MCU features neural-ART accelerator for edge processing

STMicroelectronics is making embedded artificial intelligence (AI) truly here-to-help with a new microcontroller series integrating, for the first time, accelerated machine learning (ML) capabilities. This enables cost-sensitive, power-conscious consumer and industrial products to provide high-performance features leveraging computer vision, audio processing, sound analysis, and other algorithms, until now beyond the capabilities of small embedded systems.

The STM32N6 microcontroller (MCU) series is ST’s most powerful to date, and the first to embed ST’s proprietary neural processing unit (NPU), the Neural-ART Accelerator, delivering 600 times more machine-learning performance than a high-end STM32 MCU today. The STM32N6 has been available to selected customers since October 2023 and is now ready to be offered in high volumes.

Technical features and support for AI development includes: Up to 600x machine-learning performance vs typical high-end STM32 MCU: ST’s Neural-ART Accelerator includes nearly 300 configurable multiply-accumulate units achieving up to 600 giga operations per second (GOPS); The most powerful STM32 today: The STM32N6 has an 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 core, delivering an unprecedented 3,360 CoreMark score.  The MCUs are also available in a version without the Neural-ART accelerator, for applications requiring all the performance, interfaces and functionality of the STM32N6, without integrating advanced AI algorithms; 4.2 MB of RAM, the largest amount ever found on an STM32: providing the memory to support the data-intensive AI and multimedia workloads. Two 64-bit AXI interfaces provide a high level of bandwidth to sustain the highest computation rate and unlock the full power of the Neural-ART Accelerator; ST advanced Image Signal Processor (ISP), for the first time on an MCU: the STM32N6 incorporates an ISP that provides direct signal processing, enabling the use of simple and affordable image sensors. This ISP can be configured using ST’s free ISP IQTune software (STM32-ISP-IQTune), a cutting-edge tool that permits customising image signal processing parameters such as exposure time, contrast or colour balance; Supported by ST’s Edge AI Suite: offering comprehensive software tools for the development of edge machine-learning applications, including the possibility to bring your own model in various formats such as TensorFlow Lite, Keras and ONNX;