New APM32F103CB

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blue-man
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New APM32F103CB

Post by blue-man »

There is a new black pill on the market:

It features a more advanced APM32F103Cx microcontroller IC with a higher frequency 96MHz (1.5DMIPS) and a built-in FPU.
The FPU of APM32 is a coprocessor unit specially used for floating-point operation, which is attached to the AHB bus.

https://robotdyn.com/black-pill-apm32f1 ... board.html
Black Pill APM32F103CB 128KB Flash + 20KB SRAM, STM32 compatible ARM Cortex®-M3 MCU Mini board
$1.89


Is there any experience already with it?
Is the FPU supported by the compiler and STM32duino?
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fpiSTM
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by fpiSTM »

The core support only STM32. FPU is supported for series with FPU.
Ollie
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by Ollie »

I really like RobotDyn products and have been using them for several years. I was tempted to purchase the APM32F103CB board, but then realized that life is too short to fight against or run with the wind mills. Now, I have turned a new leaf in my MCU projects and will focus on the F411 and H750 boards for device connected systems. For distributed systems, I would like to have a genuine alternative from STM for ESP32 and RPI4.

Before Apex Microelectronics there have been several other companies that are trying to make improved versions of the STM MCUs. None of those have gained wide popularity.
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blue-man
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by blue-man »

The APM32F103CB is listed here as fake: https://www.blaatschaap.be/?p=120
Within
STM32F103
GD32F103
APM32F103
BLM32F103
CS32F103
MM32F103

Indeed if you have a closer look at the "datasheet" https://www.apexmic.com/uploads/tool/AP ... V1.0.5.pdf
the FPU is not part of the CPU and so only peripheral.

A fast look at the Library and the SDK shows, that the FPU is not documented and so complete senseless.
https://www.apexmic.com/uploads/tool/AP ... V1.0.0.zip
https://www.apexmic.com/uploads/tool/AP ... V1.0.0.rar

So it can be seen as STM32F103 clone with a higher frequency 96MHz (1.5DMIPS).
Squonk42
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by Squonk42 »

Not fake. This would mean that they are made on purpose to confuse people that they are the original part, which is not the case.

These MCU all have an ARM Cortex-M core (with a legal ARM licence or not) and a more or less STM32-compatible peripheral and memory map. This is not too hard, as you can by IPs for these peripherals from several editors, and I suspect STM is also doing the same.

This compatibilty allows the small manufacturers to reuse the exisiting documentation, librairies SDKs and tools to some extent, which should only be seen as a convenience rather than a comittment or a deliberate copy of the STM32 MCU.

What are fakes are Bluepill boards sold as having an STM32F103C8T6 MCU and shipped with a different one.
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blue-man
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by blue-man »

Yes - up to now it seems that the "alternative products" are using own identity codes in the ROMtable.
See https://www.blaatschaap.be/?p=95

It would be easy to clone the original ROMtable, but the manufacturer(s) of the chips don't want to do that.
But there are cloning-people outside taking this chips and print STM32... on it.
Squonk42
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by Squonk42 »

Yes, this is what I say: the one that are fakes are the one mounted on Bluepill boards with their marking changed, not the chips themselves.
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blue-man
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by blue-man »

O.K. - but what's your meaning about and FPU that cannot be used?
Squonk42
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by Squonk42 »

The STM32F103 has no FPU anyway. So if the APM32F103CB has one (peripheral) FPU and you are able to make it work, good for you, it is just a bonus.

Don't call a (more or less) relatively close STM32 clone a fake, as there was no intention from the manufacturer to fool customers into thinking they are the same.

Unlike the unscrupulous Bluepill vendors that are erasing part markings to pretend they are genuine STM32F103C8T6.
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blue-man
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Re: New APM32F103CB

Post by blue-man »

Squonk42 wrote: Fri Mar 27, 2020 10:45 pm Don't call a (more or less) relatively close STM32 clone a fake, as there was no intention from the manufacturer to fool customers into thinking they are the same.
I only have quoted blaatshaap.be
The APM32F103CB is listed here as fake: https://www.blaatschaap.be/?p=120

But it is my opinion that selling undocumented functions that cannot be used can be seen as a fake functionality.
Here you can read what is praised by the manufacturer: https://www.apexmic.com/en/newproduct/apm2/16
System & Architecture

ARM®Cortex®-M3
Frequency 72MHz
Built-in AHB and APB
Support FPU

Do you want to support such business conduct?
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