Current Internet of Things (IoT) devices use quite a variety of communication protocols, including Bluetooth® LE, Thread, Zigbee, etc. On the one hand, it is desired to support multiple protocols, and on the other hand, it is desired to reduce product size and power consumption, so highly integrated chips are needed. This article will show you the microcontroller introduced by STMicroelectronics, which integrates various communication protocols, to understand its product performance and advantages.
Integration of communication protocols in the microcontroller reduces product size and power consumption
Most IoT devices are connected wirelessly. Depending on applications, different wireless communication protocols will be selected. Currently, the most mainstream wireless communication protocols include Bluetooth® LE, Thread, Zigbee, etc. These protocols have their own advantages and disadvantages, but they all emphasize their low power consumption characteristics to meet the requirements of battery-powered IoT devices. No matter what kind of communication protocol is used, the microcontroller is the necessary computing core of IoT devices. Therefore, integrating the microcontroller with the function of the wireless communication protocol will effectively reduce the product size and power consumption.
Dual-core microcontroller achieves lower BOM cost
Given the requirement of IoT devices on system function and power consumption, STMicroelectronics has introduced the STM32WB series of wireless microcontrollers. Based on an Arm® Cortex®‐M4 core running at 64 MHz (application processor) and an Arm Cortex‐M0+ core at 32 MHz (network processor), STM32WB wireless microcontrollers have built-in ART Accelerator™, up to 1 MB of flash and up to 256KB SRAM, and support Bluetooth LE 5.0 and IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standards such as Zigbee and Thread. The innovative architecture of STM32WB MCUs is based on two completely independent cores, optimized for real-time execution (radio-related software processing), and enables flexible resource use as well as power management for a lower BOM cost and a better user experience.
Developed with the same technology as our ultra-low-power STM32L4 microcontrollers, the STM32WB MCU series provides the same digital and analog peripherals suitable for applications requiring an extended battery life and complex functionalities. Traditional single-core microcontrollers are inadequate in time-sharing applications (such as managing network functions at the same time), require longer processing time, generate huge current consumption, and need to be matched with other microcontrollers, resulting in increased cost. STM32WB is a system-on-chip (SOC) solution with rich flexibility, easy-to-develop user experience, and is an all-in-one solution that can prolong battery life, save costs, speed up time to market, and simplify the certification process of products.
STM32WB MCU series can be applied in applications such as lighting, industrial devices, beacons, fleet maintenance, fitness/healthcare, home security, and audio, etc. It has high performance, low power consumption, supports security functions, and also provides a complete product development environment. It is the best solution for developing IoT products.
Support multiple wireless communication protocols to meet diverse requirements of various applications
STM32WB MCUs support a wide variety of wireless connections, including Bluetooth® LE, IEEE 802.15.4 standard, Zigbee, and Thread. The built-in Bluetooth Low Energy RF transceiver uses Bluetooth™ 5.0 radio stack and profile approved by the Bluetooth SIG, with 2 Mbps capable mode having a 2X faster speed, supports the V1.0 Bluetooth SIG that complies with the requirements of the Mesh profile, extends network coverage through Bluetooth Mesh, and the host controller interface (HCI) for any Bluetooth Low Energy or proprietary solution, including Zephyr or Arm Cordio protocol stack.
In addition, the STM32WB MCU supports the generic IEEE 802.15. 4 MAC layer to ensure that the STM32WB can run proprietary protocols or full stacks, including Zigbee PRO 2017 and low-power OpenThread Mesh networking protocols, giving designers even more options for connecting devices to the IoT. STM32WB has best-in-class RF capability, with an output power of up to +6dBm and a link budget of 102 dB. It is suitable for applications sensitive to power consumption. RX only requires 4.5 mA and TX only requires 5.2 mA (@ 0dBm). Different certified configurations are available to provide more freedom in terms of device sizing and OTA capability, to enable platform optimization.
Support rich peripherals and security features to provide optimized solutions
The STM32WB MCU series includes the STM32WBx5 and STM32WBx0. STM32WBx5 wireless microcontrollers, available in multiple packages and different memory sizes, provide users with enhanced performance and flexibility to address different levels of complexity. The STM32WBx0 Value Line focuses on the essentials and offers a feature-optimized, cost-effective solution for developers.
The STM32WBx5 line includes a wide variety of communication features including a practical crystal-less USB 2.0 FS interface, audio support, an LCD driver, touch sensing, up to 72 GPIOs, an integrated SMPS for power consumption optimization, and multiple low-power modes to maximize battery life. The STM32WBx0 Value Line enables entry-level solution and features an essential peripherals set with a reduced temperature range.
In addition to its wireless and ultra-low-power features, STM32WB microcontrollers embed security features that reduce device maintenance needs and ensure end-devices are trustable and cannot be cloned. STM32WB microcontrollers include embedded security hardware functions such as 256-bit AES hardware encryption, PCROP read/write protection, JTAG fuse, and public-key cryptography with an elliptic curve encryption engine. The Firmware Upgrade Services (FUS), PCROP, and PKA feature ensure secure wireless stack updates, encryption key management, and code protection.
A complete ecosystem makes product and application development easy
The STM32WB product portfolio complements the STM32 ecosystem and provides full flexibility from product definition, to the prototyping phase up to the final platform definition. STM32WB has a complete development ecosystem, including the STM32WB55 Nucleo pack and STM32Cube Ecosystem, forming a consistent set of software development tools to quickly and easily start developing your application. The pack includes the STM32WB55 nucleo-64 and a BLE-capable USB dongle, both based on the STM32WB microcontroller, to immediately get started while enabling a wide range of wireless applications.
Fully integrated into the market-proven STM32Cube ecosystem, the STM32WB55 Nucleo pack comes with a comprehensive set of embedded software resources and development tools. The STM32CubeWB MCU Package is a one-stop-shop solution for embedded software resources and features HAL and LL peripheral drivers, a full set of middleware, and radio stacks (Bluetooth 5.0, OpenThread, and ZigBee 3.0) together with various preconfigured software examples for several popular IDEs such as Keil MDK-ARM and IAR.
The STM32WB series is compatible with the STM32CubeMX MCU initialization, configuration and code generation tool, and with STM32CubeMonRF software to test and validate RF performance. In addition to an on-board debugger, the STM32WB55 Nucleo board offers many internal power-supply options, including the ST-LINK USB connector and a long-lasting battery cell, and can also be powered-up using external sources.
Conclusion
STM32WB series supports open 2.4 GHz radio multi-protocol, dual-core, fully controlled ultra-low-power consumption capability, and has IoT protection capability, large-scale integration to save costs, and provides large memory, as well as advanced radio frequency and system development tools, which will be the best solution for developing IoT devices at present.
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