8-bit microcontroller family now qualified for automotive use

DSP, Micros & Memory

24 January 2007 DSP, Micros & Memory

STMicroelectronics′ ST7FMC microcontroller family has been Automotive-Grade qualified to meet the specific and rigorous demands of the automotive market.

Built around an industry-standard 8-bit core and designed for driving brushless direct current (BLDC) motors, the microcontroller family is ideal for use in various car body applications such as fuel and water pumps, cooling fans and interior blowers.

The ST7FMC family features higher system integration compared to alternative microprocessor or DSP-based approaches. The micros minimise the need for external components, and reduce PCB space, thus lowering the cost of the overall application.

The family features an embedded motor-control cell, which includes six-phase pulse-width modulation (PWM) control, voltage or current sensing and a highly flexible 'back electro-motive force' (BEMF) detector for the sensorless control of permanent-magnet BLDC motors. All the application-specific devices in the family now operate over the full automotive temperature range of -40 to 125°C and include safety features such as current sensing used for stall detection, asynchronous emergency stop, write-once registers and clock security system (CSS). ST's patented algorithms also enable the motor-control cell to offer unique fail-free motor-starting capabilities. It also has an integrated local interconnect network (LIN) communication interface.

Housed in tiny TQFP32 and TQFP44 packages, all devices in the family are supported by a range of state-of-the-art development tools.

Share this article:

Cortex-M33 performance for cost-sensitive designs
Future Electronics DSP, Micros & Memory
The STM32C5 series from STMicroelectronics introduces a new generation of entry-level microcontrollers engineered to deliver enhanced processing capability, modern security, and cost-effective scalability for connected embedded applications.

Read more...

Memory shortage 2026: Engineering implications for South Africa
DSP, Micros & Memory
[Sponsored] Addressing this challenge requires system-level thinking and adoption with McKinsey Electronics providing the engineering and sourcing framework required to maintain system resilience despite ongoing global constraints.

Read more...

Cost-effective microcontroller series
Altron Arrow DSP, Micros & Memory
The STM32C5 series from STMicroelectronics delivers an excellent balance of performance, efficiency, and affordability for embedded designs that require more capability without increasing bill of materials cost.

Read more...

Battery-friendly Thread and BLE solution
iCorp Technologies DSP, Micros & Memory
Positioned as an incremental upgrade to the ESP32-H2, Espressif’s ESP32-H21 adds an integrated DC-DC converter that reduces active current draw and helps extend battery life in power-sensitive consumer and industrial devices.

Read more...

Next generation HMI processing platform
Future Electronics DSP, Micros & Memory
Microchip’s latest hybrid MCU SiP integrates an Arm926EJ-S processor with 512 Mb of DDR2 SDRAM and is engineered to meet the rising demand for sophisticated HMI solutions in modern vehicles.

Read more...

Low-power SoC for IoT designs
iCorp Technologies DSP, Micros & Memory
Espressif’s ESP32-H4 is a dual-core 32-bit RISC-V SoC designed for battery-powered wireless products that require low energy consumption, strong security, and modern connectivity.

Read more...

Chip for high-density power
Future Electronics DSP, Micros & Memory
Microchip’s dsPIC33AK256MPS306 Digital Signal Controllers combine high-resolution control, high-speed analogue, and security with support for post-quantum cryptography.

Read more...

Categories

DSP, Micros & Memory

8-bit microcontroller family now qualified for automotive use

Further reading:

Publications by Technews