STMicroelectronics Selects Macronix OctaBus Flash Memory for Several STM32 Microcontroller Platforms

Macronix International Co., Ltd. announced that STMicroelectronics (ST) is using OctaBus flash memory for several STM32 microcontroller (MCU) platforms, including the STM32H72x/73x, STM32L5 and the recently announced STM32U5.

The MX25 OctaBus family is providing the performance memory on select STM32 discovery kits and evaluation boards.

“Finding an external memory solution that allows our STM32 devices to demonstrate the full range of their exceptional performance and features is key to the success of our industry-leading family of MCUs,” said Daniel Colonna, MD, microcontroller division, STMicroelectronics. “By helping developers exploit the full capabilities of the STM32 MCUs, Macronix, with its OctaBus non-volatile memories, is a member of the ST Partner Program and a contributor to the extensive STM32 ecosystem.”

“We’re pleased to continue our valuable partnership with STMicroelectronics and to deliver innovative solutions that unleash the exceptional performance of the wide STM32 offering,” said F.L. Ni, VP, marketing, Macronix. “STM32 family is designed to cover the full spectrum of performance, high memory integration and power savings for smart, connected products.”

STM32 devices embed up to 2 Octal SPI ports supporting the OctaBus interface, which comprises Octaflash 8 I/O NOR and OctaRAM memories. OctaBus memory devices have been designed to meet current and emerging trends of demanding applications that require extremely high performance, reliability and an enhanced user experience.

The MX25LM/UM OctaBus memories meet the growing demand for ‘instant-on’ performance and real-time system responsiveness for external memories in automotive, industrial and consumer applications. The OctaBus memory products can perform up to an operational frequency of 250MHz with 500MB/s read throughput, which is the industry’s fastest. The devices enable system architects to meet customers’ demanding expectations for systems with a rich graphical user interface and achieve fast response times.

The MX25LW/UW OctaBus memory family has features for efficient management of over-the-air (OTA) software updates and data logging. Those features of the MX25LW/UW family are also a extension as execute-in-place (XIP) memory for STM32 MCUs. OctaBus memory offered in densities up to 2Gb can support advanced graphical user interfaces.

The STM32 family of 32-bit microcontrollers, based on the Arm Cortex-M processor, is designed to offer new degrees of freedom to MCU users. It offers products combining high performance, real-time capabilities, digital signal processing, low-power / low-voltage operation, and connectivity, while maintaining integration and ease of development.