Project Overview

The STM32 DevOps Template demonstrates modern software development practices applied to embedded systems development, specifically targeting STM32 microcontrollers.

Architecture

The project follows a modular architecture with clear separation of concerns:

Data Layer

The data layer provides foundational data structures optimized for embedded systems:

  • Static Memory Allocation: All data structures use pre-allocated arrays to avoid heap fragmentation

  • Efficient Algorithms: O(1) operations for queue operations, O(log n) for priority queue

  • Error Handling: Comprehensive return codes and input validation

Implementation Details

Regular Queue (FIFO)

Uses circular array indexing with front/rear pointers and count tracking for efficient memory usage.

Circular Queue (Ring Buffer)

Implements wrap-around behavior using modulo arithmetic, ideal for streaming data.

Priority Queue (Max-Heap)

Binary heap implementation with heapify-up/down algorithms for priority-based processing.

Linked List

Traditional linked list with global head pointer for backward compatibility.

DevOps Practices

Testing Strategy

  • Unit Testing: Unity framework for comprehensive test coverage

  • Cross-Platform Testing: Host-based testing for rapid development cycles

  • Automated Testing: CI/CD integration with GitHub Actions

Documentation

  • API Documentation: Sphinx + Breathe for beautiful, searchable documentation

  • Code Comments: Comprehensive Doxygen-style comments

  • Examples: Working demonstrations of all data structures

Build System

  • CMake: Cross-platform build system

  • Toolchain Support: ARM GCC toolchain for embedded targets

  • Configuration Management: Separate build configurations for host/target

Continuous Integration

  • Automated Builds: GitHub Actions for both host and target builds

  • Test Execution: Automatic test running on pull requests

  • Documentation Deployment: Automated documentation publishing to GitHub Pages

Target Platform

Primary Target: STM32F407 Discovery Board

  • CPU: ARM Cortex-M4 @ 168MHz

  • Memory: 1MB Flash, 192KB RAM

  • Peripherals: Rich peripheral set for expansion

Host Platform: Any system supporting GCC

  • Purpose: Unit testing and development

  • Benefits: Faster iteration cycles, debugging capabilities

Use Cases

This template is ideal for:

  • Learning: Understanding embedded DevOps practices

  • Prototyping: Quick start for STM32 projects

  • Production: Scalable foundation for commercial products

  • Education: Teaching modern embedded development practices

Best Practices Demonstrated

  • Static Analysis: Code quality tools integration

  • Memory Safety: No dynamic allocation, bounds checking

  • Portability: Clean separation between platform-specific and generic code

  • Maintainability: Clear code structure and comprehensive documentation

  • Reliability: Extensive testing and error handling