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STM32-NUCLEO F446RE
A Tech Review of Their Affordable Stepping Stone
I bought the STM32-NUCLEO development board with thoughts of building my own sensor kit. We were using them in the Graduate
Certificate IoT program at NSCC in Halifax. The STM32-NUCLEO development board is one of the most practical and
affordable options for embedded computing — and it's surprisingly well-suited for agriculture and Internet of Things.
Here’s a short guide for growers, students, or anyone curious about why Merit-IoT uses STM boards in our field
tests.
STM32-NUCLEO F446RE Development Board. It was cheaper to buy it from Amazon with free Prime shipping
than from Digikey and pay for shipping and currency exchange. Image courtesy of STMicroelectronics.
Unboxing the F446RE
The STM32-NUCLEO is a family of development boards created by STMicroelectronics. Each board features:
- An STM32 microcontroller (based on ARM Cortex)
- Built-in ST-LINK debugger (no separate programmer required)
- Arduino-compatible headers for shields
- Breadboard-friendly layout for quick prototyping
You can power it over USB, connect sensors directly, or build into a larger project using LoRa or Wi-Fi.
Why Use It on the Farm?
The STM32-NUCLEO is perfect for:
- Collecting soil moisture and temperature data using analog sensors
- Logging sensor readings to an SD card or serial terminal
- Pushing real-time values to a ThingsBoard dashboard over LoRa or Wi-Fi
- Controlling relays or pumps in response to thresholds
We’ve used it in greenhouse and raised bed tests to read soil data, measure air temp, and even control timed irrigation.
Programming Options
- Supports Arduino IDE (easier, quick-start)
- Fully compatible with PlatformIO and STM32CubeIDE (for advanced workflows)
- USB plug-and-play for flashing and serial monitoring
Code libraries for sensors like DHT11, DS18B20, and analog soil probes are widely available.
Pros
- Inexpensive and easy to source
- Open-source and widely documented
- Modular and expandable (can grow with your project)
- Great for classroom or community education
Considerations
- Requires some programming familiarity (C/C++ or Arduino)
- Needs a 3.3V-safe sensor setup (some 5V sensors work, others don’t)
- More hands-on than a commercial plug-and-play system
Bottom Line
If you want to build your own smart sensor, the STM32-NUCLEO is a solid foundation — especially when paired with ThingsBoard, LoRa modules, or SD logging.
We use it at Merit-IoT because it’s:
- Affordable
- Easy to teach
- Flexible enough to prototype real-world farm tools
STM32-NUCLEO F446RE
A Tech Review of Their Affordable Stepping Stone
I bought the STM32-NUCLEO development board with thoughts of building my own sensor kit. We were using them in the Graduate Certificate IoT program at NSCC in Halifax. The STM32-NUCLEO development board is one of the most practical and affordable options for embedded computing — and it's surprisingly well-suited for agriculture and Internet of Things.
Here’s a short guide for growers, students, or anyone curious about why Merit-IoT uses STM boards in our field tests.
Unboxing the F446RE
The STM32-NUCLEO is a family of development boards created by STMicroelectronics. Each board features:
- An STM32 microcontroller (based on ARM Cortex)
- Built-in ST-LINK debugger (no separate programmer required)
- Arduino-compatible headers for shields
- Breadboard-friendly layout for quick prototyping
You can power it over USB, connect sensors directly, or build into a larger project using LoRa or Wi-Fi.
Why Use It on the Farm?
The STM32-NUCLEO is perfect for:
- Collecting soil moisture and temperature data using analog sensors
- Logging sensor readings to an SD card or serial terminal
- Pushing real-time values to a ThingsBoard dashboard over LoRa or Wi-Fi
- Controlling relays or pumps in response to thresholds
We’ve used it in greenhouse and raised bed tests to read soil data, measure air temp, and even control timed irrigation.
Programming Options
- Supports Arduino IDE (easier, quick-start)
- Fully compatible with PlatformIO and STM32CubeIDE (for advanced workflows)
- USB plug-and-play for flashing and serial monitoring
Code libraries for sensors like DHT11, DS18B20, and analog soil probes are widely available.
Pros
- Inexpensive and easy to source
- Open-source and widely documented
- Modular and expandable (can grow with your project)
- Great for classroom or community education
Considerations
- Requires some programming familiarity (C/C++ or Arduino)
- Needs a 3.3V-safe sensor setup (some 5V sensors work, others don’t)
- More hands-on than a commercial plug-and-play system
Bottom Line
If you want to build your own smart sensor, the STM32-NUCLEO is a solid foundation — especially when paired with ThingsBoard, LoRa modules, or SD logging.
We use it at Merit-IoT because it’s:
- Affordable
- Easy to teach
- Flexible enough to prototype real-world farm tools
For inquiries about Merit-iot, please feel free to reach out:
Merit-iot Agricultural Computingc/o Brian Butts-Heide
26 Jacob Lane, Suite 305
Halifax, NS B3M 0H6
Canada
[email protected]
Brian's mobile: +1 (902) 719-2516