STMicroelectronics (ST) has launched the STM32G5 series, a new family of mixed-signal microcontrollers (MCUs) supporting real-time power and motor control. Key applications include AI data centers, robotics, solar power installations and wind turbines, industrial drives and commercial drones.
Patrick Aidoune, head of ST's general-purpose and automotive microcontroller business division, said, “These next-generation microcontrollers address the challenges of efficiently meeting the growing energy needs of AI data centers, enabling more sophisticated humanoid robots and driving more complex motor control systems. With the STM32G5 series, ST provides the computing performance needed for physical AI in a form that is easy to access and embed in systems, enhancing sustainability, safety and security.”
According to ST, the STM32G5 offers twice the computing performance of the existing STM32G4 series. It also adds peripherals that increase the speed and precision of power supply and electric motor control. In 2027, ST plans to follow the single-core STM32G5 family with a dual-core family featuring enhanced performance and peripherals.
Andy Hsiao, senior purchasing officer in Delta Electronics' PSBG materials division, said, “Digital power is a key element in fulfilling our mission to provide innovative, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient solutions for a better future. In particular, as digital power systems become increasingly complex, control platforms capable of addressing that complexity are required. The STM32G5 offers the high levels of performance and flexibility required by next-generation digital power applications, combining powerful processing performance, integrated peripherals and embedded security features. This solution is an excellent choice for our designs, helping reduce energy losses, shrink the footprint and achieve greater reliability in high-performance applications such as AI and electric vehicles (EVs).”
Paul Tian, CEO of Ruiyan Intelligent, said, “Achieving sophisticated manipulation capabilities in humanoid robotics requires combining force, precision, sensing and real-time control within extremely limited space. With more than twice the performance of the previous generation, a broader range of peripherals and enhanced embedded security features, the STM32G5 enables control of more motors and integration of more sensors into robotic hands, as well as faster response times when speed and precision are critical. Working with ST, we are focused on making everyday life more convenient by accelerating the practical deployment of sophisticated robotic hands, from factory automation to medical laboratories.”
Advanced features for digital power and motor control
The STM32G5 series MCUs are designed around an Arm Cortex-M33 core operating at 280 MHz and introduce upgraded peripherals including enhanced high-resolution timers, position encoders, programmable logic arrays and hardware security.
Improving energy efficiency and reducing power demand are important challenges in environments with concentrated AI accelerators, such as today's data centers. As the speed and performance of the latest GPU clusters improve, power demand per rack is approaching 1 MW, while peak power demand at very large data centers is expected to exceed 2 GW by 2030. At this scale, even small improvements in power efficiency can reduce energy losses and cooling demand.
Equipment manufacturers can use precision control algorithms based on high-resolution timers to dynamically reconfigure power supplies to match changing power requirements as server workloads vary, maximizing efficiency. With more precise timing, the STM32G5 can also accommodate the high switching frequencies of power supplies based on wide-bandgap semiconductors silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).
Humanoid robotics must meet complex motor control requirements, including simultaneous operation of multiple axes, high-current delivery to generate high torque, and rapid responsiveness to ensure smooth, natural movement. Fine control is particularly essential for mechanisms requiring precision, such as hands and fingers, with up to 20 motors used in a single robotic hand.
Advanced safety and security features
The programmable logic array (PLAy) allows custom functions to be implemented in dedicated hardware, reducing the need for external glue logic.
The STM32G5 supports provisioning. It combines the Cortex-M33's Arm TrustZone IP with STM32Trust, including an immutable root of trust (STiRoT) for secure boot and secure firmware updates. It incorporates a cryptographic engine supporting the latest algorithms, including ST's PQC library, and supports secure storage of sensitive data, tamper detection and resistance to side-channel attacks.
The STM32G5 series is supported by the STM32CubeMX2 development tool and can use the new STM32Cube hardware abstraction layer (HAL2).
The STM32G5 MCUs are currently in production and comprise high-performance and high-resolution product lines. On-chip flash memory ranges from 64 KB to 512 KB, with packages available from the compact QFN32 to LQFP128.
Original Korean article: elec4.co.kr
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
