STMicroelectronics has launched a wireless MCU that provides designers with the performance, efficiency, and security required for Bluetooth LE 5.3 applications.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) today launched the STM32WBA52 microcontroller (MCU), which combines Bluetooth® Low Energy 5.3 connectivity in ultra-low-power mode with advanced security and a range of peripherals familiar to STM32 developers.

This wireless MCU enables IoT device developers to quickly advance to the next level by adding wireless capabilities, reducing power consumption, enhancing cybersecurity, and enhancing edge processing performance.

The STM32WBA wireless MCU platform includes ST's patented, cutting-edge technologies.

Key applications include smart homes, industrial lighting, sensors, electrical switches, gateways, and portable medical devices.

The STM32WBA52 builds on ST's investment in performance and resiliency, delivering the proven wireless capabilities of ST's renowned ultra-low-power STM32WB MCUs, which are now available to the mass market.

This MCU runs at 100MHz It enhances computing performance with the Arm® Cortex®-M33 core and features state-of-the-art STM32 peripherals.

The powerful STM32Cube ecosystem allows easy migration from existing STM32WB and general-purpose STM32 MCUs.

The STM32CubeWBA MCU package with built-in Bluetooth LE 5.3 protocol stack is supported, and is implemented with the existing STM32WB series profile for easy porting.

The STM32Cube ecosystem also includes tools such as the STM32CubeMX peripheral configurator and code generator, the STM32CubeMonitor-RF radio performance tester, and the STM32Cube.AI desktop and cloud versions.

This extensive ecosystem has already proven to accelerate application development and validation.

Additionally, a dedicated Nucleo board for the STM32WBA52, NUCLEO-WBA52CG, will be available to facilitate prototyping.

The integrated ultra-low-power radio provides industry-leading +10dBm RF output power, enabling stable communication over long distances at data rates of up to 2Mbit/s.

Even with wireless communication enabled, low-power deep standby mode significantly reduces overall power consumption, conserving battery energy. The STM32WBA MCU supports up to 20 simultaneous connections.

Cyber protection capabilities are enhanced by the PSA security program, which includes the Cortex-M33 with Arm TrustZone® architecture, secure isolation, memory protection, and tamper resistance. The platform comes with a security software solution based on Trusted Firmware for Arm Cortex-M (TF-M).

TF-M meets the industry-standard PSA Certified security framework requirements, including secure boot, secure firmware updates, encryption, secure storage, and runtime attestation, as well as PSA Root of Trust (RoT) integrity. It features built-in symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic accelerators to prevent side-channel attacks, and uses the Hardware Unique Key (HUK) security process to protect keys. The STM32WBA52 family boasts high resistance to physical attacks and is suitable for Arm PSA Certified Level 3 and SESIP3 IoT security standard applications.

The STM32WBA52 MCU leverages numerous energy-saving technologies from the ultra-low-power STM32U5 MCU, while offering flexible power-saving states through ST's low-power DMA and fast wake-up times. These features can reduce MCU power by up to 90%. It also integrates cutting-edge peripherals, including a 12-bit ADC with oversampling for improved accuracy, and Error Code Correction (ECC) on internal Flash and RAM enhances data integrity and security. A generous 1MB of Flash memory provides storage for user applications and protocol stacks.

The STM32WBA52 MCU is part of ST's 10-year product longevity program, with long-term production guarantees renewed annually.

Samples in the UFQFPN48 package are currently available. Pricing starts at $1.49 for the STM32WBA52 in the UFQFPN48 package in high volumes. The NUCLEO-WBA52CG prototyping board is priced at $62.50.