STMicroelectronics' STM32 Discovery Kit Establishes New Industry Standard for Low-Cost Tools for 32-bit Microcontrollers

GENEVA, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Enabling the easiest possible design starts using 32-bit microcontrollers, STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a world leader in microcontrollers, today announced the STM32 Discovery Kit, a hardware development platform priced at less than $10 and supported by either free or very-low-cost downloadable development tools from major third-party vendors Atollic, IAR and Keil.

As an ultra-low-cost and convenient starter platform, the STM32 Discovery Kit is particularly suited to the STM32 Value Line microcontrollers. The USB-powered board is straightforward to set up and use by plugging into a PC. It is populated with a 24MHz, 64-pin STM32F100RBT6B Value Line device featuring a 128Kbyte Flash plus multiple timers, analog peripherals, and industry-standard serial interfaces. The included ST-LINK in-circuit debugger allows work to start without further costs. Extension connectors provided on the board enable easy connection to other boards or devices for deeper testing of the microcontroller peripherals. In addition, 15 ready-to-run applications are available at www.st.com to help developers evaluate microcontroller features.

"This Discovery Kit is the perfect tool both for getting started with, and fully evaluating, the capabilities of ST's STM32 microcontrollers," said Semir Haddad, Marketing Manager for STMicroelectronics' 32-bit Microcontrollers. "The kit is a fully integrated development environment including board, debugger, programmer and compiler. Developers will be able to benefit from the kit's extensive capabilities as a low-risk and low-investment prototyping platform."

The STM32 Discovery Kit further extends the accessibility of ST's STM32 family featuring the advanced ARM® Cortex™-M3 32-bit processor. There are currently about 135 STM32 variants, offering price/performance choices from the cost-conscious Value Line to the 72MHz Performance Line featuring up to 1-Mbyte Flash memory. Other STM32 lines include the USB Access Line and Connectivity Line, which features industry-standard communication peripherals and the ultra-low-power STM32L series. Pin assignments, software and peripherals are compatible across all variants; ensuring outstanding flexibility for developers.

The STM32 Discovery Kit is available immediately from ST and its appointed distribution partners with a Recommended Resale Price of $9.90.

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is a global leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications with innovative semiconductor solutions. ST aims to be the undisputed leader in multimedia convergence and power applications leveraging its vast array of technologies, design expertise and combination of intellectual property portfolio, strategic partnerships and manufacturing strength. In 2009, the Company's net revenues were $8.51 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.  

SOURCE STMicroelectronics