STMicroelectronics unveils STM32L ultra-low-power ARM Cortex™-M3 based microcontrollers for ‘energy-lite’ applications

The new STM32L series is part of ST’s EnergyLite™ platform of ultra low-power products enabling designers to optimize performance, functionality and battery life, and to meet efficiency-related criteria such as eco-design targets.
 
“The STM32L series delivers the optimal balance between power consumption and performance of any device from a global semiconductor provider,” said Michel Buffa, General Manager of ST’s Microcontroller Division. “The STM32L will become the microcontroller of choice for energy-lite applications in markets such as consumer, industrial, medical or metering.”
 
In addition to its extreme energy efficiency, the STM32L series also has many features promoting data security and safe system operation, including flexible Brown-Out Reset; on-board Flash with Error Correction Code (ECC) support; a Memory Protection Unit (MPU); and JTAG fuse. These features are recommended for all applications that require safe product behaviour and highly secure code and user-data management. Integrated USB 2.0 Full Speed support also makes the devices ‘handset ready’. Additionally, the MCU’s embedded LCD drivers enable easier, cheaper and smaller application designs.
 
Joining the extensive STM32 family, which now has over 135 variants offering complete pin, software, and peripherals compatibility for maximum flexibility, the STM32L offers 33DMIPS at 32MHz (max) and offers integrated Flash densities from 64Kbyte to 128Kbyte.
 
The STM32L series is sampling now to lead customers. Volume production will begin in Q4 2010.

Further Technical Information - How STM32L delivers energy-lite performance:
The key to the STM32L’s industry-leading energy efficiency is ST’s ultra low-power EnergyLite™ platform. This platform is also common to ST’s 8-bit STM8L MCU family and is based on 130nm proprietary technology, which is optimized for ultra-low leakage to maximize efficiency when the microcontroller is active or when sleeping. In addition, its embedded memory is based on a unique low-power Flash technology developed by ST. Integrated support for Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows peripherals to remain active, allowing developers to realize significant savings by turning off the Flash – and the CPU - while the application is running.
 
In addition to its underlying process-related power savings, the STM32L series provides numerous features allowing developers to optimize the power consumption of their applications. Six ultra-low-power modes allow the device to fulfil its tasks while consuming the least possible energy at any given time. The available modes are (preliminary figures at 1.8V/25°C):
 

• 10.4 microamps Low-Power Run mode at 32kHz
•  6.1 microamps Low-Power Sleep mode with one timer active
• 1.3 microamps STOP mode: Real-Time Clock (RTC), context preserved, RAM retention
•  0.5 microamps STOP mode: no RTC, context preserved, RAM retention
• 1.0 microamps Stand-By mode: RTC, back-up register preserved
• 270 nanoamps Stand-By mode: no RTC, Back-up register preserved

Two new low-power modes – ‘Low-Power Run’ and ‘Low-Power Sleep’ – have been implemented in the STM32L series, to drastically reduce power consumption at low frequency operation by using an ultra-low-power regulator and oscillator. The regulator allows current demand to be independent from the supply voltage. The STM32L also offers dynamic voltage scaling, a well established power-saving technique that further reduces the internal operating voltage for medium and low operating frequencies. The current drawn, in normal Run mode, from Flash memory is as low as 230 microamps per MHz and the STM32L delivers a consumption/performance ratio down to 185 microamps/DMIPS.
 
In addition, the STM32L circuitry is designed to deliver high performance at low voltages, which enables battery-operated equipment to operate for longer before recharging. The integrated analog features are capable of operating at supply voltages down to 1.8V. The digital functions are able to operate from a supply voltage as low as 1.65V, allowing prolonged operation in battery-powered equipment as the battery voltage decays.

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