STMicro MCUs based on ARM core family

STMicroelectronics has introduced two ARM core-based product families that include embedded flash and low pin-count packages.

"ST has over four years experience in building ARM core-based products for ASIC and application-specific circuits," said Y.U. Lee, GM of the Microcontroller Division. "Now, we are introducing a standard microcontroller for the mass-market."

Based on the ARM7TDMI core, the STR710 series is aimed at customers who want the power and flexibility of a 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) plus a rich set of on-chip peripherals. The STR720 series is based on the ARM720T core with cache, MMU and an SDRAM interface. It is intended for applications requiring performance and an open-system memory architecture that supports advanced OSs.

Interests in 32-bit MCUs

According to STMicro, the two MCU families offer several key advantages, including state-of-the-art embedded flash memory with performance of up to 48MHz and low latency for deterministic behavior in real-time applications, and high connectivity using serial interfaces such as CAN, USB, SPI, I2C and UART.

Rated for operation between the -40°C and 85°C temperature range, both families target industrial control applications such as factory automation, point-of-sale and vending machines and testing equipment, as well as mass-market telecom applications such as bridges and protocol translators.

"As technology makes bigger chips more affordable, we see growing interest from designers using 8- and 16-bit micros who want to use 32-bit solutions. With these ARM families, we are well positioned to gain a good share of this market," said Daniel Colonna, marketing director of the Microcontroller division.

Through the company's partnership with ARM, STMicro is able to provide a low-cost RealView developer kit product specifically for the STR7xx series, based on the ARM RealView Developer Suite software and hardware solution. The MCU series is also supported by tools and development support environments provided by a range of traditional 32-bit tool providers including ARM, GreenHills, IAR, Hitex, and Ashling.

"These two product families are only the beginning. We will be bringing new devices to market within 8 to 12 months and will expand the portfolio even more in the future with key innovations," Colonna exclaimed.