STMicroelectronics to boost AI at the edge with new MCU
December 20, 2024
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Many of the highest-performance AI and ML applications are hard to access for companies that need lower cost-to-entry options or are in need of low-power options. Newer microcontrollers will need to make these AI tools available to these customers, too, in order to make AI truly ubiquitous.
On December 10, STMicroelectronics announced a new microcontroller series integrating, for the first time, accelerated machine learning (ML) capabilities. This new series is designed to bring high performance features like computer vision, audio processing, and algorithmic processing to the market for even cost-sensitive, power-conscious customers.
The company said the STM32N6 microcontroller (MCU) series is its most powerful to date, and the first to embed ST’s proprietary neural processing unit (NPU), the Neural-ART Accelerator, delivering 600 times more machine-learning performance than a highend STM32 MCU today.
“We are on the verge of a significant transformation at the tiny edge. This transformation involves the increasing augmentation or replacement of our customers' workloads by AI models. Currently, these models are used for tasks such as segmentation, classification, and recognition. In the future, they will be applied to new applications yet to be developed,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, President, Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF Products Group (MDRF) at STMicroelectronics. “The STM32N6 is the first STM32 product to feature our Neural-ART Accelerator NPU. It will utilize a new release of our unique AI software ecosystem package. This marks the beginning of a long journey of AI hardware accelerated STM32, which will enable innovations in applications and products in ways not possible with any other embedded processing solution.”
“It is a common misconception that AI is purely a big datacenter, power hungry application,” says Tom Hackenberg, Principal Analyst, Memory and Computing Group at Yole Group. “This is no longer true. Today’s IoT edge applications are hungry for the kind of analytics that AI can provide. The STM32N6 is a great example of the new trend melding energy-efficient Microcontroller workloads with the power of AI analytics to provide computer vision and mass sensor driven performance capable of great savings in the total cost of ownership in modern equipment.”
The series has been available for select customers since October 2023 and is now being scaled to wider availability, according to the release.
“The STM32N6 delivers remarkable AI performance and provides excellent flexibility in a small silicon package ideal for embedded systems and wearable devices. The inference speed, powered by the groundbreaking Neural-ART Accelerator, has exceeded our expectations and ST’s developer-friendly software tools let us seamlessly integrate our AI models into the MCU,” said Yehan Ahn, Task Leader, R&D, LG Electronics CTO Division.
Technical features and support for AI development:
• Up to 600x machine-learning performance vs typical high-end STM32 MCU: ST’s Neural-ART Accelerator includes nearly 300 configurable multiply accumulate units achieving up to 600 giga operations per second (GOPS).
• The most powerful STM32 today: The STM32N6 has an 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 core, delivering an unprecedented 3,360 CoreMark score. The MCUs are also available in a version without the Neural-ART accelerator, for applications requiring all the performance, interfaces and functionality of the STM32N6, without integrating advanced AI algorithms.
• 4.2 MB of RAM, the largest amount ever found on an STM32: providing the memory to support data-intensive AI and multimedia workloads. Two 64-bit AXI interfaces provide a high level of bandwidth to sustain the highest computation rate and unlock the full power of the Neural-ART Accelerator.
• ST advanced Image Signal Processor (ISP), for the first time on an MCU: the STM32N6 incorporates an ISP that provides direct signal processing, enabling the use of simple and affordable image sensors. This ISP can be configured using ST's free ISP IQTune software (STM32-ISP-IQTune), a cutting-edge tool that permits customizing image signal processing parameters such as exposure time, contrast or color balance.
• Supported by ST’s Edge AI Suite: offering comprehensive software tools for the development of edge machine-learning applications, including the possibility to bring your own model in various formats such as TensorFlow Lite, Keras and ONNX.
• The new microcontroller now supports a growing model zoo of AI models, offering enhanced performance and versatility for various applications. Users can explore the expanding collection of AI models to elevate their projects, achieve better results and shorten their time to market.
More technical information is available at www.st.com/STM32N6
Ken Briodagh is a writer and editor with two decades of experience under his belt. He is in love with technology and if he had his druthers, he would beta test everything from shoe phones to flying cars. In previous lives, he’s been a short order cook, telemarketer, medical supply technician, mover of the bodies at a funeral home, pirate, poet, partial alliterist, parent, partner and pretender to various thrones. Most of his exploits are either exaggerated or blatantly false.
