STMicroelectronics to boost AI at the edge with new NPU-accelerated STM32 microcontrollers
STMicroelectronics has unveiled the STM32N6 microcontroller series, featuring the company's first-ever integrated Neural-ART Accelerator NPU for enhanced machine learning capabilities. The new MCUs deliver 600 times more machine-learning performance than current high-end STM32 MCUs, enabling advanced AI applications in consumer and industrial products.
The STM32N6 includes an 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 core, 4.2 MB of RAM, and an advanced Image Signal Processor. The series has been available to selected customers since October 2023 and is now ready for high-volume production. Major companies including LG, Lenovo, Alps Alpine, Carlo Gavazzi, Meta-bounds, and Autotrak have provided positive feedback on the MCU's performance and capabilities.
STMicroelectronics ha presentato la serie di microcontrollori STM32N6, caratterizzata dal primo Acceleratore NPU Neural-ART integrato dell'azienda, per migliorare le capacità di apprendimento automatico. I nuovi MCU offrono 600 volte la performance di machine learning rispetto agli attuali STM32 high-end, consentendo applicazioni IA avanzate in prodotti di consumo e industriali.
Lo STM32N6 include un core Arm Cortex-M55 a 800 MHz, 4,2 MB di RAM e un avanzato Processore di Segnale Immagine. La serie è stata disponibile per clienti selezionati da ottobre 2023 ed è ora pronta per la produzione in volume. Importanti aziende come LG, Lenovo, Alps Alpine, Carlo Gavazzi, Meta-bounds e Autotrak hanno fornito feedback positivi sulle prestazioni e capacità del MCU.
STMicroelectronics ha presentado la serie de microcontroladores STM32N6, que incluye el primer Acelerador NPU Neural-ART integrado de la compañía para mejorar las capacidades de aprendizaje automático. Los nuevos MCU ofrecen 600 veces más rendimiento en machine learning que los actuales STM32 de alta gama, permitiendo aplicaciones avanzadas de IA en productos de consumo e industria.
El STM32N6 incluye un núcleo Arm Cortex-M55 a 800 MHz, 4,2 MB de RAM y un avanzado Procesador de Señal de Imágenes. La serie ha estado disponible para clientes seleccionados desde octubre de 2023 y ahora está lista para producción a gran escala. Empresas importantes, incluyendo LG, Lenovo, Alps Alpine, Carlo Gavazzi, Meta-bounds y Autotrak, han proporcionado comentarios positivos sobre el rendimiento y las capacidades del MCU.
STMicroelectronics는 STM32N6 마이크로컨트롤러 시리즈를 공개했으며, 이는 회사 최초의 통합 Neural-ART 가속기 NPU를 탑재하여 머신 러닝 기능을 강화했습니다. 새로운 MCU는 현재 고급 STM32 MCU보다 600배 더 높은 머신 러닝 성능을 제공하여 소비자 및 산업 제품에서 고급 AI 응용 프로그램을 가능하게 합니다.
STM32N6에는 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 코어, 4.2 MB의 RAM 및 고급 이미지 신호 프로세서가 포함되어 있습니다. 이 시리즈는 2023년 10월부터 선택된 고객에게 제공되었으며 이제 대량 생산 준비가 완료되었습니다. LG, Lenovo, Alps Alpine, Carlo Gavazzi, Meta-bounds 및 Autotrak와 같은 주요 기업들은 MCU의 성능과 기능에 대한 긍정적인 피드백을 제공했습니다.
STMicroelectronics a dévoilé la série de microcontrôleurs STM32N6, qui intègre le tout premier Accélérateur NPU Neural-ART de l'entreprise pour améliorer les capacités d'apprentissage automatique. Les nouveaux MCU offrent 600 fois plus de performance en machine learning que les actuels STM32 haut de gamme, permettant des applications IA avancées dans les produits de consommation et industriels.
Le STM32N6 comprend un cœur Arm Cortex-M55 à 800 MHz, 4,2 Mo de RAM et un processeur de signal d'image avancé. La série est disponible pour des clients sélectionnés depuis octobre 2023 et est maintenant prête pour une production à grande échelle. Des entreprises majeures telles que LG, Lenovo, Alps Alpine, Carlo Gavazzi, Meta-bounds et Autotrak ont fourni des retours positifs sur les performances et les capacités du MCU.
STMicroelectronics hat die STM32N6 Mikrocontroller-Serie vorgestellt, die als erstes Produkt des Unternehmens über einen integrierten Neural-ART Accelerator NPU für verbesserte Machine-Learning-Funktionen verfügt. Die neuen MCUs bieten 600 Mal mehr Leistung im Machine Learning als die aktuellen High-End STM32 MCUs und ermöglichen fortgeschrittene KI-Anwendungen in Konsum- und Industrieprodukten.
Der STM32N6 enthält einen 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 Kern, 4,2 MB RAM und einen fortschrittlichen Bildsignalprozessor. Die Serie war seit Oktober 2023 für ausgewählte Kunden verfügbar und ist nun bereit für die Serienproduktion. Große Unternehmen wie LG, Lenovo, Alps Alpine, Carlo Gavazzi, Meta-bounds und Autotrak haben positives Feedback zu den Leistungen und Funktionen des MCU gegeben.
- 600x improvement in machine-learning performance compared to current high-end STM32 MCUs
- Integration of proprietary Neural-ART Accelerator achieving up to 600 GOPS
- Largest memory capacity in STM32 family with 4.2 MB of RAM
- Already available for high-volume production with established customer base
- Strong early adoption from major technology companies
- None.
Insights
STMicroelectronics to boost AI at the edge
with new NPU-accelerated STM32 microcontrollers
- New machine-learning capabilities make it possible to run computer vision, audio processing, sound analysis and more consumer and industrial applications at the edge
- STM32N6 MCU series is the most powerful in STM32 family, and first to feature proprietary Neural-ART Accelerator™ NPU, architected for embedded inference
- Combination of software and tools ecosystem continues to lower the barrier to entry for developers to take advantage of AI-accelerated performance for real-time operating systems
Geneva, Switzerland, December 10, 2024 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, is making embedded artificial intelligence (AI) truly here-to-help with a new microcontroller series integrating, for the first time, accelerated machine-learning (ML) capabilities. This enables cost-sensitive, power-conscious consumer and industrial products to provide high-performance features leveraging computer vision, audio processing, sound analysis and other algorithms, until now beyond the capabilities of small embedded systems.
The STM32N6 microcontroller (MCU) series is ST’s most powerful to date, and the first to embed ST’s proprietary neural processing unit (NPU), the Neural-ART Accelerator, delivering 600 times more machine-learning performance than a high-end STM32 MCU today. The STM32N6 has been available to selected customers since October 2023 and is now ready to be offered in high volumes.
“We are on the verge of a significant transformation at the tiny edge. This transformation involves the increasing augmentation or replacement of our customers' workloads by AI models. Currently, these models are used for tasks such as segmentation, classification, and recognition. In the future, they will be applied to new applications yet to be developed,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, President, Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF Products Group (MDRF) at STMicroelectronics. “The STM32N6 is the first STM32 product to feature our Neural-ART Accelerator NPU. It will utilize a new release of our unique AI software ecosystem package. This marks the beginning of a long journey of AI hardware-accelerated STM32, which will enable innovations in applications and products in ways not possible with any other embedded processing solution.”
“It is a common misconception that AI is purely a big datacenter, power hungry application,” says Tom Hackenberg, Principal Analyst, Memory and Computing Group at Yole Group. “This is no longer true. Today’s IoT edge applications are hungry for the kind of analytics that AI can provide. The STM32N6 is a great example of the new trend melding energy-efficient Microcontroller workloads with the power of AI analytics to provide computer vision and mass sensor driven performance capable of great savings in the total cost of ownership in modern equipment.”1
Comments on STM32N6 from early customers
LG is a multinational corporation known for its electronics, chemicals, and telecommunications products, including smartphones, home appliances, and televisions.
“The STM32N6 delivers remarkable AI performance and provides excellent flexibility in a small silicon package ideal for embedded systems and wearable devices. The inference speed, powered by the groundbreaking Neural-ART Accelerator, has exceeded our expectations and ST’s developer-friendly software tools let us seamlessly integrate our AI models into the MCU."
Yehan Ahn, Task Leader, R&D, LG Electronics CTO Division
Lenovo Research is the innovation and research arm of Lenovo, focused on developing cutting-edge technologies and solutions in areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and smart devices.
“We have rigorously evaluated ST’s latest microcontroller, STM32N6, in our labs, noting its outstanding neural processing performance and excellent power efficiency. This microcontroller represents the beginning of a new era, accelerating our research of “AI for All” technologies at the edge.”
Seiichi Kawano, Principal Researcher, Lenovo Research
Alps Alpine is a multinational corporation producing electronic devices, automotive infotainment systems, and communication devices.
“The new STM32N6 is ideal for our innovative cycling-related products. The speed and efficiency of the Neural-ART Accelerator, combined with extensive peripheral device expandability, lets us create compact devices that can execute many sensor-based AI inferences and deliver diverse and enhanced user experiences.”
Christian Fuchs, Senior Project Leader, Alps Alpine
Carlo Gavazzi, designs and manufactures electronic control components for the global building and industrial automation markets.
“The STM32N6 was the missing piece in the puzzle for our latest sensor project. Its Neural-ART Accelerator inspired us to use AI to solve some of the challenges, which we had not considered possible during the conceptualization phase. There are many further powerful features, including the MIPI-CSI Raw12 interface and Arm Cortex-M55 core, which combine to provide camera and response time capabilities that no other trusted brand can offer. Access to this latest, high-quality technology is essential for our development of the high-performance industrial sensors of tomorrow."
Allan Skou Thomsen, R&D Project Leader, Carlo Gavazzi
Meta-bounds is a leading innovator in the consumer-level AR glasses industry.
“The STM32N6 has been a breakthrough microcontroller for our products with its high performance, power efficiency, and advanced features. The embedded Neural-ART Accelerator, enhanced camera interfaces and dedicated Image Signal Processor (ISP), allow us to deliver compelling features in an ultra-lightweight and compact form factor, enhancing the user experience without compromising battery life. The support from STMicroelectronics ensured a smooth development process – invaluable for companies like ours looking to enhance wearable technology with cutting-edge AI and graphics capabilities.”
Dr. Zhou Xing, Founding Partner of Meta-bounds
Autotrak delivers first-class fleet management and stolen vehicle recovery solutions.
“In the trucking industry in South Africa, around
Gavin Leask, Engineering Director, Autotrak
Technical features and support for AI development:
- Up to 600x machine-learning performance vs typical high-end STM32 MCU: ST’s Neural-ART Accelerator includes nearly 300 configurable multiply-accumulate units achieving up to 600 giga operations per second (GOPS).
- The most powerful STM32 today: The STM32N6 has an 800 MHz Arm® Cortex®-M55 core, delivering an unprecedented 3,360 CoreMark score. The MCUs are also available in a version without the Neural-ART accelerator, for applications requiring all the performance, interfaces and functionality of the STM32N6, without integrating advanced AI algorithms.
- 4.2 MB of RAM, the largest amount ever found on an STM32: providing the memory to support the data-intensive AI and multimedia workloads. Two 64-bit AXI interfaces provide a high level of bandwidth to sustain the highest computation rate and unlock the full power of the Neural-ART Accelerator.
- ST advanced Image Signal Processor (ISP), for the first time on an MCU: the STM32N6 incorporates an ISP that provides direct signal processing, enabling the use of simple and affordable image sensors. This ISP can be configured using ST's free ISP IQTune software (STM32-ISP-IQTune), a cutting-edge tool that permits customizing image signal processing parameters such as exposure time, contrast or color balance.
- Supported by ST’s Edge AI Suite: offering comprehensive software tools for the development of edge machine-learning applications, including the possibility to bring your own model in various formats such as TensorFlow Lite, Keras and ONNX.
- The new microcontroller now supports a growing model zoo of AI models, offering enhanced performance and versatility for various applications. Users can explore the expanding collection of AI models to elevate their projects, achieve better results and shorten their time to market.
More technical information is available at www.st.com/STM32N6
STM32 is a registered and/or unregistered trademark of STMicroelectronics International NV or its affiliates in the EU and/or elsewhere. In particular, STM32 is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
About STMicroelectronics
At ST, we are over 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are committed to achieving our goal to become carbon neutral on scope 1 and 2 and partially scope 3 by 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com.
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1 Source: Status of the Microcontroller industry report, Yole Intelligence, 2024
Attachments
- P4665S -- Dec 10 2024 -- STM32N6 series_FINAL FOR PUBLICATION
- P4665S -- Dec 10 2024 -- STM32N6 series_IMAGE
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