Efficiency for smart devices with new MCUs

Keeping power consumption low, and starting from economical 64-pin QFP packages, the new MCUs boost integration and real-time performance to handle advanced functionalities like rich user interfaces, natural language interaction, RF mesh networking, and Artificial intelligence (AI).

Enhanced support for embedded graphics includes up to 1.4Mbyte RAM that enables cost-effective support of advanced user interfaces on display resolutions up to HVGA with 24-bit colour without external SRAM.

Voice and audio processing leveraging enhanced energy efficiency and increased DSP capability efficiently handles audio front-end and output generation.

For applications that demand advanced connectivity, the new MCUs’ high CPU performance and Flash density handle evolving RF-communication protocols. The 4.57mm x 4.37mm wafer-level chip-scale package (WLCSP) option eases integration in wireless modules.

As AI pervades embedded devices, the new STM32H7 MCUs deliver the power efficiency needed for machine-learning applications and the performance to support future generations of neural networks.

For security-conscious IoT applications, state-of-the-art cyber-protection includes secure boot / Root-of-Trust and hardware cryptographic/hash accelerators. New on-the-fly decryption (OTFDEC) extends protection to code stored in external serial memories by allowing encrypted content to be decrypted in real time.

The MCUs come with embedded secure-loading services that allow users to order standard products anywhere in the world and deliver encrypted firmware to the programming partner without exposing secrets at any stage. Once the product is authenticated and securely programmed, the Root-of-Trust mechanism supports all secure firmware services including field update.

Dual power domains allow flexible power management and voltage scaling enables optimum efficiency in run and stop modes. An on-chip SMPS helps cut the Bill of Materials (BOM) and can power the MCU circuitry and external components. There is a 32µA STOP mode with SMPS active and full RAM retention, and the standby current is just 4µA.

The new STM32H7 high-performance devices feature rich digital-communication interfaces and up to two octal SPI external memory interfaces. There is also an RGB interface for up to XGA displays, ST’s Chrom-ART Accelerator that offloads the CPU from 2D graphics operations, the Chrom-GRC that optimises support for non-rectangular displays, and hardware JPEG codecs.

The STM32 development ecosystem includes the STM32H7B3I-EVALdedicated Evaluation board, STM32H7B3I-DK Discovery Kit, and NUCLEO-H7A3ZI-Q Nucleo-144 board. The STM32CubeH7 software package includes several application and demonstration examples with source code available, including graphical solutions based on TouchGFX technologies. Users can also take advantage of toolkits for motor control, AI application development, and the STM32Trust cyber-security ecosystem.

Samples of the new STM32H7 devices, STM32H7A3 and STM32H7B3, are available now. Full production for most derivatives began in January 2020 and the full portfolio will be available by June 2020. Pricing starts at $3.78 for the STM32H7A3RIT6, for orders over 10,000 pieces.