Zigbee 3.0 support added to wireless microcontrollers

It enables STM32 developers to leverage the interoperability and power-saving features of Zigbee networking for projects such as home automation, smart-lighting, smart-building, and broader IoT connectivity.

Zigbee 3.0 unifies the features of Zigbee specifications for consumer and industrial applications, a move that has driven major consumer and Internet brands to choose Zigbee connectivity for new smart-home products.

A long-term supporter of Zigbee technology, ST is a member of the Zigbee Alliance board of directors, a council member of the Zigbee Alliance Member Group China (ZMGC) and supportive of the Zigbee Alliance Connected Home over IP (CHIP) project.

ST’s Zigbee 3.0 software for STM32WB55 includes the highly regarded Exegin Zigbee PRO protocol stack, provided free of charge, and delivered and fully supported by ST.

This stack is used in Exegin products certified as Zigbee Golden Units and is approved as a reference stack for use by test laboratories. To further ease development, ST’s offer supports 46 Zigbee 3.0 clusters that help users quickly establish device capabilities.

A further 21 clusters support legacy products.

Leslie Mulder, Exegin’s President said; “This is a milestone for the Zigbee Alliance, with the advent of ST’s Zigbee 3.0 offering, Zigbee is reaching a new level of maturity, one that has the potential to cement its and ST’s leadership roles in the IoT market.”

STM32WB55 microcontrollers also support Thread and Bluetooth 5.0, with over-the-air update (OTA) capability.

There are currently 10 STM32WB55 variants, offering a choice of package styles and Flash density from 256Kbyte to 1Mbyte. Further variants scheduled to be introduced in the next quarter will give developers extra flexibility to meet application performance and cost targets.

The devices feature the Arm Cortex-M4 with Floating Point Unit, DSP instructions, and a memory protection unit (MPU) that enhances application security.

Arm Cortex-M0+ coprocessor dedicated to managing the integrated IEEE 805.15.4 radio and the MCU’s cyber-protection features ensures real-time low-layer operations run smoothly without compromising application execution.

The RF transceiver has a link budget of 106dB, to ensure reliable connections over distance.