ARM Microcontroller Beginners Kit (STM32F0)

The starting point for STM32 ARM microcontroller development. Everything you need to write your first program, blink your first LED, read your first push button, and start building real circuits — without spending hours sourcing parts from a dozen different places.

This kit is built around the STM32F030 microcontroller, mounted on a breakout board designed specifically to span three breadboards. That gives every pin nine separate connection points (four on one tie strip, five on the other) — much more room to wire up circuits than a standard dev kit gives you.

Who this kit is for

• Beginners stepping up from Arduino into the STM32 ARM ecosystem
• Hobbyists who want to learn embedded C with a modern industry-standard chip
• Students starting a self-paced or classroom STM32 curriculum
• Anyone who has some programming experience and wants a clean starting point — without the cost or complexity of a full sensor suite

Some prior programming experience helps. Arduino-level familiarity, Python, or any C-family language is enough to get going.

What's included

Microcontroller and programmer:

• STM32F030 microcontroller mounted on a breakout board
• ST-Link V2 programmer
• Connection cable for the ST-Link V2

Prototyping platform:

• (3) Solderless breadboards (configured for 9-tie-point pin access)
• Solid-core jumper wire set — 140 total hookup wires in assorted lengths and colors

Inputs and outputs:

• (4) Push buttons
• (12) Green LEDs
• (2) Red LEDs

Resistors:

• (4) 1kΩ
• (4) 4.7kΩ
• (20) 330Ω

Capacitors:

• (2) 10µF electrolytic
• (2) 100µF electrolytic
• (6) 100nF / 0.1µF ceramic

What this kit does NOT include

This kit is intentionally lean to keep the price low. It does not include sensors, displays, voltage regulators, crystals, or serial communication adapters. If you want those, see the Intermediate Kit or Advanced Kit.

What you'll need to supply

• A computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) for programming the STM32
• STM32CubeIDE or your preferred ARM toolchain (free, downloaded from STMicroelectronics)
• USB cable for the ST-Link V2 (some computers may require a USB-A to USB-Micro adapter)

Free tutorial library

Hundreds of free STM32 tutorials, code examples, and project walkthroughs are available on our companion site, NewbieHack.com. Topics include GPIO, push button input, timers and PWM, interrupts, and the basics of embedded C — all of which can be done with the components in this kit.

Free YouTube tutorials

Patrick Hood-Daniel — the designer of this kit and author of ARM Microcontrollers: Programming and Circuit Building, Volume 1 — has a full library of free STM32 tutorials on YouTube using the exact components in this kit. Watch the lessons, follow along with your hardware, and learn from the same person who built the kit you're holding. Subscribe to the channel here.

Free customer support included

Every kit purchase includes free support on what you've purchased. Stuck on getting the ST-Link to recognize the chip, configuring your toolchain, or wiring your first circuit? Reply to your order email and we'll help you get unstuck.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Do I need to know C programming before buying this kit?
Some prior programming experience helps. Arduino, Python, or any C-family language is enough. If you've never programmed before, you'll need to pair this kit with C learning resources — there are many free options online.

Q: What software do I need?
STM32CubeIDE is the official free IDE from STMicroelectronics and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's what we use throughout our tutorials at NewbieHack.com.

Q: Why STM32 instead of Arduino?
The STM32F030 runs at higher clock speeds, has more peripheral options, more flexible interrupt handling, true hardware timers, and a much richer ecosystem for professional embedded work. If you're planning a career in embedded systems or want to design more sophisticated circuits, ARM is where the industry has gone.

Q: How is this different from the Ultra Basic Kit?
The Ultra Basic Kit contains only the STM32F030 chip, the ST-Link programmer, breadboards, and the breakout board. It's designed for builders who already have resistors, LEDs, capacitors, and jumper wires on hand. This Beginners Kit adds all the basic passives so you can start building circuits immediately.

Q: How is this different from the Intermediate and Advanced Kits?
The Intermediate Kit adds an OLED display, voltage regulators, crystals, an FTDI USB-to-serial converter, potentiometers, and additional capacitors — for circuits using PWM, UART, SPI, and I2C. The Advanced Kit adds an ADXL345 accelerometer, ultrasonic range finder, and 20x4 LCD on top of all that.

Q: Is the ST-Link V2 a clone or genuine?
We ship the standard ST-Link V2 programmer that's universally compatible with STM32CubeIDE and OpenOCD. It works identically to the genuine ST-branded unit for the use cases in our tutorials.