Complementing the STM32 RF connectivity portfolio, the STM32WL System-On-Chip integrates both an ultra-low powermicrocontroller and a sub-GHz radio on the same chip.
Built on Arm® Cortex®‐M4 and Cortex®-M0+ cores (single- and dual-core architectures available), STM32WL microcontrollers support multiple modulations– LoRa®,(G)FSK, (G)MSK, BPSK – to ensure flexibility in wireless applications with LoRaWAN®, Sigfox, W-MBUS, mioty® or any other suitable protocol in a fully open way.
STM32WL microcontrollers feature a sub-GHz radio based-on Semtech IP to meet the requirements of a wide range of Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) wireless applications in industrial and consumer Internet-of-Things (IoT).
LoRaWAN® and Sigfox stacks are available in STM32CubeWL: have a look at their programming code here.
Thanks to a deep integration, the innovative and open architecture is optimized for LoRaWAN® legacy, Sigfox, proprietary protocols, flexible resource use, power management and helps lower BOM cost while offering a better user experience.
Developed using the same technology as the one implemented in the STM32 ultra-low-power STM32L4 microcontrollers, the STM32WL series provides similar digital and analog peripherals for basic or complex application use cases requiring an extended battery life and a long RF range through its sub-GHz transceiver.
To ensure worldwide compatibility, the STM32WL MCUs feature a dual power output and a wide linear frequency range fitting any unlicensed RF spectrum need.
Overall, the STM32WL series is the STM32 family’s pioneer in sub-GHz wireless connectivity, offering ease-of-use and reliability, while being perfectly tailored for a wide range of industrial and consumer applications.
Wireless connectivity
STM32WL microcontrollers comply with the physical layer requirements of the LoRaWAN® specification released by the LoRa Alliance®. Available LoRa®, (G)FSK, (G)MSK and BPSK modulations can also be used in legacy and proprietary protocols, such as Sigfox or W-MBUS for example.
The radio is suitable for systems targeting compliance with radio regulations including, but not limited to, ETSI EN 300 220, FCC CFR 47 Part 15, China regulatory requirements and the Japanese ARIB T-108. Continuous frequency coverage from 150 to 960 MHz enables the support of all major sub-GHz ISM bands around the world.
System peripherals
The STM32WLEx (M4 single-core) and STM32WL5x (M4 and M0+ dual-core) lines include a wide variety of communication features including up to 43 GPIOs, an integrated SMPS for power consumption optimization, multiple low-power modes to maximize battery life. A dual-power output and wide linear frequency range ensure worldwide compatibility.
Security & ID
In addition to their wireless and ultra-low-power features, both STM32WLEx and STM32WL5x microcontroller lines include embedded security hardware functions such as 128- / 256-bit AES hardware encryption, PCROP read / write protection, and public-key accelerator with an elliptic curve cryptographic engine.
The dual-core STM32WL5x line also includes advanced security features such as: Secure Key Management Services (SKMS), secure areas hardware isolation, secure boot and secure firmware update.
Development ecosystem
The STM32WL55 Nucleo board and STM32Cube Ecosystem form a consistent set of hardware and software development tools to start quickly and easily begin developing your application.
The STM32WL55 Nucleo-64 enables you to immediately get started while enabling a wide range of wireless applications.
Fully integrated in the market proven STM32Cube ecosystem, the STM32WL55 Nucleo comes with a comprehensive set of embedded software resources and development tools.
The STM32CubeWL 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 (LoRaWAN® and Sigfox) together with various preconfigured software examples for several popular IDEs such as Keil MDK-Arm, STM32CubeIDE and IAR.
The STM32WL series is compatible with the STM32CubeMX MCU initialization, configuration and code generation tool, and with STM32CubeMonitor software to test and validate RF performance.
In addition to an on-board debugger that helps develop and test applications based on existing examples, the STM32WL55 Nucleo board offers many internal power-supply options, including the ST-LINK USB connector.