Microchip expands PolarFire FPGA and SoC solution stacks

The rise of IoT, industrial automation and smart robotics, along with the proliferation of medical imaging solutions to the intelligent edge, has made designing these types of power and thermally constrained applications more complex than ever before. To address the critical challenges of accelerating product development cycles and easing complicated development processes, Microchip has released PolarFire FPGA and SoC solution stacks for smart robotics and medical imaging. These new releases build upon Microchip’s smart embedded vision, industrial edge and intelligent edge communications stacks already available.

The solution stacks include firmware and IP cores for AI-assisted 4K60 computer vision, a diverse set of ready-to-use sensor and camera interfaces and integrated hardware for high-speed Ethernet protocols. Real-time ROS-2 compatible cores facilitate robotics tasks for perception and coordinate transformation. The stacks offer time-sensitive industrial networking protocols for OPC/UA, rich operating systems support and asymmetric processing commonly used in industrial automation. Software design kits allow for a high-level of customisation and support diverse development environments centred around C/C++, RTL and popular machine learning frameworks, including the SmartHLS IDE, VectorBlox Accelerator SDK and the and Libero SoC Design Suite which has been certified for applications needing IEC61503 SIL 3 functional safety. The solution stacks bring together the industry’s most power-efficient and secure mid-range PolarFire FPGAs and PolarFire SoC FPGAs, a rich mix of hardware and software solutions with cyber security protections that allow system designers the freedom to innovate in medical imaging and robotics applications.

One example of Microchip’s innovative solution stacks can be found in its recently announced PolarFire FPGA Ethernet Sensor Bridge that works with the NVIDIA Holoscan sensor processing platform. With its ability to bridge real-time sensor data to NVIDIA Holoscan and the NVIDIA IGX and NVIDIA Jetson platforms for edge AI and robotics, the Sensor Bridge unlocks new edge-to-cloud applications, enables AI/ML inferencing and facilitates the adoption of AI in medical, industrial and automotive markets.

https://www.microchip.com

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Sfera Labs Strato Pi Max is now powered by the Raspberry Pi compute module 5

Sfera Labs has announced the latest evolution of its Strato Pi Max platform, incorporating the latest Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5).

Strato Pi Max is a versatile Raspberry Pi Controller and features a modular design, a hybrid CPU/MCU architecture, and extensive customisation options. This adaptability enables the Strato Pi Max to support bespoke requirements of all industrial automation projects, as well as to evolve with them.

Housed in a compact, 9- or 6-module DIN-Rail case, Strato Pi Max features two Ethernet ports, SSD, eMMC and dual SD card storage options, as well as two USB 2.0 type-A ports, with individual power control and fault detection. The platform also incorporates a slate of robust reliability and security features, including redundant storage, secure element chip, tamper detection, and hardware watchdog.

The Strato Pi Max can be easily expanded via its X2-Series expansion boards in order to meet the specific needs of industrial automation projects. These expansion boards can add up to 16 RS-485 or RS-422 ports, 4 CAN V2.0B ports, digital and analog I/O, UPS, and LTE to provide a flexible, scalable and future-proof solution.

Strato Pi Max is designed to adapt to unique requirements, offering the flexibility to create hardware tailored to specific needs. Its modular design supports both standard expansion boards and custom-built boards, enabling the integration of specialised sensors or the development of application-specific interfaces. This ensures full control over automation projects.

Additionally, Sfera Labs provides custom provisioning services, including preloaded OS images, firmware, and branding, delivering ready-to-deploy devices to customers.

https://sferalabs.cc/strato-pi-max/

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ST introduces first STM32-ready wireless IoT modules leveraging collaboration with Qualcomm

ST has introduced the first product of its strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies to simplify development of next-generation wireless solutions for industrial and consumer IoT applications. The collaboration aims to deliver initially IoT modules leveraging ST’s powerful STM32 ecosystem and Qualcomm Technologies’ leading wireless connectivity solutions.

The first of these modules, the ST67W611M1, contains a Qualcomm® QCC743 multiprotocol connectivity system-on-a-chip (SoC), pre-loaded with Wi-Fi6, Bluetooth 5.3 qualified, and Thread combo, made easy to integrate with any STM32 microcontroller (MCU) or microprocessor (MPU). The module will support Matter protocol over Wi-Fi for future-proof connectivity, making the STM32 portfolio seamlessly accessible to the Matter ecosystem. Aiding the system integration, the module also contains 4Mbyte Flash for code and data storage, and a 40MHz crystal. There is also an integrated PCB antenna or micro RF (uFL) connector for an external antenna.

“Our collaboration delivers multiple advantages for the large community that leverage the STM32 family in their embedded systems,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, President, Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF Products Group (MDRF) at STMicroelectronics. “Qualcomm’s expertise in highly influential and widely used wireless connectivity technologies is now at product developers’ fingertips and combines with the powerful software, tools, features and project acceleration offered by the STM32 development ecosystem.”

“This is just the beginning of our mission, which we expect to deliver many further successes enabling new and advanced edge processing applications,” said Rahul Patel, Group General Manager, Connectivity, Broadband and Networking Business Unit, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with STMicroelectronics to bring more unparalleled connected experiences with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AI, 5G and more.”

Advanced hardware security is built in, with hardware cryptographic accelerators, as well as services including secure boot and secure debug, reaching PSA Certified Level 1 protection. The module is self-contained and pre-certified according to mandatory specifications, requiring no RF design expertise from the user to create a working solution. Highly integrated in a 32-lead LGA package, it is ready to place on the board and permits simple, low-cost PCB designs with as few as two layers.

The ST67W611M1 leverages the STM32 ecosystem, which contains over 4,000 commercial part numbers, powerful STM32Cube tools and software, and enhancements that boost edge AI development. AI enhancements include the recently introduced STM32N6 MCUs, which contain ST’s Neural-ART Accelerator, and the ST Edge AI Suite that provides an AI Model Zoo and STM32Cube.AI and NanoEdge AI optimisation tools.

The modules are designed to be quickly and seamlessly integrated with any STM32 microcontroller or STM32 microprocessor, which offer flexible options for performance, price, and power across a broad spectrum. The MCUs available range from cost- and power-sensitive devices containing the Arm® Cortex®-M0+ core to devices containing high performing cores such as Cortex-M4 and Cortex-A7 in the STM32MP1/2 MPUs.

Samples of the ST67W611M1 are available, with OEM availability in Q1 2025, with broader availability in Q2 2025.

https://www.st.com/st67w

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Rutronik introduces the new SoCs from Nordic Semi for next-generation (I)IoT applications

With three SoCs from the new nRF54L series, the nRF54L15, nRF54L10 as well as nRF54L05, Rutronik is expanding its portfolio of Bluetooth Low Energy Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) from Nordic Semiconductor. Higher performance, efficiency and security make this recently launched product the optimal and future-proof choice for realising the next generation of wireless IoT products.

All SoCs in the nRF54L series offer MCU functionality with a 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 processor, doubling the processing power and tripling the processing efficiency – compared to the nRF52840. This enables enhanced functionality in end products while consuming up to three times less power.

Security is one of the key challenges in the (I)IoT environment, which is why Nordic Semiconductor relies on advanced security features with physical protection for the nRF54L series: secure booting, secure firmware updates, secure storage, as well as a TrustZone-enabled trusted execution environment, a cryptographic accelerator with side-channel leakage protection and tamper detectors, already allow the development of applications that will meet future security regulations.

The hardware and software highlights of the nRF54L series compared to the predecessor flagship nRF52 (nRF52840):
• Significantly better specifications in terms of:
o Arm Cortex-M33 (128 MHz), instead of Arm Cortex-M4 (64 MHz)
o 1.5 MB NVM / 256 KB RAM, instead of 1 MB Flash / 256 KB RAM
o Bluetooth LE version 6.0 and higher, instead of Bluetooth LE version 5.4

Further benefits:
• Non-volatile memory: 1.5 MB (nRF54L15) // 1.0 MB (nRF54L10) // 0.5 MB (nRF54L05)
• 256 KB RAM (nRF54L15) // 192 KB RAM (nRF54L10) // 96 KB RAM (nRF54L05)
• Ultra-low power multiprotocol 2.4 GHz radio: Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth Mesh, Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Zigbee, Thread, Matter, proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols and support for ecosystems such as Amazon Sidewalk, Google Find My Device and Apple Find My
• RISC-V co-processor and integrated peripherals: new real-time global clock, also available when the system is switched off, 14-bit analogue-to-digital converter and high-speed serial interfaces
• PSA Level 3 certified
• Design flexibility & pin-to-pin compatibility

Application examples:
• Smart Home & Matter, Smart Wearables, VR/AR,
• PC peripherals, HID, remote control
• (Industrial) IoT, building automation, access control
• Medical / healthcare, fitness

https://www.rutronik24.com

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