ST announced the OEM launch of the STM32MP2, first 64-bit microprocessor with a Cortex-A35 that will enable teams to future-proof their design. The new series will also be ST’s first MPU to include a neural network processing unit (NPU), a new GPU, and new peripherals like three Gigabit Ethernet ports with time-sensitive networking support (TSN). In a recent media briefing about this product launch, Vaishali Umredkar of Electronics Maker interviewed Mr. Vinay Kumar THAPLIYAL, Group Manager – Technical Marketing, Microprocessors, SA & India, STMicroelectronics He shared his insights on the product features and ST developments for bringing new innovations.
Explain ST’s product development roadmap?
We invest heavily in research and development to incorporate the latest technologies and features. Among the many areas in which we innovate there are three of particular focus: security, connectivity and increasing autonomy enabled by edge AI. This includes building more advanced hardware solutions, integrating software and creating ecosystems that enable developers to go further, faster.
For STM32 portfolio, we focus on five product categories. Today we have talked about four new product lines or series to our STM32 portfolio, focusing on
- wireless microcontrollers, STM32WBA5 lines,
- embedded microprocessors with 64-bit STM32MP2 series,
- high-performance microcontroller lines with STM32H7R/S, and
- finally, new entry-level ultra-low power STM32U0.
And, as a leading innovator in the semiconductor industry, ST has pioneered and brought to our customers FD-SOI and PCM technologies for automotive and aerospace applications. We are now taking the next step to bring the benefits of these technologies to developers of industrial applications starting with our next-generation STM32 microcontrollers.
What are the new updates in STM32MP2 MP2 MPUs, compared with its predecessor?
The STM32MP2 series recently released by ST is a key upgrade to our existing MP1 series mainly in terms of the following aspects. Firstly, its core and main frequency have been upgraded. MP2 uses Arm Cortex-A35 dual core and its main frequency can be up to 1.5GHz. Meanwhile, the core for the embedded microcontroller has also been upgraded from Cortex-M4 in the MP1 series to Cortex-M33 with the main frequency up to 400MHz. Together they have improved the processing performance of the main processor and the real-time core.
In addition to the upgrade of the cores, STM32MP2 has upgraded the peripherals. For example, for multimedia peripherals, the 3D GPU supports a display resolution up to 1080p. The powerful multimedia functions are also supported by full HD video channels with parallel LVDS and DSI interfaces. Together with the MIPI CSI-2 camera interface and the built-in ISP, it provides greater support for vision applications of cutting-edge devices, thanks to its NPU with 1.35TOPS.
In terms of connection peripherals, STM32MP2 supports the gigabit-Ethernet interface with integrated switch and complies with time sensitive networking (TSN) standards. It also embeds PCIe Gen2 and USB 3.0 high-speed interfaces, plus 3 CAN-FDs and numerous traditional peripheral connection resources that are essential in industrial applications.
By taking advantage of the advanced security features of the STM32MP13, MP25 is also suitable for industrial, IoT, payment applications or any other security applications that meet the certification requirements of SESIP Level 3, that is MP25 target.
In the advanced and sustainable industrial automation, how is STM32MP2 adding product intelligence with new innovations?
STM32MP2 is embedding NPU accelerator for advanced Edge AI capabilities. It can support upto 1.35 TOPS to support use cases in Industrial Automation like Anomaly detection, People/Object detection, Face recognition etc. This is combined with multimedia capabilities including 3D GPU upto 1080p resolution and serial camera interface CSI-2 with Lite-ISP support.
For more details, visit: https://www.st.com/en/microcontrollers-microprocessors/stm32mp2-series.html
