STMicroelectronics and Movea today announced their agreement to integrate Movea’s SmartMotion technology into the STM32F401 microcontroller operating as a low-power sensor-hub controller.
The integration of Movea’s high-accuracy motion-processing models into the STM32F401 will enable mobile-device manufacturers and application developers to deliver compelling context-aware applications and services, such as pedestrian navigation, activity monitoring and more. The high-performance STM32F401 and its power-optimized architecture, together with Movea’s advanced motion features deliver an unmatched state-of-art, ultra-low-power solution for Always-On Applications.
“Our objective is to provide STM32 microcontrollers leveraging high signal processing and math computation, while reducing power consumption,” said Michel Buffa, General Manager Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics. “This effort highlights the value of our STM32F4 implementation, as it delivers extremely accurate sensor fusion that is optimized for mobile usage. Embedding Movea IP in an STM32F401 will offload sensor-hub tasks from the application processor, reducing overall power consumption and opening a new world of opportunities for the smart mobile devices of tomorrow.”
The combination of ST’s low-power processing capability, STM32F401 high-performance computing architecture, together with Movea’s industry-leading motion-processing capability, offers a compelling advantage to the mobile and tablet markets, where “always on” applications such as fitness tracking and context awareness have an enormous impact on battery life.
Integrating Movea’s firmware onto the STM32F401 sensor-management platform aims to enable unprecedented functionality and services. Devices equipped with the combination will anticipate user’s needs and provide additional services based on their activity, location and surroundings. For example, these devices will help users launch applications using simple gestures without having to unlock the phone, accurately track their daily physical activity, and allow indoor pedestrian navigation and other location-based services. With users spending up to 80 percent of their time indoors, monitoring and tracking of indoor location and activity is critical to delivering the promise of location-based services. Movea’s Pedestrian Dead Reckoning offers a real low-power solution when run on this high-performance, power-optimized sensor hub from ST.
Movea’s sensor-hub solution offers a comprehensive set of SW, Firmware and Tools to enable an advanced-motion user experience. It gathers data from an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and pressure sensor to bring advanced motion capabilities to the STM32F401 platform. These features augment the sensors with auto calibration, 3D orientation, 3D compass; Mobile Gestures; Activity Monitoring; and Pedestrian Navigation. Movea will supply all the motion processing and support software for Android and Windows applications.
“ST and Movea are leading the change in responding to consumers’ insatiable appetite for smarter mobile devices by offering a revolutionary sensor-hub solution that combines the right architectural balance of the STM32F401 Microcontroller line,” said Sam Guilaume, CEO of Movea. “We’re excited to collaborate with such a recognized key player in the semiconductor and microcontroller industry. We definitely want to unlock the mobile market offering with STM32.”
The new STM32F401 line is designed for mobile devices that require balanced performance and low-power modes while integrating high-density memories and peripherals inside packages as small as 3 x 3 mm. The STM32F401 offers the performance of the ARM Cortex-M4 core running at 84 MHz, associated with a unique ST memory accelerator interface (ART).
The STM32F401 with SmartMotion technology and tools will be available in Q4 2013.