STMicroelectronics has announced two new microcontrollers for its STM32WBA5 line. These new additions complement ST’s wireless MCU portfolio and provide the latest advancements in processing power, security, and wireless support.
ST says its STM32WBA54/55 series of MCUs improve wireless performance, power efficiency, and processing power while maintaining IoT security requirements.
As more devices incorporate wireless capabilities, designers could benefit from a microcontroller that incorporates the newest standards in a compact form factor. In addition, the simplified BOM cost and ST’s developer support may give designers a head start on their wireless gadgets.
Built-In Wireless
A key selling point of the new STM32WBA54/55 is its plug-and-play wireless connectivity support. The device supports a variety of communication protocols, including Matter, Thread, BLE, and Zigbee, making the MCU useful in many applications ranging from smart infrastructure to audio devices. The MCU’s support for Bluetooth Auracast also allows designers to incorporate the latest advances in BLE audio in their devices.
The WBA54/55 block diagram highlights the wireless features built into the MCUs.
In addition, ST has made the 2.4-GHz RF front-end of the chips reconfigurable, supporting up to +10 dBm transmit power to ensure good connectivity in harsher environments. These features are all provided in a small package with low power, allowing integration in a wider variety of applications.
Secure Processing Power
The WBA54/55 series also includes a suite of security and processing features to complement its wireless performance. The new MCUs are reported to be the “first wireless MCU in the market” to meet the SESIP Level 3 security certification requirements, proving to be compliant with the U.S. and EU regulations that will become mandatory in 2025.
The STM32WBA54/55 MCUs are more power efficient than previous generations.
The WBA54/55 series features a 100-MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core with included TrustZone technology, up to 1 MB of Flash, and 128 kB SRAM. This series includes up to 35 GPIOs and support for standard communication protocols such as SPI and I2C. Compared to previous generations in the WBA5 series, the WBA54/55 offers a greater power efficiency in every operating mode.
Release Dates for the New Series
The new chips and more extensive documentation are scheduled for release on March 12, 2024. ST also plans to release a ready-to-use module in June 2024. Developers can make use of ST’s online resources to speed up the design of their own custom devices.
All images used courtesy of STMicroelectronics.
