STMicro microcontroller as cheap as chips
The STM32F030 Value Line with ARM Cortex-M0 brings 32-bit design advantages over price-conscious projects
Priced at just $0.32 for high-volume orders, the latest STM32F030 Value Line microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics are ideal for lower-budget projects.
The company is also offering access to a full portfolio of hardware- and software-compatible 32-bit microcontrollers ideally suited for performance improvements and product extensions.
The new STM32F030 Value Line is based on the ARM Cortex-M0 core running at 48MHz. The Value Line is claimed to enable 8-bit price parity without compromising performance or features, such as a lower core speed or reduced peripherals.
"This new product line makes the benefits of 32-bit development more accessible to entry-level applications than ever before," says Michel Buffa, General Manager Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics. "Engineers can work efficiently at a high level of abstraction and simplify their software by leveraging the enhanced hardware features. Access to the ARM developer community and ecosystem provide further incentives to move from the 8-bit world to the STM32 Value Line."
Central to ST's new Value Line concept is a base specification that effectively streamlines component selection and product differentiation. The STM32F030 line of products begins at 16KByte Flash and 4KByte RAM in a 20 pin package, and comprises a total of five parts up to 64KByte Flash, 8KByte RAM and 32, 48 or 64 pin packages.
All variants feature a 12-bit 1Msample/s ADC, 1.2V internal reference, communication peripherals, temperature sensor and timers capable of supporting ADC synchronisation, dead-time management, and PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) timing for motor control.
An internal RTC and 5-channel Direct Memory Access (DMA), which are features not typically available in other microcontrollers at this price level, also help ease application development and improve performance.
What's more, developers gain entry to ST's full portfolio of ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, which includes more than 360 variants leveraging extensive pin, software and peripherals compatibility between Cortex-M0, M3 and M4 families.
ST is now taking sample orders for the STM32F030 Value Line. Volume production is planned to begin in Q3 2013.
