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.............--- TrackManager Software Prep ---=========================================
On this page we will go through the prep before using EX-Installer to load DCC-EX onto the Nucleo-F439Z1.
To start ...
…. install the white feet to the bottom of the PCB as shown above. Leave the Nucleo board off the PCB at first until you have screwed the feet to something as it blocks you from getting to one of the feet.
After the feet were installed I then mounted the PCB onto a piece of ½” sign-board I had. That board with the PCB and Nucleo slides into a larger board in my case. I’ll have the power supplies for the motorshields and Nucleo and a power strip on the main board in the open area to the left. The large board will be screwed to the side of the layout. Your install might look different.
With the PCB mounted onto something carefully mount the Nucleo-F439Z1 to the PCB. Go slow and make sure all the pins are going into the headers. Put the PCB/Nucleo aside for a bit.
Loading Drivers:
When using any of the NUCLEO series microcontrollers with Microsoft Windows, you will need to install their STLink USB drivers in order to be able to upload software to them and use the Serial Monitor in either PlatformIO or the Arduino IDE. This is covered very well on the DCC-EX site down the page a ways here…..
https://dcc-ex.com/reference/hardware/microcontrollers/stm32-nucleo.html#gsc.tab=0
Upgrade the debugger firmware:
You might or might not need to update the firmware on the Nucleo. If you do that is also covered at the link above.
Adding Nucleo support to the Arduino IDE:
NOTE: You need to have Arduino 2.3.4 or newer when it comes out installed.
If you don’t have the Arduino IDE (lets users write and upload code to Arduino boards) you are going to have to download it onto your computer ( https://www.arduino.cc/en/software ).
Again this DCC-EX link will walk you through that step…..
https://dcc-ex.com/reference/hardware/microcontrollers/stm32-nucleo.html#gsc.tab=0
With the Arduino IDE open under tools make sure that you see Board: “Nucleo-144” & Board Part Number: “Nucleo F439Z1”.
…. the jumpers are in the positions shown above and the USB cable is at the end of the board as shown and not at the end with the Ethernet connector.
You should now be ready to install DCC-EX on the Nucleo using the EX-Installer as outlined on the next page.
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