Project Hub /Automotive EV & Transportation/Smart Vehicle Safety & ADAS/Serial UART Communication on STM8 using Cosmic C and STVD - Print / Read Characters and Strings

Serial UART Communication on STM8 using Cosmic C and STVD - Print / Read Characters and Strings

Intermediate

OTHER CONTROLLER

₹500 – ₹1,500

3 – 6 Hours

Partial Kit

Serial UART Communication on STM8 using Cosmic C and STVD - Print / Read Characters and Strings

Learn how to implement serial UART communication on an STM8S microcontroller using Cosmic C and STVD to print and read characters, integers, and strings.

Originally published on CircuitDigest

View original tutorial

Parts You'll Need

This project is sourced from another site, not written by us — this list is our best match of their components against what we stock, not a verified bill of materials. Always check the original blog (linked above) for the actual parts list before buying.

USB to UART/ESP8266 Adapter Programmer for ESP-01 WiFi Modules with CH340G Chip Rs. 99.00
Jumper Wire 10 Pin Male To Male 20cm Rs. 45.00
10pcs 5mm RED Diffused Light Emitting Diodes - LEDs Set Rs. 39.00
400 Points Mini Solderless Prototype PCB Breadboard High Quality Rs. 89.00
MB102 Adjustable Breadboard Power Supply Module (3.3V & 5V) for Arduino & Raspberry Pi Rs. 139.00
Jumper Wire 10 Pin Male To Female 20cm Rs. 45.00

Selected: Rs. 0.00

We don't carry yet: Arduino (unspecified board)
USB Host / Programmer (ISP/USBasp)

Browse all components

How It Works

This project establishes a serial Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) communication link between an STM8S103F3P6 microcontroller board and a host PC or laptop. At the heart of the system is the STM8S microcontroller, which is programmed using the Cosmic C compiler inside the ST Visual Developer (STVD) Integrated Development Environment, utilizing the STM8S Standard Peripheral Library (SPL). To bridge the microcontroller's UART pins to the computer, a 3.3V USB to TTL converter is connected via wires, translating universal asynchronous serial data frames into USB packets readable by the host. Programmers use an ST-LINK/V2 hardware programmer to flash compiled firmware onto the microcontroller board. Once running, the firmware configures the internal UART peripheral to transmit and receive data bytes at a set baud rate. You can then open a terminal emulator software or the Arduino Serial Monitor on your PC to send characters and strings directly to the STM8S, as well as receive printed text, characters, and integers back from the microcontroller for real-time monitoring and debugging.

Why Build This

Gain practical experience implementing serial communication protocols essential for undergraduate engineering embedded systems design.

Establish a reliable firmware logging and serial debugging interface for advanced microcontroller troubleshooting.

Develop PC-to-microcontroller command-line interfaces to interact dynamically with running hardware.

Real-World Application

Serial debugging, firmware logging, and PC-to-microcontroller command interfaces in embedded system development.

Skills You'll Learn

UART communication configuration

low-level microcontroller peripheral programming

C programming with Cosmic C and STVD

using standard peripheral libraries

serial terminal data parsing

Safety Precautions

Ensure your USB to TTL converter operates on 3.3V logic levels to prevent damaging the 3.3V STM8S103F3P6 microcontroller.

Technology Tags

UART

SERIAL COMMUNICATION

COSMIC C

STVD

ST-LINK

USB TO TTL

EMBEDDED C

MICROCONTROLLER DEBUGGING

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a USB to TTL converter if my computer has USB ports?

A USB to TTL converter translates the USB signals from your PC into UART voltage levels that the STM8S microcontroller can understand and process.

Can I use any terminal software with this setup?

Yes, any terminal emulator software or the Arduino Serial Monitor can be used to send and receive characters and strings, provided it is configured to the correct baud rate.

What is the purpose of the ST-LINK/V2 programmer?

The ST-LINK/V2 hardware programmer is required to transfer your compiled Cosmic C firmware from ST Visual Developer onto the flash memory of the STM8S103F3P6 microcontroller.

Gallery

This page is part of Kitkraft's Project Hub — a curated collection of electronics & robotics projects gathered from the maker community to help students and hobbyists discover and learn to build. Kitkraft does not claim authorship of the original project, and makes no representation as to the accuracy, completeness or safety of third-party source material. The summary and "How It Works" explanation above are AI-generated, rewritten with reference to the original tutorial — not a reproduction of it. Full credit and a direct link to the original source are provided above. If you're the original creator and have a concern about how your work is represented here, please contact us and we'll address it promptly.

Kitkraft Project Hub — curated from the maker community, credited at the source.

PRJ-00235