News & Updates from STMicroelectronics
February 2009

ST delivers a comprehensive offering for motor control

The market demand for motor control solutions is growing day by day because of the evolution of the target applications. In particular, there is an increased need for high-efficiency and reliable solutions in order to achieve wide-range regulation, energy efficiency and overall robustness. ST’s broad product portfolio provides a complete approach from the power section to the driving stage. A well tuned control section combined with high-efficiency products complete ST’s offer in the motor control segment. The new motor control page includes several architecture diagrams, and allows you to select the right product for each block element. Design information, such as application notes, user manuals and evaluations boards, are directly accessible from this page. More

STM32 Primer2 makes small computing devices as easy and fun to create as they are to use

The STM32 Primer2 is a fun,innovative evaluation and development tool that provides easy and quick prototyping to the STM32 and its powerful ARM Cortex™-M3 core. This cellphone-like tool comes with many features such a 128x160-pixel color touchscreen, a joystick/push button, extension connector, pre-loaded sample applications, a built-in USB port, a MicroSD card slot, and a MEMS accelerometer. An infrared transmitter / receiver allows users to quickly turn a concept into an attractive-looking demonstrator. More

Evaluation boards feature capacitive sensing based on STMPE1208S

The STMPE1208S is a 12-channel capacitive sensing device with an additional 12 GPIO ports, interfacing a MCU through the I²C bus. The device senses changes in capacitance using a fully digital architecture, giving fast and accurate results at very low power consumption. The cost effective STEVAL-IHI001V1 board, together with the STEVAL-IHI002V1 board, are intended for customers approaching the capacitive sensing world, even for the first time. While the STEVAL-IHI001V1 can work as a standalone board simulating the modern washing machine user interface, the STEVAL-IHI002V1 board can easily replace an existing mechanical keyboard, or can be directly connected to any customer application via the I²C bus. Design information, including schematics, Gerber files, BOM and ready-to-use C routines are fully available. More

High-output-current op-amp for HomePlug and xDSL

The TS617 is a high-output-current dual operational amplifier capable of driving DMT signals on low-impedance lines such as power lines in HomePlug applications and twisted pair telephone lines in ADSL-VDSL applications. To drive these analog signals up to their higher frequencies, the TS617 features a large bandwidth of 200 MHz and a high slew rate of 710 V/μs. A short and guaranteed power-on/off settling time of 1 μs max. makes the TS617 very efficient to ensure a fast and guaranteed recovery time. For easier implementation, the TS617 is power controlled with a high Z-out standby mode (to avoid any perturbation on the line when the driver is in power-down mode). More

VIPer Plus family enriched with a new set of high-voltage converters

VIPer15, VIPer16, VIPer27 and VIPer28 extend the VIPer Plus family, reinforcing the large success of VIPer17, with a combined IC technology step and enriched PMOS. VIPer Plus converters provide a multichip approach with BCD6S for control and SuperMESH for a rugged power section, and offer 800 to 900 Vdss voltage rating, in an improved thermal, cost-effective, dual-in-line package. Fully compliant with the strict standby standards, VIPer Plus represents a new technological approach to digital functions. Discover all the benefits of VIPer Plus converters for a wide range of applications. More

Low-Power Expert SoftBaugh Now Supporting the STM32

The STM32 is now being supported by development tools from SoftBaugh, an Atlanta-based reference design center that, until now, had exclusively promoted Texas Instruments' MSP430TM microcontroller. In a strategic decision to influence a broad spectrum of green technology, SoftBaugh has now expanded their offerings to the STM32. Regarding choices made by design engineers, Baugh says, "We think that about 80 to 90 percent of the applications we've seen throughout our work would now be best handled with modern controllers that combine performance and very low power such as the STM32." To fill that gap, SoftBaugh has been developing self-study materials for the current generation of the STM32 and other ST application processors to be released in 2009. More

ST and LG-Chem introduce Li-ion batteries in hybrid electric vehicles

STMicroelectronics and LG Chem, the largest Korean chemical company, have unveiled details of a new automotive battery pack that combines LG Chem’s lithium ion (Li-ion) battery technology with a state-of-the-art battery management chip manufactured by ST. This chip accurately controls the charging and discharging cycles of the battery to ensure safe operation and long battery life, enabling Li-ion batteries to be used in automotive applications. More

New RGB LED-control demo board

This enhanced demo board replaces the previous STEVAL-ILL009V1, and demonstrates the capabilities of the new ST1S10 DC-DC converter and the improved performance of the STP04CM05 and STP08CP05 LED drivers. With the new ST1S10, the size of the inductor is decreased, efficiency improved and board size reduced. The new LED drivers allow faster communications and higher output voltage. More

ACST10 and ACST12 series: AC switch with overvoltage auto-protection

The ACST10/12 series belongs to the ACS/ACST power-switch family built with ASD (application specific discrete) technology. This high-performance device is suited to home appliances or industrial systems, and drives loads up to 10 or 12 A. The ACST10 and ACST12 switches embed a Triac structure and a high-voltage clamping feature to absorb the inductive turn-off energy and withstand line transients such as those described in the IEC 61000-4-5 standards. The sensitive version needs only a low gate current to be activated (IGT < 10 mA) and provides a high electrical noise immunity such as described in the IEC 61000-4-4 standards. The non-sensitive version offers an extremely high static dV/dt immunity of 2 kV/μs minimum. More

STCF05 - High efficiency step-up white LED driver for camera flash

Housed in a tiny µTFBGA25 3 x 3 package, the STCF05 is a new product from the STCFxx camera flash family. In addition to the 400 mA current capability that can be output to 2 LEDs in series, the STCF05 integrates a full set of features, all of which are easily accessed and controlled by means of an I²C bus interface that helps reduce both the number of package pins, and the quantity and length of the traces on the PCB. A low-current auxiliary output is also available for supplying an optional red LED, typically used as a recording indicator. More

STMicroelectronics rides the crest of the coming motion-sensing consumer wave

According to market analyst iSuppli, ST’s sales of MEMS devices for portable and consumer devices, which are used in the Nintendo Wii, for freefall detection in PCs such as the Fujitsu Siemens ESPRIMO range, the Gyration Air Mouse, leading smartphones and many other new applications, surged from $96m in 2007 to more than $209m in 2008, a growth of 118% that makes ST the world’s number one supplier in this exciting and rapidly growing market. More