# Going Through A Starter Project
0\. Create New Project
**File** -> **New** -> **STM32 Project**
Identify the MCU version that you are using. For this entire tutorial, we will be using STM32F446RET6 unless otherwise noticed.
Identifying the MCU version
Search for "STM32F446RET6" and select the first result. Then click **Next**.
Name the project, select a suitable location, and then keep the following settings. Then click **Finish**.
## 1. Configure STM32
STM32CubeIDE will open the .ioc graphical configuration utility first.
In the left sidebar, select **System Core** -> **SYS**.
Select Debug to use Serial Wire
Select **Connectivity** -> **USART2**.
Set **Mode** to be Asynchronous.
In the Clock Configuration tab, set **HCLK** to **160 MHz** and click Enter, the IDE will automatically derive the required PLL parameters.
Press **Ctrl+S**. STM32CubeIDE will start to generate the codes.
## 2. Code with Minimal Setup
In `main.h` and `main.c`, add the following code
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Code" %}
**main.h**
/* Private includes ----------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN Includes */
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
/* USER CODE END Includes */
**main.c**
```c
/* Initialize all configured peripherals */
MX_GPIO_Init();
MX_USART2_UART_Init();
/* USER CODE BEGIN 2 */
uint32_t counter = 0;
/* USER CODE END 2 */
/* Infinite loop */
/* USER CODE BEGIN WHILE */
while (1)
{
char str[64];
sprintf(str, "hello world %lu\r\n", counter);
HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart2, (uint8_t *)str, strlen(str), 1000);
counter += 1;
/* USER CODE END WHILE */
/* USER CODE BEGIN 3 */
}
/* USER CODE END 3 */
}
```
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Screenshot" %}
**main.h**
**main.c**
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
## 3. Upload
Click the green "run ..." button
If there's a popup menu, click "OK".
## 4. Result
We should be able to see hello world with an upward counter printing from any serial monitor.
Recommend using the [VSCode Serial Monitor extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.vscode-serial-monitor) from Microsoft.
## 5. Code with Cleaner Hierarchy
Although our code is running now, putting everything into `main.c` and `main.h` isn't really a good idea ---- these files are autogenerated by STM32CubeIDE, and we would risk breaking it when putting and editing our code between those autogenerated lines.
Thus, a better way of managing the code would be to separate the system-managed code from our user code. Now we would create two new source files, `app.h` and `app.c`, and move our existing code there.
In the Project Explorer, right click the "Src" folder, select "New -> Source File".
Name the file "app.c" and click "Finish".
Similarly, in the Project Explorer, right click the "Inc" folder, select "New -> Header File".
Name the file "app.h" and click "Finish".
Then, we can move all the previous user codes into these newly created files.
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Code" %}
**app.h**
```c
/*
* app.h
*
* Created on: Dec 30, 2022
* Author: TK
*/
#ifndef INC_APP_H_
#define INC_APP_H_
#include
#include
#include "stm32g4xx_hal.h"
void APP_init();
void APP_main();
#endif /* INC_APP_H_ */
```
**app.c**
```c
/*
* app.c
*
* Created on: Dec 30, 2022
* Author: TK
*/
#include "app.h"
uint32_t counter = 0;
void APP_init() {
}
void APP_main() {
char str[64];
sprintf(str, "hello world %lu\r\n", counter);
HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart2, (uint8_t *)str, strlen(str), 1000);
counter += 1;
}
```
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Screenshot" %}
**app.h**
**app.c**
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
Finally, we need to invoke the user application functions in `main.c`
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Code" %}
**main.h**
```c
/* Private includes ----------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN Includes */
#include "app.h"
/* USER CODE END Includes */
```
**main.c**
```c
/* Initialize all configured peripherals */
MX_GPIO_Init();
MX_USART2_UART_Init();
/* USER CODE BEGIN 2 */
APP_init();
/* USER CODE END 2 */
/* Infinite loop */
/* USER CODE BEGIN WHILE */
while (1)
{
APP_main();
/* USER CODE END WHILE */
/* USER CODE BEGIN 3 */
}
/* USER CODE END 3 */
}
```
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Screenshot" %}
**main.h**
**main.c**
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
