STMicroelectronics released the Stellar SR6 automotive microcontrollers (MCUs) for automotive-industry leaders to realize the next generation of advanced vehicle electronics that deliver new levels of performance and safety.

The Stellar SR6 scalable MCU family, targeting production in 2024, is architected for high performing and efficient vehicle platforms. The MCUs are particularly suited to domain and zone controllers that simplify vehicle wiring, enable migration to software-defined platforms for greater flexibility and richer features, and increase system reliability.

“Working with lead customers, we have successfully tested the innovations in our game-changing Stellar SR6 MCUs and have now achieved the milestone of supplying the first devices to new road-car projects scheduled for production,” said Marco Monti, President, Automotive and Discrete Group, STMicroelectronics. “These MCUs are critical enablers for tomorrow’s smart, connected vehicles that aim to be safer, more sustainable, and deliver more rewarding user experiences while allowing car makers and their selected partners to strengthen customer relationships with value-added services.”

Stellar SR6 MCUs leverage ST’s robust FD-SOI process technology, which has excellent Soft Error Rate (SER) immunity to ensure high system reliability and availability for ISO 26262 functional-safety applications up to ASIL-D. The devices feature hardware-based virtualization, which allows multiple software applications to coexist safely while preserving performance and ensuring real-time determinism and enhances flexibility for designers by allowing multiple independent applications or virtual Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in the same physical MCU.

The first Stellar SR6 P and G series MCUs have up to 20Mbytes of robust Phase-Change Memory (PCM), which ensures high performance and data retention and is compliant with AEC-Q100 Grade 0. Stellar’s innovative dual-image storage enables efficient Over-The-Air (OTA) reprogramming with major savings in memory size through an ST innovation that supports configuring the PCM cell structure to double the memory size during OTA updates, up to 2x 20MBytes. PCM access time is also faster than other non-volatile memories such as 1T (single-transistor) NOR Flash.

The Stellar SR6 MCU family contains two series, P and G, based on the same platform.
Stellar P Integration MCU series is designed to meet the demands of next-generation drivetrain and electrification integration/domain systems, delivering powerful real-time performance and determinism for superior driving experiences and safety.

Stellar G Integration MCUs feature efficient accelerators for secure data routing via CAN, LIN, and Ethernet networks and deliver a large set of communication interfaces. With their flexible low-power modes supporting low quiescent current and an intelligent monitoring subsystem, Stellar G microcontrollers ensure the best overall power efficiency.

Each is tailored for the intended domain to offer optimized and rational solutions for next-generation vehicle needs. More information please visit https://www.st.com/en/automotive-microcontrollers/stellar-32-bit-automotive-integration-mcus.html?icmp=tt21791_gl_pron_jun2021.