- Fusion of 32-bit ultra-low-power microcontroller and highly
integrated Bluetooth 5 (BLE) and IEEE 802.15.4 radio creates
high-performing wireless platform for feature-rich smart connected
objects
- Dual Arm® Cortex®-M cores individually dedicated to device
operation and wireless communication ensure smoother user
experience
- Compatibility with proven STM32 ecosystem brings developer
advantages and faster time to market
Geneva, February 22, 2018 - Powering the next generation
of smart connected objects like digital-home products, wearable
electronics, smart lighting, and smart sensors, STMicroelectronics
(NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across
the spectrum of electronics applications, has revealed an advanced
dual-processor wireless chip that supports new features and
enhanced performance with extended battery life to deliver an
improved end-user experience.
The new STM32WB wireless System-on-Chip (SoC) devices combine a
fully-featured Arm® Cortex®-M4-based microcontroller to run the
main application as well as an Arm Cortex-M0+ core to offload the
main processor and offer real time operation on the Bluetooth Low
Energy (BLE) 5 and IEEE 802.15.4 radio. The radio can also run
other wireless protocols concurrently, including OpenThread,
ZigBee®, or proprietary protocols, giving even more options for
connecting devices to the Internet of Things (IoT).
Today, only a few manufacturers offer similar dual-processor
wireless chips capable of managing the user application and the
radio separately for optimum performance, and with such large
memory size. Alternatives typically utilize entry-level Arm
Cortex-M industry-standard cores, which introduce architecture
limitations.
Combining the higher-performing Cortex-M4 with a Cortex-M0+ for
network processing, the STM32WB leverages ST's ultra-low-power MCU
(microcontroller) technologies to combine superior RF performance
for longer battery life. The SoC also includes essential circuitry
(balun) for connecting to the antenna, which engineers must usually
design themselves, as well as generous user and system memory,
hardware encryption, and customer-key storage for brand and IP
protection.
"The STM32WB series delivers the advanced integration and
uncompromising dual-core performance that developers now need to
meet relentless end-user demands for even better and more
affordable smart connected objects," said Michel Buffa, Group Vice
President, Microcontroller Division General Manager,
STMicroelectronics. "Moreover, compatibility with the STM32
development ecosystem brings design advantages that can
significantly reduce time to market for new products like lights,
fitness trackers, medical monitors, beacons, tags, security
devices, and many others."
Engineering samples of the STM32WB in packages up to 100-pin
WLCSP will begin sampling to lead customers in Q1 2018, priced from
$1.56 for high-volume orders.
Further Technical Information:
As an evolution of the well-known and market leading STM32L4
ultra-low-power MCU series, the STM32WB platform brings built-in
wireless connectivity to ST's STM32 family. The robust and
low-power 2.4GHz radio consumes only 5.5mA in transmit mode, and as
little as 3.8mA when receiving. The STM32WB offers a comfortable RF
link budget of -102dBm and is capable of +6dBm output power. The
integrated balun, leveraging ST's expertise in single-chip baluns,
saves up to nine additional external components.
The new devices leverage rich STM32 digital and analog
peripherals that are engineered for extended battery life and
complex functionalities, including timers, ultra-low-power
comparators, 12/16-bit SAR ADC, a capacitive touch controller, LCD
controller, and industry-standard connectivity including
crystal-less USB 2.0 FS, I2C, SPI, SAI audio interface, and a
Quad-SPI supporting execution in place.
To assist development, the STM32WB platform is served by a
dedicated connectivity tool, STM32CubeMonitor-RF (order code:
STM32CubeMonRF), which simplifies radio testing. Users can also
take advantage of the STM32CubeMX pinout/clock configurator and
code generator, as well as peripheral drivers, middleware, code
examples, and a dedicated STM32 Nucleo board to accelerate time to
market.
The STM32WB dual-core architecture enables real-time execution
of both application code and network-processing tasks. As a result,
developers can ensure an outstanding end-user experience while also
taking advantage of the flexibility to optimize system resources,
power consumption, and bill-of-materials (BOM) costs.
The Cortex-M0+ network-processing controller contains certified
protocol stacks including ST's OpenThread stack and the Bluetooth 5
stack with Mesh 1.0 support, which comes with multiple profiles.
The radio's generic HCI and Media Access Control (MAC) layer gives
developers the flexibility to use their own choice of Bluetooth Low
Energy (BLE) stack, or other IEEE 802.15.4 proprietary stacks.
State-of-the-art protection features -- essential to protect
users' data and help product vendors protect their intellectual
property in all smart connected devices -- include embedded
customer-key storage, an elliptic curve encryption engine for
Public Key Authentication (PKA), and hardware support for AES
256-bit cryptography. Vendors can also future-proof products in the
field, leveraging Secure Firmware Update (SFU) and support for Root
Secure Service (RSS) to authenticate Over the Air (OTA)
updates.
STM32WB devices will be available in a choice of 48-pin UQFN,
68-pin VQFN, or 100-pin WLCSP with up to 72 general-purpose I/Os
(GPIO). Each can be specified with any of three memory
configurations, giving a choice of 256KB Flash and 128KB RAM,
512KB-Flash/256KB-RAM, or 1MB-Flash/256KB-RAM.
For more information please visit www.st.com/stm32wb
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.
In 2017, the Company's net revenues were $8.35 billion, serving
more than 100,000 customers worldwide. Further information can be
found at www.st.com.
For Press Information Contact:
STMicroelectronics Michael Markowitz Director Technical Media
Relations +1 781 591 0354 michael.markowitz@st.com
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