STM32 ODE was showcased at Embedded World

23rd February 2016

Enaie Azambuja

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Just over a year after its launch, the STM32 Open Development Environment from STMicroelectronics has grown into a complete integrated ecosystem for developers of embedded systems, including applications for the Internet of Things (IoT). The STM32 Open Development Environment (STM32 ODE) is an ideal way to start development of innovative devices and applications with state-of-the-art ST components.

Using the STM32 ARM Cortex 32-bit microcontroller devices as a foundation, the environment includes a comprehensive set of expansion boards to easily add sensing, connectivity, power supply and management, movement and actuation, and signal-translation functions to developing products. The STM32 ODE also contains pre-integrated software packages, evaluation platforms, and reference designs for many applications.

The combination of modular hardware with comprehensive software enables fast prototyping of ideas that designers can smoothly transform into final designs.

The range of more than 20 STM32 Nucleo developer boards and more than 20 STM32 Nucleo expansion boards currently available—not to mention compatibility with Arduino shields—provides all the functionality needed to build Smart Things and IoT applications:

- Process: choices to optimise for right computing power, memory sise, and MCU peripherals set;
- Sense: with 9-axis motion MEMS, environmental sensors, proximity and ranging sensors, and MEMS microphones;
- Connect: using Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, NFC and Sub-GHz radio;
- Move and actuate: with motor drivers for DC, stepper and 3-phase DC brushless motors;
- Translate: through signal conditioning with operational amplifiers.

More than just the hardware

The STM32 ODE combines development and expansion boards with a comprehensive and homogeneous software development environment.

The STM32Cube is a set of powerful free-of-charge tools and embedded software bricks that enable fast and easy development of applications on the STM32 platform. The embedded software bricks include common start-up initialisation code, a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for easy porting from one STM32 device or series to another, and middleware bricks for the most common functions required.

The robust and user-friendly STM32CubeMX PC-based software development tool also allows users to configure any STM32 microcontroller, by generating the appropriate peripheral initialisation C-code through a step-by-step process.

Every STM32 Nucleo Expansion board comes with free-of-charge STM32Cube expansion software. These SW libraries provide abstracted access to expansion-board functionality through high-level APIs and sample applications covering functions such as motor control, Bluetooth Low Energy and NFC connectivity, and sensing.

To get developers off to an even faster start, STM32 ODE offers SW Function Packs with pre-integrated software for a number of applications. For example, the recently introduced CLD-BLUEMIX1 pack provides ready-to-use SW that allows posting real-time sensor data to the IBM Bluemix telemetry demo page without need of any coding effort. It combines the software for sensors, NFC/RFID dynamic tags, and a serial-to-Wi-Fi module with a middleware package to connect directly to the cloud provider with the required protocols and APIs.

• STM32 Open Development Environment will be showcased at ST’s booth at Embedded World 2016 in Nuremberg, Germany, and Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.