Soldered Support:
The first error, where the device couldn’t be activated means that it wasn’t placed in Programming mode. You can always check if the device gets placed into programming mode by looking at the Serial monitor on its port at 115200 baud and waiting for the message “Programming mode active.” Sometimes there are issues with this but this is why we added the boot switch.
If you continue to have trouble, you can also try uploading the binary file via STM32CubeProgrammer software instead. Here’s how:
Step 1: Locate the Compiled Binary File
1.1 Enable Verbose Output in Arduino IDE. To find the location of the .bin file:
- Open Arduino IDE
- Navigate to File → Preferences
- Under Show verbose output during, check compilation
- Click OK
1.2 Compile the Sketch. Open your Arduino sketch: Inkplate_6_Motion_Fast_Animation.ino. Click the Verify (
) button or Upload (→) button. After compilation, scroll up in the output console and look for a line that contains:
C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_xxxxxx\Inkplate_6_Motion_Fast_Animation.ino.bin
Copy this path and navigate to it using File Explorer. You can directly open the folder by pasting the path into the Run dialog (Win + R) or in File Explorer’s address bar.
Step 2: Connect the Inkplate 6MOTION Board
2.1 Connect the Board via USB UART. To upload the firmware, you need a USB-to-serial adapter (e.g., CP210x, FTDI, or CH340) connected to the Inkplate 6MOTION. Identify the COM port: You can do this via Arduino IDE, just remember which COMx it is (e.g., COM5)
2.2 Put Inkplate 6MOTION into Bootloader Mode. Press and hold the programming button. While holding programming button, press and release RESET. Release programming. The board is now in Bootloader mode - you can verify this by looking on the Serial monitor at 115200 baud and waiting for “Programming mode active.”
Step 3: Open STM32CubeProgrammer
Launch STM32CubeProgrammer. In the top-left, select “UART” as the connection method. In the Port dropdown, select your COM port (e.g., COM3). Set Baud Rate to 115200. Click Connect.
Step 4: Load and Flash the Firmware
4.1 Select the Binary File. Click on the “Erasing & Programming” tab (on the left panel). Click “Browse” and navigate to the .bin file found in Step 1. Set the Start Address to 0x08000000.
4.2 Erase & Flash the Firmware. Click “Full chip erase” (optional, but recommended for a clean install). Click “Start Programming”. Wait for the flashing process to complete.
Step 5: Verify and Run the Firmware
If successful, you will see a green progress bar. Click “Reset” or manually press the RESET button on the Inkplate 6MOTION. The new firmware should now be running.
Troubleshooting
If flashing fails:
- Lower the baud rate to 57600
- Try a different USB cable or port