Workshop: Getting Started with AWS Greengrass Lite on STM32MP1

This workshop walks you through configuring the STM32MP135F-DK board as a BLE-to-AWS IoT Gateway using AWS IoT Greengrass Lite. In this setup, the MP1 board bridges data from Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sensor nodes—such as the STEVAL-PROTEUS1 – Bluetooth LE sensor node—to the cloud via an AWS IoT Greengrass V2 Component Deployment:

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Introduction

In this hands-on guide, you'll configure your STM32MP135F-DK as a BLE gateway that collects sensor data from the STEVAL-PROTEUS1 industrial BLE node and transmits it to the cloud via AWS IoT Greengrass Lite.

This demo showcases how AWS IoT Greengrass Lite enables lightweight, cloud-connected edge computing on cost-effective embedded platforms. Greengrass Lite supports:

• Local data processing
• Secure AWS IoT Core connectivity
• Simple over-the-air (OTA) deployments and updates
• Seamless integration with AWS services for analytics, storage, and alerting
• Basic device health monitoring and lifecycle management

Paired with STM32MP1, this solution highlights a scalable, low-power, and production-ready option for IoT gateways. The STM32MP135F-DK delivers:

• Single-core Arm® Cortex®-A7 performance for Linux + BLE gateway workloads
• Certified security features suited for industrial applications
• Low energy consumption and reduced system cost
• Support for OpenSTLinux and STM32Cube development tools
• A rich ecosystem and long-term support from ST and its partners

Together, Greengrass Lite and the STM32MP1 form a powerful combination for developers seeking to build cost-effective, secure, connected, and maintainable edge-to-cloud IoT systems.

What You'll Accomplish

By following this guide, you will:

• Flash the STM32MP135F-DK with a OpenSTLinux starter image that includes required dependencies.
• Connect the board to Wi-Fi for cloud access.
• Install and configure AWS IoT Greengrass Lite on the board.
• Deploy a custom BLE Gateway Python component to interface with the STEVAL-PROTEUS1.
• Stream live BLE sensor data to the cloud.

High-Level Workflow

1. Flash the MP1: Install the OpenSTLinux starter image using STM32CubeProgrammer.
2. Connect the MP1 to Wi-Fi: Enable internet access for AWS services.
3. Install Greengrass Lite on MP1: Provision the device as a Greengrass core.
4. Deploy BLE Gateway Comonent to MP1: Push a BLE data collection component to Greengrass.

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Hardware Requirements

You'll need the following hardware components:

• USB-A to USB-C data cable
• USB-C power cable
• USB-A to Micro-USB cable
• STEVAL-PROTEUS1 – Bluetooth LE sensor node
• STM32MP135F-DK – MPU development board

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Software Prerequisites

Make sure you install or have access to the following:

• STM32CubeProgrammer – for flashing the board
• STM32MP1 Starter Package Image – a pre-built Linux distribution from STMicroelectronics for STM32MP1 boards
• Git Bash – for running shell scripts on Windows
• AWS Account – required to provision IoT devices and Greengrass components
• AWS CLI – for managing AWS resources via the command line

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Git Submodules

You will need to clone the following repositories as submodules with this command:

git clone https://github.com/stm32-hotspot/GreengrassLite_STM32MP1_Workshop.git --recurse-submodules

If you've already cloned without submodules, you can initialize them manually with:

git submodule update --init --recursive

Greengrass Lite Setup Repository

Contains provisioning scripts and component configurations for setting up Greengrass Lite on the STM32MP1 board.

• GitHub: https://github.com/stm32-hotspot/STM32MP1_AWS-IoT-Greengrass-nucleus-lite.git

BLE Gateway Setup Repository

Contains scripts and configuration files for deploying BLE functionality using the STEVAL-PROTEUS1 with AWS IoT Greengrass.

• GitHub: https://github.com/stm32-hotspot/GreenGrass_Lite_BLE_Gateway_Proteus

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Instructions

Before getting started, make sure the following setup steps are complete:

• All software prerequisites are installed on your development machine.
• All submodules are cloned using --recurse-submodules.
• The STM32MP1 Starter Package Image is downloaded and extracted to an accessible location.
• AWS CLI is installed and setup for programatic access with the aws configure command on your development PC.

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Flashing the Starter Package

This section guides you through installing the necessary drivers and flashing the STM32MP1 Starter Package Image onto the STM32MP135F-DK using USB (DFU mode).

For background information, diagrams, and additional support, refer to the official STM32MP135x-DK Boot Image Setup Guide.

Step 1: Install STM32CubeProgrammer Dependencies

On Linux

Install required USB packages and copy udev rules:

sudo apt-get install libusb-1.0-0
cd <STM32CubeProgrammer_Install_Path>/Drivers/rules
sudo cp *.* /etc/udev/rules.d/

This ensures your PC can detect and communicate with the board over USB.

On Windows

Run the DFU driver installer:

cd <STM32CubeProgrammer_Install_Path>\Drivers\DFU_Driver\
.\STM32Bootloader.bat

If you encounter issues, refer to the troubleshooting guide: DFU Driver Installation Troubleshooting (ST Uncyclo)

Step 2: Flash the Image

1. Set boot switches to DFU mode: 1-Open 2-Open 3-Open 4-Open

   

2. Connect power using a USB-C cable to the PWR CN12 port.

   

3. Connect data using a USB-A to USB-C cable from your PC to the CN7/USB_OTG port.

   

4. Launch STM32CubeProgrammer.

5. In the GUI, select USB mode and connect to the board.

   

6. Click Open File and select: FlashLayout_sdcard_stm32mp135x-dk-optee.tsv

   

7. Set the Binaries Path to: $[Starter_Pack_Path]/images/stm32mp1

   

8. Click Download to begin flashing.

9. After flashing completes:

   • Update boot switches to boot from SD card: 1-Closed 2-Open 3-Closed 4-Open

     

   • Power-cycle the board.

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Setup the WLAN Connection

This step sets up Wi-Fi connectivity on the STM32MP135-DK using its onboard WLAN interface.

For background information, diagrams, and support resources, visit the How to setup a WLAN connection

WLAN Setup Summary

1. Connect the Board With power to the board, connect a USB-A to Micro-USB cable from your development PC to the STM32MP135-DK's CN10/USB_STLINK Micro-USB port.

   

2. Update the Wi-Fi Credentials Depending on your host operating system, open the appropriate script (configureWifi.sh or configureWifi.ps1) in a text editor and update the SSID and PASSWORD fields:

   • Linux/macOS: edit configureWifi.sh

     # === USER CONFIGURATION ===
     SSID="YOUR_WIFI_SSID"
     PASSWORD="YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD"

   • Windows (PowerShell): edit configureWifi.ps1

     # USER CONFIGURATION
     $SSID = "YOUR_WIFI_SSID"
     $PASSWORD = "YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD"

3. Run the Script from Your Development PC Use the terminal appropriate for your operating system:

   • Linux/macOS (Bash):

     chmod +x configureWifi.sh
     sudo ./configureWifi.sh

   • Windows (PowerShell):

     .\configureWifi.ps1

   The script will send commands over the serial interface to configure the WLAN connection on your STM32MP135-DK.

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Install AWS IoT Greengrass Lite

This step configures your STM32MP135-DK as a Greengrass Core device with the Greengrass Lite runtime.

For background information, detailed setup instructions, and troubleshooting tips see the Full README for this section

AWS IoT Greengrass Lite Install Summary:

1. Clone the submodules if not already done

   git submodule update --init --recursive
   cd STM32MP1_AWS-IoT-Greengrass-nucleus-lite

2. Update the config.json with your board-specific and AWS settings:

   {
     "BOARD_IP": "<IP address of your STM32MP135 DK>",
     "THING_NAME": "<Unique IoT Thing name>",
     "THING_GROUP_NAME": "<IoT Thing Group name>"
   }

3. Run the Greengrass provisioning script in shell terminal:

   • Linux/macOS:

     chmod +x ./execute.sh
     ./execute.sh

   • Windows (PowerShell): assumes git bash is installed in default location

     & "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe" .\execute.sh

This will:

• Provision the device on AWS
• Create the necessary certificates, policies, and groups
• Install and start Greengrass Nucleus on the STM32MP1 board

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Deploy BLE Gateway

This step configures your STM32MP135-DK as a BLE Gateway by deploying an AWS IoT Greengrass V2 Python component to the Greengrass core device.

For background information, detailed setup instructions, and troubleshooting tips see the Full README for this section

BLE Gateway Deployment Summary:

1. Unbox the STEVAL-PROTEUS1 board, which comes pre-imaged with compatible firmware—no additional flashing is required.

   Connect the board to your computer via USB-A to Micro-USB.

   

   Watch this step on YouTube

2. Navigate to the BLE gateway repo and update config.json:

   {
     "TARGET_GROUP": "<IoT Group name>",
     "BASE_BUCKET_NAME": "<S3 bucket base name>",
     "REGION": "<AWS region>",
     "VERSION": "<Component version>",
     "COMPONENT_NAME": "<Greengrass component name>"
   }

3. Run the deployment script:

   • Linux/macOS:

     chmod +x ./deploy.sh
     ./deploy.sh

   • Windows (PowerShell): assumes git bash is installed in default location

     & "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe" .\deploy.sh

This will:

• Package and deploy your BLE gateway component to the device
• Register the BLE device as a data source in AWS IoT Greengrass
• Begin collecting BLE sensor data from the PROTEUS1 board

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