Dual-core models of microcontrollers STM32H7
ST's STM32H7 microcontrollers make this family of MCUs more powerful, flexible and easy to use. STM32H745 / STM32H755 and STM32H747/STM32H757 are ST's first dual-core models, with Cortex-M7 running at 480 MHz and Cortex-M4 running at 240 MHz, resulting in a CoreMark score of 3220.
On the other hand, we also officially released the STM32H742 and STM32H750, both getting the same Cortex-M7 at 480 MHz, but offering a cost-effective architecture that makes the H7 series more affordable. As such, this is a highly symbolic announcement as it extends this family of MCUs to make them relevant to a wider range of designs and ensures that more customers find the performance, features and price points relevant to their applications.
The STM32H7 has became the most powerful Cortex-M7 on the market. For example, the new STM32H742 removes the TFT LCD controller and JPEG codec unit, while also reducing RAM to 692 kB to ensure that systems that do not require a display find a better value proposition in it.
Similarly, we announced last year the creation of the STM32H7 Value Line thanks to much less flash memory, so designers who need an external QuadSPI for graphics-intensive applications don't have to pay for embedded storage they will never use.
The Most Powerful New Feature of the STM32H7 Family: the Additional Cortex-M4
The most obvious performance boost comes from the addition of the Cortex-M4 core, which raises the CoreMark score by 800 points. However, it is easy to overlook the fact that, beyond simply adding a processing unit, it is its implementation in the chip that makes the STM32H745/STM32H755 and STM32H747/STM32H757 truly unique. Thanks to the superb design, this dual-core architecture is very flexible.
For example, the system can be booted on either core, and their respective presence in separate power domains significantly optimizes energy consumption. For example, when an application does not need the Cortex-M7, developers can turn off its power domain without any impact on the other cores. As a result, the dynamic power consumption of the new dual-core model is far superior to that of the STM32F7.
Utilizing multiple cores may seem daunting, but companies that have already written applications for our Cortex-M7 or Cortex-M4 STM32 can reuse some of their code and build on top of it.
For example, a company using an STM32 Cortex-M4 to control an industrial pump could take their existing application and then run the new display and GUI on the Cortex-M7 to add new functionality to their product without rewriting everything. Very simply, engineers can benefit from having two MCUs without the complexity and design challenges of having two different components on the PCB.
New Features of the Dual-core STM32H7: MIPI-DSI, 16-bit ADC and FD-CAN
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