STMicroelectronics announces New toolchain and software Package to simplify edge computing development with Intelligent Inertial Sensors

     STMicroelectronics has released a Smart Sensor Processor programming Toolchain and accompanying software package to facilitate developers to write application code for ST's latest generation of smart MEMS IMU sensor modules ISM330IS and LSM6DSO16IS. The intelligent Sensor processor (ISPU) inside the module handles the operational work related to motion detection, for example, running activity recognition and anomaly detection algorithms directly on the sensor. Moving the algorithm down to the edge of the network helps to reduce the system power consumption, shorten the response delay, reduce the computation of the local microcontroller, and set the behavior of the sensor according to the specific practical application.

     When adopting the ISPU toolchain, developers can write smart sensor software in the familiar and widely used C programming language, choosing to write code in a command line interface (CLI) or within an Eclipse-based development environment such as STM32CubeIDE. AlgoBuilder, Unicleo and other graphical user interfaces can also be selected.

     The X-CUBE-ISPU package contains templates and sample projects, as well as a ready-to-use software library that helps developers quickly understand how to use ISPU, write ISPU code, and modify the package to develop custom algorithms. The package also provides pre-created files that allow users to load X-CUBE-ISPU samples directly into the sensor using a GUI graphical user interface without coding. In addition, there are more examples, tutorials, and other development resources in ST's GitHub library.

     Using these resources can help reduce development time for applications such as personal electronics, including wearables for activity identification and health monitoring, as well as industrial devices such as asset tracers, device condition monitors, robots, machine controllers, and more.

     STMicroelectronics' ISM330IS and LSM6DSO16IS inertia modules contain alway working 3D accelerometers and 3D gyroscopes, as well as embedded ISPU processors. The power consumption of both modules is very low, with only 0.46mA in low power mode and 70μg/√Hz in high performance mode. The sensor data fusion function allows the module to connect to four external sensors to collect data. An embedded temperature sensor is also included in the module. Both products come in compact grille Array (LGA) plastic packages of 2.5mm x 3mm x 0.83mm.