STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader has unveiled a comprehensive STM32F4 development ecosystem comprising important new tools and embedded software, at the same time as commencing volume production of the new STM32F4 microcontrollers that began sampling earlier in 2013.
The development ecosystem includes a full offer from ST, including new STM32 Discovery Kits and full-featured STM32F4x9 evaluation boards as well as software solutions like STM32-JAVA Java and the STemWin free graphical stack based on the Segger emWin solution, which leverages the LCD-TFT controller and dedicated Chrom-ART accelerator of the STM32F4x7/4×9 microcontrollers.
Advanced audio IP including codecs and sound-processing algorithms is also available from ST. Extended solutions from ST partners include IAR Experiment Magnetometer and game-controller kits, as well as the Raisonance EvoPrimer ecosystem. Standard development environments are supported from Atollic, IAR, Keil/ARM, Raisonance and Tasking. Boards will be orderable from distributors or ST’s e-STore before the end of October 2013.
The high-performance STM32F429/439 series now entering production has the industry’s highest-performing ARM Cortex-M4 core, at 180MHz, able to achieve 225DMIPS (Dhrystone MIPS) and 608 CoreMark (EEMBC Coremark benchmark) scores using industry-standard performance metrics thanks to the ST adaptive real-time accelerator (ART Accelerator) allowing zero-wait execution from Flash. These devices offer up to 2Mbyte of dual-bank Flash allowing safe system upgrades in the field, ST’s unique Chrom-ART Accelerator giving customers a competitive edge in graphics processing, and an integrated TFT-LCD controller.
The STM32F427/437 series is also entering full production, upgraded with the 180MHz core, dual-bank memory, and other features of the STM32F429/439 excluding the TFT-LCD controller. Also entering volume production is the STM32F401 microcontroller announced in April 2013. The device balances high performance (105 DMIPS and 285 CoreMark, and zero-wait Flash execution with the ART Accelerator), power efficiency and high feature integration in packages as small as 3x3mm.
The extensive development ecosystem now in place includes ST’s STM32F429I-DISCO Discovery kit for STM32F429/STM32F439 and STM32F401C-DISCO for STM32F401. In addition, developers using the STM32F429/39 can already use the STM32429I-EVAL full-featured evaluation board for the STM32F429, which features a 4.3-inch display, or the STM32439I-EVAL for STM32F439, which has a 5.7-inch display.
A complete audio IP package is available on request from ST, containing functions ranging from codecs optimized for STM32F4, such as MP3, WMA, AAC and voice codecs to sound-processing algorithms leveraging the high performance of the STM32F429/F439. These include smart volume control, filters for loudness, bass mix and other controls, and stereo widening and synchronization utilities such as sample-rate converters and clock-drift compensation.
Among dedicated STM32F4 tools from third-party vendors, the STM32F429 standalone daughter board will join the Raisonance EvoPrimer ecosystem. The board will be for use with the Raisonance EvoPrimer base, which provides features such as the debugging/programming interface and most of the hardware needed to evaluate the target microcontroller.