Date: 06/12/2010

ST's ARM Cortex based MCUs at different prices for range of applications

ST Microelectronics has announced roadmap of its 32-bit MCUs based on ARM Cortex-M processor cores which includes Cortex-M4, Cortex-M0 cores and also made available its new STM32 F-2 series MCUs based on ARM Cortex M3.

The Cortex-M4 from ARM is an upwardly compatible version of the Cortex-M3, offering DSP instructions and a Floating Point Unit (FPU). The core will be used in new high-performance variants of STM32 products to be sampled in 2011.

"It is our intention to remain the undisputed leader in ARM Cortex-M MCUs and offer the broadest portfolio of ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers in the industry," said Michel Buffa, General Manager of ST's Microcontroller Division. "The Cortex-M4 and Cortex-M0, in combination with our leading-edge embedded Flash and ultra-low-power technologies, will join the Cortex-M3 core MCUs to allow ST to significantly expand its STM32 offering to meet every application need in performance, features and pricing."

All future STM32 Cortex-M4 and -M0 based MCUs will remain fully pin- and software compatible with each other and the STM32 Cortex-M3 devices and can be programmed using same tool and software ecosystem for the entire STM32 range.

STM32 F-2 microcontroller series feature Adaptive Real-Time memory accelerator (ART Accelerator) and deliver150 Dhrystone MIPS processor performance. The series also offers CoreMark-confirmed 188uA/MHz dynamic power consumption, when executing from Flash, equivalent to drawing 22.5mA at 120MHz. The applications suggested include imaging, connectivity, security, audio and control applications.

"This series is a major addition to the STM32 platform and reinforces ST's leadership in the market for Cortex-M3 MCUs," added Buffa. "ST's proprietary 90nm process and the development of the ART Accelerator enable perfectly optimized processor-memory interactions with a performance equivalent to zero wait states, taking the performance of the Cortex-M3 core to its natural limits."

Production samples of the STM32 F-2 series are available now to OEM customers with widely availability in Q1 2011. Prices for the STM32-F2 series begin from $3.18 for the STM32F205RBT6 with 128 Kbytes of Flash and 64 Kbytes RAM in the LQFP64 package, for orders of more than 10,000 units.