STMicroelectronics has introduced a family of ARM-based microcontrollers, the STR730F series, that is specifically designed to address microcontrollers optimised for industrial applications such as factory automation, appliances, test and measurement equipment, point-of-sale terminals, and security systems. A single 5V power rail is the preferred supply configuration for industrial applications that need robust operation, especially in terms of noise immunity. In addition, the devices are specified over an extended temperature range of -40°C to +105°C and include a particularly rich set of peripherals tailored for industrial applications.

The new microcontroller family has been designed to implement the main controller functions in complex industrial applications. For this reason, the devices deliver its performance via a 32MIPS ARM7TDMI RISC processor core, full-speed (zero wait state) access to up to 256Kbytes of embedded Flash program memory, and a 16-channel DMA facility that reduces the CPU load in complex applications. The integrated peripherals are three independent CAN controllers, a (3µs), 16-channel/10-bit ADC, up to 16 PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) outputs capable of supporting multiple single-phase or three-phase motor-driving requirements, a full complement of industry-standard serial communications interfaces, and a Real-Time Clock.

Samples of the STR730F devices are available now, with prices (in 10K quantities) ranging from US$4.53 for the STR736FV0 (TQFP100, 64K memory size, No CAN, 4xUART, and 12xPWM) to US$8.99 for the STR730FZ2 (TQFP144, 256K memory size, 3xCAN, 4xUART, and 16xPWM).