STMicroelectronics introduces the second generation of Industry 4.0 edge AI microprocessors

     STMicroelectronics introduces the second-generation STM32 microprocessor (MPU), which builds on the STM32 ecosystem and uses a new processor architecture to improve performance and security for industrial and iot edge applications.

     Ricardo De Sa Earp, Executive Vice President and General Manager, General MicroController Sub-Division, STMicroelectronics, said: "The new family of STM32MP2 products further enhances our investment in application processors, combining a 64-bit processor core, edge AI acceleration units, advanced multimedia capabilities, graphics processors, and rich digital peripheral interfaces. The new family of MPUs also integrates advanced hardware security features to meet new opportunities emerging in secure Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things and multiple user interface applications."

     The first product line of a new generation of microprocessors, the STM32MP25, is equipped with one or two 64-bit Arm®Cortex®-A35 cores at 1.5GHz for high energy efficiency. It also integrates a 400MHz Cortex-M33 core to handle real-time tasks. The built-in dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) increases the processor's final power to 1.35 TOPS(1.35 trillion operations per second), enabling it to provide greater edge AI acceleration for advanced machine vision, predictive maintenance and other applications. The STM32MP25 supports 32-bit DDR4 and LPDDR4 memory, providing long-term guarantee for cost optimization design.

     The STM32MP25 product line also supports the Gigabit time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) specification with dual-port Gigabit Ethernet TSN Switch modules, as well as PCIe, USB 3.0, and CAN FD peripherals to provide high density connectivity for real-time industrial applications, data concentrators, gateways, and communication devices. Higher data processing capabilities, combined with network connectivity, improve the performance of security applications and industrial automation inspection and feature recognition. For example, the MPU can take a video stream of 30 frames per second from an image sensor of up to 5 megapixels, then analyze the video image using an edge AI accelerator, and finally send the relevant video with detection metadata via Gigabit Ethernet TSN (encoded using a hardware encoder), and control the entire process in real-time in streaming mode.

     The built-in 3D graphics Processing Unit (GPU) supports 1080p resolution graphics and video for a rich user interface. Vulkan real-time graphics processing allows Android apps to flow smoothly. The product also has built-in 1080p video codecs, multiple display interfaces LVDS, four-channel MIPI DSI, and MIPI CSI-2 camera interfaces that simplify the connection of digital cameras and displays, including raw-Bayer image sensors.

     Advanced security features such as Arm's TrustZone® trusted architecture, Resource Isolation Framework (RIF), coupled with secure key storage, secure boot, unique device ids in one-time programmable (OTP) memory, hardware encryption engine, and dynamic DDR encryption/decryption algorithms ensure SESIP Level 3 certification.

     With a temperature range of -40°C to 125°C, the new products simplify thermal management designs and improve the reliability of industrial equipment. In addition, like other STM32 MPUs for industrial applications, the STM32MP2 series MPUs enjoy ST's 10-year service life promise. The new series of processors offers a variety of package options, including a 0.8mm ball pitch package (TFBGA) that simplifies PCB design wiring, allowing developers to use four-layer PCB economic design, saving expensive laser hole costs.

     With the new family of MPUs, developers can also benefit from the rich development resources of the STM32MPU ecosystem, such as the popular OpenSTLinux distribution, which includes the complete AI framework X-Linux-AI, and the STM32Cube development tools. The STM32Cube's bare runner or RTOS can be run on the Cortex-M33 kernel.