STMicroelectronics to Showcase its Market Leading Solutions at Embedded Technology 2011

Main solutions to be highlighted at the ST booth:



32-bit Microcontrollers



•Security requirements of data transactions are increasing and one area where this is important is smart meters, because these are the backbone of smart grids, which encrypt data, documenting electricity or gas usage before transmitting it over networks. Conventionally, microprocessors and external ROM and RAM were used to encrypt and transmit such signals from smart meters. ST will demonstrate how these encryption and communication functions can be performed with the STM32 F4 series, the world’s most powerful Cortex processor-based microcontroller, fully equipped with an encryption engine. The solution will enable designers to create more compact, lower cost smart meters.



•In healthcare applications, ST will demonstrate how the STM32 L1 Ultra Low Power Series 32-bit microcontrollers process information from an on-board temperature sensor and display it on a PC monitor via USB connection. By simply replacing the temperature sensor with different types of sensors, the devices can be transformed into other medical devices such as blood glucose meters and blood pressure meters. The driver for ST’s signal transmission software is compliant with health and medical device communication standards.



•With the number of devices connecting to networks growing rapidly, the world is becoming more “connected.” ST will showcase modules combined STM32 products and communication ICs. The modules will show how installing this solution in home appliances and consumer electronic devices will enable any device in a house to be controlled remotely by smartphone or PC. Furthermore, the compact, high-performance STM32 F2/F4 series, featured in this solution, will also allow data communication between portable devices such as digital cameras and PNDs, and other types of devices.

•In motor applications, ST will demonstrate its highly-efficient motor control using the STM32 F1 series. Motors are widely used in devices ranging from home appliances such as washing machines and air conditioners, to industrial devices for factory automation. In such applications, microcontrollers need to support the various motor requirements. With the most extensive Cortex-M core-based microcontroller portfolio in the industry and a unique and high-quality vector-control library, ST offers a solution that enables efficient and low-power motor operation.



•ST will perform a demonstration using a small liquid-crystal panel to show how the STM32 F1 series works in control panels of smart homes and factory-automation devices. In this demonstration, the advanced processing performance of the STM32 F1 series is made visible through the images displayed on the liquid-crystal panel. Through its proposal to use high-performance and reasonably-priced ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers in control systems instead of the traditional ASICs, ST will contribute to creating more scalable next-generation control panels.

Secure MCU



•There is a growing global trend for using near field communication (NFC) chips in mobile devices, such as cell phones, for e-payments or for transmitting and receiving data. ST will showcase an antenna module of the ST21NFCA, a secure microcontroller designed to perform NFC functions in a cell phone, and optimized for use in portable devices. ST will also demonstrate short-distance wireless data communication between an IC card and the STRFNFCA. The main application is portable healthcare devices, a market expected to expand in the future. The STRFNFCA offers possibilities for new applications, such as for use in saving collected biometric data or transferring such data to smart or consumer electronic devices.

Embedded Microprocessor



•For embedded applications in tablet devices, office automation devices, and network servers, ST will demonstrate the SPEAr1340, an embedded processor with excellent cost effectiveness, computing power, and customizability. At the exhibition booth, there will be a low-cost, Android- and Linux OS based tablet operating with the SPEAr1340 as its main processor. The maximum operating frequency of the dual-core ARMÒ Cortex-A9Ô based SPEAr1340 is 600 MHz/core, equivalent to 3000 DMIPS.



Other demonstrations featured at the ST exhibition booth include: the STM8 8-bit microcontroller that reduces operating power consumption to that of idle mode through a combination of innovative ultra-low-power technology and high-performance 8-bit architecture; and the dual-interface EEPROM that equip RF interface and I2C serial interface, communicating with RFID readers or microcontrollers and ASICs.