ST Micro extends support for STM32G4 microcontrollers with Discovery kits
Discovery kits and firmware from STMicroelectronics extend support for STM32G4 digital power and motor control projects. The company has added firmware examples in the latest STM32CubeG4 software package (v 1.1.0) to help users explore control of digital power supplies and motors for use in race drones, prosumer drones and small electric vehicles.
The B-G474E-DPOW1 Discovery kit is a digital power platform containing a STM32G474RE microcontroller, a buck-boost converter with on-board resistive loads, a high-brightness RGB LED controller for lighting-power designs, user LEDs and buttons, flexible power and data connections, and debugging support. Users can explore the power of the microcontroller’s filter-math accelerator (FMAC) to handle functions like 3p/3z compensation and ensure high efficiency across the load range, and digital slope compensation to free CPU cycles in lighting applications, for instance.
The B-G431B-ESC1 Discovery kit is a reference design for electronic speed control (ESC) for three-phase brushless BLDC and PMSM motors up to 40A. Containing a STM32G431CB microcontroller and a three-phase motor-driver stage with STripFET F7 power MOSFETs, it can handle either sensor less field-oriented control (FOC) or six-step commutation. On-board there is electrical and thermal protection, interlocking high-side/low-side drivers, and support for motor sensors and three-shunt current sensing.
The small form factor allows the STLink daughter board to be detatched and for the controller to be used directly in applications. The kit is supported in the X-CUBE-MCSDK v5.4.1 motor-control software development kit and targets drones, small electric vehicles, and radio-control vehicles powered by up to 6S LiPo battery pack for instance.
The STM32G4 series is now also adding a new package in the STM32 portfolio: the LQFP 128 pin 14×14. This is the first package over 100 pins in the STM32 G4 series, which gives users more flexibility to handle I/O-intensive tasks within same foot print as current LQFP100 package.
It has rich analogue features as well as high-resolution timers, dual-bank flash for secure live firmware upgrade, low power consumption in dynamic mode (160 microA/MHz), and a 125 degrees C maximum (ambient) temperature option. The STM32G4 microcontrollers can be used for motor control, digital power and instrumentation applications across consumer and industrial segments. Combining a 170MHz Arm Cortex-M4F core with the proprietary adaptive real-time ART Accelerator, CCM-SRAM Routine Booster, and the new FMAC and trigonometric CORDIC hardware accelerators, this microcontroller delivers superior whole-application and real-time performance on an efficient power budget, says STMicro.
