The first STM32 ARM® Cortex®-M MCU-based Arduino board
High-performance graphics, TFT touch display, wireless link, audio support, etc.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, and Arduino, the world's leading open-source ecosystem for education, makers, and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) markets, announced an agreement that will bring the industry-leading STM32 microcontroller (MCU) family and ST's full range of sensing, power, and connectivity technology closer to the Arduino maker community.

The STM32F469-based STAR Otto baseboard, the first product in the STAR (ST and Arduino) program, was demonstrated for the first time at the Bay Area Maker Faire, May 20-22. IoT developers and makers can now bring high-performance graphics to smart devices using accessible hardware and software, enabling command and control with easy-to-use touch displays and audio, and applying media streaming use cases.

Star Otto brings the outstanding performance of the 32-bit STM32F469 MCU to the Arduino environment, including ST's Chrom-ART™ graphics accelerator and MIPI DSI[1] display interface, as well as an open-source software graphics library. Star Otto also provides pre-integrated wireless links and audio capabilities, driven by the necessary open-source drivers and ST MEMS[2] microphones. It enables makers to focus on creating differentiated added value in an efficient and optimized manner, while also enabling easy integration and implementation of various smart home and smart industry applications.

In addition to the Star Otto microcontroller baseboard, the collaboration aims to provide a range of Arduino shields that expand the functionality. The DSI display and NFC reader shields are scheduled for release in the second quarter of this year, and the sensor shield is planned for the second half of 2016. In addition, STM32 Nucleo expansion boards and software libraries for environmental sensors and proximity detection have already been ported to the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and are fully compatible with the new Star Otto baseboard.

“By adding ST’s diverse family of industry-leading STM32 ARM Cortex-M-based microcontrollers, along with ST sensors and other components, to the Arduino ecosystem, makers will have at their fingertips the capabilities they need to design, build, and produce any device,” said Daniel Colonna, Marketing Director, Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics. “To meet the overwhelming response from the maker community to develop smart home and smart industry applications, we are supporting them with our audio- and graphics-friendly STM32F469 MCU and other exciting products from our extensive portfolio.”

“Arduino has grown by encouraging beginners, from 10 to 100 years old, to learn electronics and programming so they can build projects by learning from the experiences of others,” said Federico Musto, CEO and President of Arduino SrL. “We are pleased to now add the STM32 family to the Maker community, expanding their learning horizons with new features such as audio input/output and touchscreen display control,” said Mr. Lee. “We also expect commercial IoT companies to leverage these new capabilities to easily design new smart home devices and applications, and enhance the products that drive industrial automation and control.”