board. Use the built-in mbed or stm32cube frameworks, or start with baremetal C++.

C++ Concepts for Embedded

  • Learn to use class, struct, constructors, and destructors.
  • Understand the use of const, constexpr, and volatile to safely handle hardware registers and constants.
  • Use namespace to organize your code and static to control symbol visibility.
  • Explore inline functions and basic templates.
  • Avoid dynamic memory allocation (new/delete) in embedded projects to prevent fragmentation.

Example Projects

  • Blink an LED using a C++ class.
  • Toggle LED using button input with an external interrupt (EXTI).
  • Create a PWM LED dimmer using a timer.
  • Send "Hello World" over UART to a serial terminal.

Phase 2: Hardware Abstraction with C++

Goal: Move from direct HAL or register access to designing reusable C++ classes.

Topics to Explore

  • Create DigitalOut and DigitalIn classes to abstract GPIO.
  • Apply object-oriented programming principles like encapsulation and RAII to manage hardware safely.
  • Use STM32 HAL drivers from within your classes.

Example Projects

  • Build an LED controller as a C++ class.
  • Develop a simple UART menu to interact with your board.
  • Write a driver class to read temperature from an I2C sensor (e.g., TMP102 or BME280).

Phase 3: Interrupts and Timers

Goal: Learn how to handle hardware timers and interrupts in a C++ style.

Key Topics

  • Configure and use timer interrupts.
  • Create debounce logic for buttons using timers.
  • Learn to set up NVIC (Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller) for managing interrupt priorities.

Example Projects

  • Build a stopwatch using timer interrupts.
  • Implement button debounce using a timer interrupt and an ISR handler in C++.
  • Create an event scheduler to run tasks every 500ms.

Phase 4: Peripheral Interfaces

Goal: Learn to communicate with external devices and build abstractions.

Interfaces to Learn

  • I2C to read from sensors.
  • SPI to communicate with displays or memory.
  • ADC for analog sensors (like potentiometers).
  • DMA for efficient data transfers without CPU intervention.

Example Projects

  • Create a C++ driver class to read temperature from an I2C sensor.
  • Display text on an SPI OLED (SSD1306).
  • Read and process analog voltage from an ADC.
  • Use DMA to collect continuous ADC data into a circular buffer.

Phase 5: FreeRTOS + C++

Goal: Add multitasking to your projects using FreeRTOS with modern C++.

Key Topics

  • Create tasks using C++ member functions or lambdas.
  • Wrap queues and semaphores in C++ classes for safer usage.
  • Understand task priorities and stack configuration.

Example Projects

  • Blink LED in one task while sending data over UART in another.
  • Use a queue to transfer ADC readings from a producer task to a consumer task.
  • Create software timers in FreeRTOS triggered by C++ callbacks.

Phase 6: Intermediate Projects

Goal: Combine everything you've learned into real-world mini-systems.

Project Ideas

  • Build a digital thermometer: read temperature sensor and display it via UART or LCD.
  • Develop a data logger: collect ADC data and save it to an SD card over SPI.
  • Create a home automation demo: use a button to control fan or light speed via PWM.
  • Design a CLI shell over UART to read sensor data or control GPIO pins.

Why PlatformIO + VS Code?

Using PlatformIO gives you powerful features beyond the vendor IDE:

  • Works cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • Better project structure and easier library management
  • Built-in debugging support (if your Nucleo supports it)
  • Supports multiple frameworks: STM32Cube, mbed, Arduino, or bare-metal C++
  • Easily portable to other boards and architectures

Conclusion

This roadmap helps you grow from basic embedded C++ concepts to multitasking and real-world applications, all using the modern development stack of PlatformIO and VS Code. By building these projects, you’ll not only master STM32 Nucleo boards but also gain solid skills that transfer to other embedded platforms.