Next-Generation Smart Objects Can Do More and Consume Less with New STM32L4+ Microcontrollers Series from STMicroelectronics
- Best-in-class memory and new graphics features bring sharper user experiences to wearables and smart objects
- Advanced controller, optimized for small, circular displays, boosts
pixel-handling efficiency - Proven power-saving architecture enables richer functionality with longer battery life
The smart electronic objects people interact with every day can be easier to use and run for longer on batteries when designed around the latest ultra-low-power microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications.
The new STM32L4+ devices -- a new generation of the STM32L4 series that stretches performance to 150DMIPS (233 ULPMark-CP) at 120MHz -- can act as the central controller in a full range of fitness bands, smart watches, small medical equipment, smart meters, smart industrial sensors and more. All these applications require sophisticated functions, instant responses, and minimal downtime for battery charging, making the ultra-efficient STM32L4+ an ideal fit.
STM32L4+ gives application designers the features they need to achieve these goals: strong processor performance with the largest on-chip memory for this type of ultra-low-power microcontroller, and the most advanced graphics capabilities for smooth and fluid user experiences. The new Chrom-GRC™ graphics controller can handle circular displays (TFT-LCDs) just as efficiently as square ones, without wasting resources managing pixels that are never displayed. Also on-chip is ST’s innovative Chrom-ART Accelerator™, which enhances graphics performance.
“We all now expect smart objects to fit seamlessly into our lives, anticipating our needs, yet requiring minimal attention themselves,” said Michel Buffa, Microcontroller Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “Leveraging the controllers’ largest-in-class memory and super-efficient graphics capabilities, STM32L4+ microcontrollers series will enable new classes of smart products with more sophisticated features and smoother interactions.”
Designers using the STM32L4+ series can use the extensive – and well proven -- STM32 development ecosystem, which helps streamline design and minimize time to market. The ecosystem provides affordable prototyping boards, software examples, free tools, and high-quality third-party software, hardware, and integrated development environments (IDEs) as part of the ST Partner Program. Applications developed for the earlier STM32L4 microcontrollers can run unchanged on the new devices, with improved performance.
The STM32L4+ devices are in production now, in various package options. Pricing starts at $6.52 for orders of 10,000 pieces. Please contact your local ST sales office for further information.
Notes for editors:
ST has shipped over three billion of its advanced STM32 microcontrollers, which are used in high-tech products from the smallest sensors and implantable medical devices to consumer gadgets, white goods, power tools, media devices, communications, computing and industrial control. The STM32L4+ is the latest in this wide-ranging STM32 family. “L” stands for ST’s ultra-low-power design features and modes, which combine to ensure the chip always consumes the least possible energy. “4” describes the high-performing Arm® Cortex®-M core. And “+” signifies more compute performance, more memory, more features on-chip, and more efficient, high-performing graphics for the latest product designs.
The enhanced memory capabilities include dual Octo SPI ports, making these the first STM32 devices to support this interface. The dual ports allow cost-effective and high-speed extension of code or data storage using single/dual/quad/octal SPI, or HyperBus™, Flash or SRAM memories.
The advanced power-saving technologies, proven across all STM32L-series devices, include proprietary FlexPowerControl, which protects important data like SRAM contents and I/O-pin states when the device is in low-power modes. FlexPowerControl also provides for separate power-supply domains that allow individual voltage adjustment and power-down to meet processing loads at the lowest possible energy, and a programmable high-accuracy clock that saves external components and minimizes power consumption when operating at reduced frequency. In addition, seven main low-power modes, each with optional sub-modes, help optimize for low-power consumption, short startup time, available peripherals, and available wake-up sources. Among these modes, the shutdown mode reduces the current to just 20nA. All STM32L devices also support batch-acquisition mode, which encourages energy-efficient data capture and storage in low-power modes with the main CPU turned off.
The generous on-chip memory of STM32L4+ devices includes 640Kbytes of SRAM to assist high-speed computation and help maximize graphics performance. In addition, the devices in this series provide up to 2Mbytes of dual-bank Flash memory, giving extensive code and data storage with efficient read-while-write capability. These are the largest memory densities available among ultra-low-power microcontrollers in the market today. The Flash also has extensive error-correction features, suitable for use in safety-conscious applications.
ST’s unique Chrom-ART Accelerator™ (DMA2D) offloads repetitive 2D-graphics calculations from the main CPU. It can perform 2D copies, transparency and alpha-blending operations, as well as pixel format conversions, two times faster than the main CPU. The saved CPU cycles can be re-allocated for real-time processing, running concurrently with the graphic operations, or to handle even more impressive graphic effects.
The Chrom-GRC™ graphics memory manager allows users to “unsquare” circular displays, reducing graphics-handling workload by up to 20%. From a memory stand-point, circular displays are often managed in the same way as square displays, which wastes memory by handling pixels that are never displayed. The STM32L4+ Chrom-GRC allows more efficient management of memory resources by handling useful pixels only.
There are also rich digital and analog features, including extensive USB support with Host, Device, and OTG capabilities, 17 timers for functions such as motor control, digital communication interfaces including SPI, SAI, CAN, and high-speed digital filters for signal processing.
The analog peripherals include high-speed analog-digital converters (ADCs), digital-analog converters (DACs), and precision voltage references, comparators, and op-amps. All are architected to maximize energy efficiency in any operating mode, such as by powering down converters in between capturing samples.
The STM32L4+ series is also available in a high-temperature version, specified up to 125°C, which can be used in confined environments where heat dissipation may be impaired.
Developers can take advantage of a wide variety of ecosystem elements, to try out new ideas cost-effectively and unleash the full potential of the new microcontroller series. These include the affordable and flexible 144-pin STM32L4+ Nucleo board (NUCLEO-L4R5ZI) with Arduino™ Uno V3 and ST morpho expansion connectivity, and probe-free debugging.
The more fully-featured STM32L4+ Discovery Kit (STM32L4R9I-DISCO) lets users develop and share applications, and contains 24 bpp round LCD (1.2 inch, 390x390 pixel), 16-Mbit on-board PSRAM and 512-Mbit Octo-SPI Flash memory interface, MEMS microphones, and an audio codec to enhance the audio graphics performance of a wide range of applications. Arduino, Pmod™, and STMod+ connectivity provide extra expansion options.
The STM32L4+ evaluation kit (STM32L4R9I-EVAL) is a complete demonstration and development platform for evaluating all the microcontroller peripherals and building applications.
The associated embedded software and tools are based on ST’s economical and easy-to-use STM32Cube platform. This comprises the STM32CubeMX initialization-code generator and configurator with power estimation, and the comprehensive STM32CubeL4 software package.
For more information please visit http://www.st.com/stm32l4-plus
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global semiconductor leader delivering intelligent and energy-efficient products and solutions that power the electronics at the heart of everyday life. ST’s products are found everywhere today, and together with our customers, we are enabling smarter driving and smarter factories, cities and homes, along with the next generation of mobile and Internet of Things devices.
By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.
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