The new STM32N6 MCU series is the most powerful in STMicroelectronics’ STM32 family to date, and the first to feature a proprietary Neural-ART Accelerator NPU, architected for embedded inference. Combined with a complete ecosystem of software and development tools, STMicroelectronics continues to lower the barrier to entry for developers to take advantage of AI-accelerated performance in real-time operating systems.
The STM32N6 microcontroller series features ST’s proprietary neural processing unit (NPU) - the Neural-ART Accelerator - delivering 600 times more machine-learning performance than an existing high-end STM32 MCU. This series enables the implementation of high-performance features with audio processing, sound analysis and other algorithms, which until now where beyond the capabilities of small embedded systems.
“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,” says 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.”
LG Electronics, the large multinational known for its leading display business and consumer electronics including home appliances and televisions was among the first companies to have easier access to STMicroelectronics’ STM32N6 microcontrollers. Yehan Ahn, LG Electronics CTO and R&D division task leader, shares the company’s experience with the devices: “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.”
Another company with early access to the new microcontroller series was Lenovo Research, the innovation and research arm of Lenovo, focused on developing cutting-edge technologies and solutions in areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and smart devices. Seiichi Kawano, Principal Researcher, Lenovo Research, states: “We have rigorously evaluated ST’s latest microcontroller, STM32N6, in our labs, noting its outstanding neural processing performance and excellent power efficiency. This microcontroller represents the beginning of a new era, accelerating our research of “AI for All” technologies at the edge.”
Christian Fuchs, Senior Project Leader at Alps Alpine, the multinational corporation known for producing electronic devices, automotive infotainment systems, and communication devices, adds: “The new STM32N6 is ideal for our innovative cycling-related products. The speed and efficiency of the Neural-ART Accelerator, combined with extensive peripheral device expandability, lets us create compact devices that can execute many sensor-based AI inferences and deliver diverse and enhanced user experiences.”
Another company that had earlier access to this cutting-edge solution from STMicroelectronics was Meta-bounds, a company working on the elusive augmented reality (AR) glasses category. “The STM32N6 has been a breakthrough microcontroller for our products with its high performance, power efficiency, and advanced features. The embedded Neural-ART Accelerator, enhanced camera interfaces and dedicated Image Signal Processor (ISP), allow us to deliver compelling features in an ultra-lightweight and compact form factor, enhancing the user experience without compromising battery life. The support from STMicroelectronics ensured a smooth development process – invaluable for companies like ours looking to enhance wearable technology with cutting-edge AI and graphics capabilities,” shared Zhou Xing, founding partner.
As STMicroelectronics details, the new STM32N6 microcontrollers deliver up to 600x the machine-learning performance compared to typical high-end STM32 MCU, thanks to the fact that ST’s new Neural-ART Accelerator includes nearly 300 configurable multiply-accumulate units, achieving up to 600 giga operations per second (GOPS). The device is also STMicroelectronics’ most powerful STM32 today. The STM32N6 has an 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 core, delivering an unprecedented 3,360 CoreMark score.
The series also includes 4.2MB of RAM, the largest amount ever found on an STM32, providing the memory required to support the 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.
For the first time on an MCU, the STM32N6 incorporates an advanced Image Signal Processor (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.
The new STM32N6 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.
Supported by ST’s Edge AI Suite the STM32N6 MCUs have comprehensive software tools available for the development of edge machine-learning applications, including the possibility for developers to import their own model in various formats such as TensorFlow Lite, Keras and ONNX. The new microcontroller also supports a growing number of AI models, which users can explore to elevate their projects, achieve better results and shorten their time to market.
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