ST expands STM32L4 MCU series & adds development ecosystem

8th July 2016

Nat Bowers

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STMicroelectronics has expanded its low-power, high-performance STM32L4 MCU series with 5 new product lines and has also announced a development ecosystem for the MCUs.

The expanded STM32L4 ecosystem builds on ST’s free and easy-to-use STM32Cube platform. This comprises the STM32CubeMX initialisation-code generator and configurator with easy-to-use power estimation for ultra-low-power design and the STM32CubeL4 package that contains middleware components, Nucleo-32 Board-Support Package (BSP), Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and Low-Layer APIs (LLAPIs). For a quick start to new projects, the slim-form-factor NUCLEO-L432KC board - the first Nucleo-32 board to integrate an MCU in the tiny QFN32 package - includes an STM32L432KCU6 device (UFQFPN32) and provides direct access to ARM mbed online tools. Its Arduino Nano pin layout simplifies function extensions and the integrated ST-Link debugger/programmer supports mass storage and allows probe-free debugging.

Five new STM32L43x and STM32L44x MCU product lines comprise variants with versatile combinations of an integrated USB controller, an LCD controller and cryptography for security-conscious applications. Up to 256kB of Flash and low-pin-count-package choices make them suited for cost-sensitive applications. The devices also offer rich digital peripherals including a True Random-Number Generator (TRNG) and smart analogue features such as a 12-bit 5MS/s ADC, internal voltage reference and ultra-low-power comparators.

All devices deliver the advantages of ST’s innovative low-power technology, which includes FlexPowerControl (FPC) with features such as separate supply-voltage domains for gating power individually to analogue peripherals, USB circuits and I/Os. Batch-Acquisition Mode (BAM) enables energy-efficient data capture and seven reduced-power modes with further sub-modes maximise energy savings in a wide range of operating conditions.

ST’s low-power technologies, combined with the performance of the 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4F core, ensure high efficiency according to EEMBC ULPBench tests. The STM32L433 is certified at 177 ULPMark-CP at 3.0V, tested without the aid of a step-down converter. Aided by ST’s innovative ART Accelerator, outright performance is also high at 273 CoreMark.

The new devices are available immediately, in small-form-factor packages from 5x5mm QFN-32 to 14x14mm LQFP-100, including 3.14x3.13mm WLCSP. Prices start from $2.045 for the STM32L431KBU6 with 128kB Flash and 64kB SRAM in QFN-32, for orders of 10,000 pieces.