Bootloader

[UncleBansh]

HI, bootloader has been erased. i cant flash with sd card, and cant connect over USB. Can you share bootloader.bin with guide for flashing to recover my board?

[penright]

I think I too have lost my boot loader. I have ST-Link V2. I may have missed it, but most of these comments assume STLink experience. The wire seems straight forward, 3.3-3.3, gnd-gnd, swclk-clk, and swdio-dio. The thread talks about Linux base flashing software, is there a windows version? I can load a Linux VM, it would just save me a few steps. So I am currently setting up PIO. I download the zip file and there are 3 files, the readme, bootloader, stock with bootloader. Assuming the names and looking at the sizes, all I need is to flash "bootloader-bigtreetech-e3-dip.bin" correct? Any hints on using VSCode/PIO ?

[sl1pkn07]

https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stm32cubeprog.html or https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stsw-link004.html

[wisesokol]

I will release a detailed video very soon. Wait a couple of days

[penright]

I will release a detailed video very soon. Wait a couple of days

Cool. I have been playing with the "flashing", now and I thought I had a bad STLink-V2. When I plug it in, windows does not understand the device. I have installed the ST drivers. I found where you can flash a Blue Pill. I can connect to it serially and flash it whit the hex file provided which may or may not be right. But when I try and connect to use it USB, same thing. I am ordering one more clone and a Nucleo. Thanks for documenting this process.

[penright]

I will release a detailed video very soon. Wait a couple of days If you tell me to hold my horses, I understand ... Excited about the video, but meanwhile, I have been playing around. I think I am starting to understand. Looking at the schematics for the E3 DIP. The Boot0 is hardwired low. Am I right in saying to use either the serial (USB) or SW (STLink) that has to be high? How do you do that? Looks like the Boot1 (P2) is the Z DIR, if yes, reading print straight up, reader header, right before the EN for the extruder. Am I getting close? I did get my Blue Pill flashed, then updated, and now windows see it when plugged in and so does the cube programmer. Progress.

[wisesokol]

Hi All. Video is done. https://youtu.be/w2hJrD5voBY

[abtx]

Any tutorial on how to flash the board? I've got BTT SKR Mini E3 V1.2 and it seems bricked.

[wisesokol]

Any tutorial on how to flash the board? I've got BTT SKR Mini E3 V1.2 and it seems bricked.

See my video. Link in my post upper

[abtx]

@wisesokol thanks but the link doesn't seem to link to anything. Can you check it please?

[wisesokol]

@wisesokol thanks but the link doesn't seem to link to anything. Can you check it please? Shit linker!!!!

https://youtu.be/w2hJrD5voBY Copy and paste in to browser

[limestone-xyz]

Hey, I've been trying to follow the instructions in the video, but when I try to erase with the Cubeprogrammer, it says it is protected. When I try to overwrite the "Write-Protection" option bytes, cubeprogrammer freezes and nothing happens until I unplug the STLink. Any hint on what I can try / have to do? @wisesokol & @TheAssassin maybe? Thanks!

[wisesokol]

Use st link utility, not cube. Also you can take some mistakes when soldering.

[limestone-xyz]

Also tried with the ST-link software, it is the same problem. I did not change anything by now, using the programmer on the stock board.

[wisesokol]

Original bootloader maybe protect to write. Try write only program’s part. Use address from my video

[limestone-xyz]

Yeah the option bytes are on "protected", but I can't overwrite them. If I try, the programmer software freezes until I unplug the STLink. I also tried just writing, but it doesn't work. Any more thoughts what could be wrong?

[TheAssassin]

You could at least post the command you're trying to flash with. Right now, all this is just guesswork. You probably know that you didn't post anything concrete that would allow one to help you. Not even a screenshot, showing what you entered in the tools.

Here's something to read for you: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html

There's indications in this thread that such "write blocked" errors might show up if you're writing in the wrong range (i.e., have the wrong start address), and a lot more hints. The addresses must be correct. See https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR-E3-DIP-V1.0/issues/2#issuecomment-549424516,https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR-E3-DIP-V1.0/issues/2#issuecomment-549600690, ...

Perhaps you also have a faulty chip? Who knows?

You could also try st-flash on some Linux, which worked for me.

Pinging me and @wisesokol but then failing to provide any evidence that could help us help you is really presuming. Provide some information, then we'll have a look again.

[wisesokol]

@TheAssassin is right. what do you want to get? Reload firmware with sd card. Our issue for ret6 chip. Maybe your board has rct chip with 250kb of flash.

[limestone-xyz]

Thanks for the reply - I've learned my lesson. I'll write up what I know and report back.

[limestone-xyz]

So this is my situation: Ender-3 with BTT SKR MINI E3 1.2 and stock LCD. I’m pretty much a novice when it comes to MCU. My Chip is a: ARMx STM32F103, RCT6, 99036 93, MYS 99 948

After around 7 months of use I lost connection to Octoprint after a successful print and the stock LCD turned blue. I couldn't get anything to work after that, the firmware.bin didn't get flashed/overwritten anymore and I couldn’t get any connection to the board, no reset no nothing. Only the Power led is lighting up and the LCD is flat blue. Exactly like the issue described here: https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR-mini-E3/issues/224?fbclid=IwAR33qKq6Gu25MUaAv35sDezLZ2WHBHLMNbhPWAPxr_a_Njr7gmJhwjc7SBQ

I then measured/probed all the hardware parts on my printer, from the PSU safety ground to the hot end thermistor, to at least rule out a hardware defect. Everything is okay. After reading up on the topic, I came to the conclusion that it might be a faulty chip or bootloader and found this thread.

I’m on WIN10 and tried using both the STM32CubeProgrammer and ST-Link Utility. I made sure to follow the instructions of @wisesokol video as closely as I could - as I don’t understand any russian. He is using the “normal” mode when connecting - but that doesn’t work for me. I have tried using all the reset modes, but always get the following error:

I can only connect in the “hot plug” mode and get an "unknown flash size". Like mentioned by @Piscanc here: https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR-E3-DIP-V1.0/issues/2#issuecomment-548935174 And as far as we know, he couldn’t figure it out / it’s a dead chip.

When I connect via the hot plug mode (using the addresses you @TheAssassin provided). I get basically - as far as I can tell - nothing:

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[TheAssassin]

Well, worst case, your chip is faulty. I wonder why you received a board with an RCT6; back when I got mine, they shipped the larger RET6 already. It could be a large variety of issues, most of which are impossible to prove without specialized equipment: electrostatic discharge, overvoltage burn, memory corruption, faulty connection on the PCB, ...

One interesting detail, which was missing before, is that this failure occurred after months of usage. In my case (and most others'), the issue was that the thing came without any firmware or bootloader at all.

As I'm not familiar with this ST-Link tool (I use st-flash from the commandline, which is a bit more helpful IMO), I can't tell what the exact problem is. @wisesokol might be able to spot an error. The chip is recognized, so I don't think it's entirely dead.

A few things you can try:

• lower the bus speed of the ST-Link V2, as the tool suggests
• don't flash the bootloader, but flash only the firmware (if that works, that might bring you forward; I posted the address somewhere above)
• try to run Marlin in a debugger (worked for me, not a persistent option, but you don't need a bootloader to run the firmware then)
• make sure all electric connections are okay (you can hook up an oscilloscope, if available, to see if all the signals are clean)
• make sure the chip is powered with the right voltage (measure the voltage after the regulator that powers the chip, not the pins of the chip (could easily create a short circuit!))

As it used to work and suddenly stopped working, I have little faith you'll be able to rescue this without serious electronics engineering skills (which I also don't have, I'm more of a software person). My best guess is that something on the board just broke. Bad luck. You could probably try to get a new board from the manufacturer.

[wisesokol]

I think your chip is broken. There is no information about the memory size. Only st link must be connected to the Board via swd 5 wires.

[Piscanc]

my board still sits broken to prity much same level as yours right now. powers on, but sits in reset state with read out protection. I get your first error when connecting to unpowered board, rest is the same. it got shocked with 5V over usb?

[TheAssassin]

Only st link must be connected to the Board via swd 5 wires.

Well, you can normally also flash if powered otherwise, but it's certainly better to unplug everything (ideally take the board out), then hook up the ST-Link.

Why 5 wires, though? Shouldn't it be four? (I haven't worked with it in a while, but I think it was IO, clock, ground and Vin.)

[wisesokol]

I use rst(reset) pin too.

[TheAssassin]

Ah, yeah, that makes sense.

[wisesokol]

There seems to be a common problem when using octoprint. Maybe 5v break chip.

[TheAssassin]

Don't think so. First of all, chances are they use an external chip to handle the USB connection. And even then, it must withstand a permanent USB connection, or it's useless...

[limestone-xyz]

I've got a new replacement e3 V2 board for now (also has got an RCT6). But I will try to test a little more on my "bricked" one. I'll report back, if I can find anything.

EDIT: I found the cause of my problem at least, and have heard form others with the same experience. Two of my SKR mini E3 V2.0 were bricked by an electrostatic discharge of myself. I just found out because I heard a clicking sound doing some calibration prints and wanting to remove filament residue, but not even touching anything - I just came near. This board then had the exact same issue like the ones before.

So if anyone has the same issue with the board as I had (blank screen, no serial connection/octoprint, can't read MC with STLink), it quite possibly came from an ESD and bricked the MCU/electronics. So be sure to:

• ground yourself before doing something on the printer, regardless where
• use an esd-bracelet
• don't keep the room humidity too low

[Urasik-65]

у Квадрокоптера MJX Bugs 4w 4K слетела прошивка. на STM 32F103RCT6 Где найти прошивку чтобы квадрокоптер снова заработал Помогите!