The STEVAL-ROBKIT1 is an evaluation kit for robotics applications based on ST’s STM32H725 and STM32G0 Arm microcontrollers. It’s the first such robot kit from the company, and it targets both traditional engineering teams, educators, and students.
The kit features an STM32H725 main board, an STM32G0 motor-control PCB, and a 1.53MP camera + ToF sensor module, as well as a robotic frame, wheels, and motors with encoders. It does not require a soldering iron for assembly to make it easier for students.
STEVAL-ROBKIT1 key components and features:
- Main board – STEVAL-ROBKIT1-1
- SoC – STMicro STM32H725IGT6 Arm Cortex-M7 microcontroller @ 550 MHz with 1MB flash, 564 KB SRAM with ECC
- Wireless – BlueNRG-M2 Bluetooth LE 5.2 SoC
- Sensors
- 6-axis IMU (LSM6DSV16BX)
- Magnetometer (LIS2MDL)
- Microphone (MP34DT06J)
- Expansion – 40-pin Raspberry Pi-like header
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Camera module Motor control board – STEVAL-ROBKIT1-2
- SoC – STMicro STM32G071CBT6 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller at 64 MHz with 128 KB flash, 36KB SRAM
- Motor – STSPIN240 motor driver for the wheels
- Sensor – 6-axis accelerometer and gyroscope (6LSM6DSR)
- Camera module – STEVAL-ROBKIT1-3
- 1.53 MP monochrome, global shutter image sensor (VD56G3) suitable for computer vision applications.
- VL53L8CX time-of-flight sensor for object detection/collision avoidance
- ST1PS01 nano-quiescent step-down converter.
- Various accessories – DC motors, wheels, 4x AA battery holder, screw sets, chassis, acrylic plates…
On the software side, there are two main components
- STSW-ROBKIT1 with the open-source firmware for the MCUs
- FreeRTOS firmware for the main board to learn about scheduling, error handling, Bluetooth stacks, computer vision, and sensor fusion
- The motor control application for the motor control board to learn about classical algorithms
- It integrates with the STM32Cube ecosystem
- STRobotics mobile app for Android and iOS (closed-source for now). It’s both a virtual joystick to move the robot around and a data logger to visualize the data captured by all the sensors.
It was first announced last June by Mouser and other distributors, but I only found out about it through a new blog post on ST.com. It can be purchased for $299 directly on ST or through distributors. More details, including documentation, software, and purchase links, can be found on the product page. The 21-minute video below shows how to get started with the kit, but you may want to watch it at twice the speed since most of the video is about the assembly process.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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