A Bluetooth paired with ML accelerator
05
May
2025
Good activities on the Bluetooth front this month as Silicon Labs launched the EFR32BG26 series with BT5.4, PSA Level 3 security, and ML acceleration for low-power IoT. Renesas introduced the RA0E2, a Cortex-M23 MCU targeting cost-sensitive embedded control, adding to the already extensive RA group.
No change.
Microchip released a few variants of the DSPIC33CK with extended temperatures (PTVAO suffix)
No change this month.
No change.
NXP had only minor changes this month. Remember the announcement of the MCX N23x last month:
It is based on a 150MHz Cortex-M33, with 1MB of Flash, 352 KB ECC RAM and SmartDMA.
The EdgeLock Secure Enclave on the MCX N23x is a self-contained, on-die hardware security subsystem that has its own dedicated security core, internal ROM, secure RAM and it supports state-of-the-art side-channel attack-resilient symmetric and asymmetric crypto accelerators and hashing functions for security services.
8 parts were released, prices start at $3.59/10k with 512/192 kB Flash/RAM and 100-pin HLQFP package.
Renesas released the RA0E2 group, a basic, simple microcontroller (MCU) in the entry line of the RA0 series. It is a ROM/PIN extension product of the RA0E1 group, with which it is highly compatible. It is based on a 32MHz Cortex-M23 core with up to 128KB of embedded flash memory, 16KB SRAM, and a temperature range from -40 to 125°C. The RA0 series is ideal for cost-sensitive applications such as low power and lower cost for consumer electronics, system control for small appliances, industrial system control, and building automation.
The EFR32BG26 was launched with 18 products, for secure, high-performance IoT devices. Featuring a 78 MHz ARM Cortex-M33 core with up to 3.2 MB flash and 512 kB RAM, they support Bluetooth 5.4, including mesh networking, with output power up to +20 dBm for long-range connectivity.
All variants include Secure Vault™, providing advanced cryptographic protections (AES-128/256, ECC, SHA) and PSA/SESIP Level 3-ready security. Select models integrate a Matrix Vector Processor (MVP), enabling efficient on-device machine learning for tasks like sensor classification or keyword spotting—ideal for always-on, low-power applications.
The BG26 series is offered in compact QFN and high-pin-count BGA packages with up to 64 GPIOs, and supports ultra-low deep sleep currents, making it well-suited for wearables, medical monitors, smart locks, and industrial sensors.
Pricing ranges from $3.07 to $4.65 in 1k-unit volumes, depending on memory and package.
ST had only minor changes this month.
TI released more SimpleLink products in the CC265x and CC267X families to cover for multi-protocol 2.4GHz products.
Definitely the spring
31
Mar
2025
This month definitely felt like spring with a plethora of exciting news. ST led the way by launching the 800MHz Cortex-M55 STM32N6, featuring ST’s Neural-ART Accelerator, designed for edge AI applications. Meanwhile, Microchip introduced the PIC32CZ CA70, a high-performance Cortex-M7 family with advanced DSP capabilities, and Nuvoton unveiled the M2A23 series, targeting automotive and industrial applications. NXP also made waves with the MCX N23x, featuring the EdgeLock Secure Enclave for enhanced security.
Infineon had a couple of dozen new products in the PSOC4100S Max family, only variants of existing products.
The 4100S is a low-cost Cortex-M0+ solution with CAPSENSE™ technology targeted for industrial control, home appliance, and home automation.
Microchip released the ATMEGA324PB, an automotive version of the ATMEGA324PA. There were also new variants of the DSPIC33AK.
Finally Microchip launched a new Cortex-M7 family. The Microchip PIC32CZ CA70 are based on a 300MHz Cortex-M7 core with a Double Precision FPU. These devices feature up to 2048 Kbytes of Flash, and up to 512Kbytes of multi-port SRAM which is configurable Instruction and Data Tightly Couple Memories to leverage the advanced DSP capabilities of the core. The PIC32CZ CA70 series includes a 10/100 Ethernet MAC w/IEEE1588, HS USB Interface with integrated PHY, dual CAN-FD, QSPI, MediaLB, CMOS Imager interface, TDM/I2S (SSC,) multiple serial interfaces as well as on-board hardware cryptography including a TRNG, AES-256, and SHA-256 engines.
Prices start at $4.28/5k.
No change this month.
Nuvoton added the M2A23 series, that targets automotive and industrial applications, operating at temperatures up to 125°C and voltage ranges from 2.5V to 5.5V. It features a Cortex-M23 core with a 72 MHz frequency and up to 256 KB of Flash memory. With three CAN FD interfaces and a LLSI interface, it supports modern automotive and industrial network standards. Additional features include six PDMA channels for efficient data transfer, 12-channel 144 MHz PWM outputs, and multiple communication interfaces (LIN, UART, I2C, SPI). The series also offers analog capabilities, including a 12-bit ADC (2 Msps) and a temperature sensor. Package options include QFN48, LQFP48, and LQFP64.
NXP had communicated around the MCX N series with the N54 and the N93, but there weren’t any products announced yet. This month, they announced another branch in the family, the MCX N23x.
It is based on a 150MHz Cortex-M33, with 1MB of Flash, 352 KB ECC RAM and SmartDMA.
The EdgeLock Secure Enclave on the MCX N23x is a self-contained, on-die hardware security subsystem that has its own dedicated security core, internal ROM, secure RAM and it supports state-of-the-art side-channel attack-resilient symmetric and asymmetric crypto accelerators and hashing functions for security services.
8 parts were released, prices start at $3.59/10k with 512/192 kB Flash/RAM and 100-pin HLQFP package.
Renesas was quiet this month with virtually no change after the heavy cleanup they performed the last couple of months.
This month builds on last month’s launch of the EFR32MG26, a multiprotocol Wireless SoCs ideal for mesh IoT wireless connectivity using Matter, OpenThread, and Zigbee protocols for smart home, lighting, and building automation products.
The EFM32PG26 is a software-compatible, MCU-only version of the EFR32xG26 wireless SoC platform, namely (BG26 and MG26). PG26 32-bit MCUs are ideal for enabling a wide range of low-power and high-performance embedded IoT applications. They offer an 80 MHz Cortex-M33 with LCD controller, rich analog and communication peripherals, low current consumptions, and more GPIOs to address complex systems. The PG26 is also equipped with a hardware AI/ML accelerator allowing for faster inferencing at the edge with lower power consumption.
12 part numbers were released starting at $2.61 @1k
ST continues to expand its low cost offering with the STM32C0 adding a dozen products and hammering down the low cost $0.21 @10k.
But the big news this month is the delivery of the first STM32N6 products that were announced in december. The PR read: The STM32N6 microcontroller (MCU) series is ST’s 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 high-end STM32 MCU today. The STM32N6 has been available to selected customers since October 2023 and is now ready to be offered in high volumes.
The STM32N6 is based on a 800MHz Cortex-M55 , the first CPU to introduce Arm Helium vector processing technology, bringing DSP processing capability to a standard CPU. It also embeds the ST Neural-ART accelerator™, an in-house developed neural processing unit (NPU) engineered for power-efficient edge AI applications. Clocked at 1 GHz and providing up to 600 GOPS, it enables real-time neural network inference for computer vision and audio applications.A dedicated computer vision pipeline with a MIPI CSI-2 interface and image signal processing (ISP) ensures compatibility with a wide range of cameras. The STM32N6 also features an H264 hardware encoder and the NeoChrom™ Accelerator for graphics, making it suitable for feature-rich products.
It offers 4.2 Mbytes of contiguous embedded RAM, ideal for neural networks or graphics applications, complemented by high-speed external memory interfaces (hexa-SPI, OCTOSPI, FMC).
The STM32N6 offers advanced security features, meeting the latest standards with target SESIP level 3 and PSA level 3 certifications.
Available in six different packages ranging from 169 to 264 pins and from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm pitch, it supports up to 125°C ambient temperature, making it suitable for harsh environments. Prices start at $7.51/10k.
ST also filled a whole in the low power space between the STM32U0 (Cortex-M0+) and the STM32U5 (Cortex-M33) with the STM32U3 based on a 96-MHz Cortex-M33 core. It is the first STM32 based on near-threshold design which drastically reduces the dynamic consumption of the final application. This product represents the market-leader in term of efficiency with 117 Coremark/mW and a static mode < 2 µA.
The series has 256 Kbytes of RAM and 512 to 1024 kB of dual bank flash. The STM32U3 series supports -40 °C to +105 °C temperature range.
TI added 20 more M0L1/2 parts to its low cost portfolio
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