A comprehensive analysis of 32-bit MCUs: What engineers care about most

Why choose 32-bit microcontroller?

The mainstream 32-bit MCU is basically occupied by the ARM platform, because of the convenient development and complete tools. Then there are the upgraded products of major MCU manufacturers such as Atmel/Microchip. ARM-licensed MCUs are all over the world, and basically all digital manufacturers are making related chips. ARM has more advantages in instruction density, etc., while traditional MCU manufacturers require chips with strong targeting, no copyright fees, and relatively low costs. The power consumption of various MCUs is basically the same, mainly application-oriented - power consumption is not a problem of MCU, but determined by the original factory and process. In the application scheme, 32-bit MCU mainly reflects its high performance and rich resources. At the same time, the convenient development environment attracts more and more software engineers. Therefore, the reduction in development difficulty is also one of the main reasons for the rapid rise of 32-bit MCU.

32-bit MCU, what do engineers pay most attention to?

Due to its breakthrough in performance, the selection of 32-bit microcontrollers, that is, the selection of its peripherals, is to choose different types of microcontrollers for different systems. Usually, it is entangled in the selection due to resources and other issues. From the personal selection experience of some engineers, it is generally easier to purchase general chips, and the supply is stable. However, general chips are not suitable for special occasions, which is the most troublesome thing in the selection. In this case, the technical indicators mentioned above are not very critical parameters in the selection. The cost of small-batch procurement/procurement difficulty/establishment of the development environment/public resources and whether it is easy to be cracked have become more important issues. When it comes to 32-bit systems, whether development is easy is a very critical issue, because the volume is increased, and cost is not a problem. Because the final system wins in software.

Is Silicon Labs more competitive than Renesas Electronics?

For Silicon Labs' Precision32 series and Renesas Electronics' V850 series 32-bit MCUs, although both 32-bit MCU manufacturers use the Cortex-M3 core, their main functions are still different because the manufacturers meet different customer groups. What is the functional difference between these two series of 32-bit MCUs? What is the main application field of Silicon Labs' Precision32 series MCUs? What about Renesas Electronics' V850 series? In fact, the difference question is difficult to answer in this comparison. It can be said that in terms of targeting, Silabs' products pay more attention to market segmentation, while in terms of coverage, V850 comprehensively covers various industry applications. Silabs' MCU adheres to the American idea of ​​market segmentation, and is more competitive (cost advantage) than the same series of V850 in this market segment, and the comprehensive coverage of V850 allows it to meet most application occasions.

Intel or ARM, who will take the lead?

Intel and ARM, as representatives of high performance and low power consumption in the MCU industry, stand for product development and design solutions. In terms of embedded systems, especially with the rapid rise of smartphones and mobile Internet, ARM is taking the leading position and has also taken advantage of Intel through embedded systems. Intel's high R&D investment and maintenance of its production lines doom it to be unable to compete with ARM in low-cost 32-bit microcontrollers. ARM's flexible, low-cost operation and low-power experience make it easier for it to seize the initiative in the embedded market. Therefore, 32-bit microcontrollers are bound to completely replace the 8-bit and 16-bit microcontroller markets. This is the same as the trend of DOS being quickly replaced by Windows. The speed of development is far more important than the cost.

In addition, according to the communication and interaction with engineers and industry experts, the ARM9 series 32-bit microcontrollers are the mainstream in current design projects because of their good performance-price ratio. It is likely that they will turn to the A8 series in the future.

Factors restricting the development of 32-bit MCU market

In fact, it is the software that restricts the rapid development of single-chip microcomputers. This is the focus of Hi-tech's acquisition by michrochip. How to do more things with the same resources through software is the battlefield for everyone to fight for in the future. Semiconductor manufacturers need to deeply integrate with software to obtain long-term profits and markets, otherwise they will become a passing guest.

Future 32-bit MCU Market and Technology Highlights

The future market will be dominated by the market segments. Customization may not have an advantage because the time cycle is too long. In the future, single-chip microcomputers will occupy a very advantageous position in the market segments. In fact, the MCU is not the core of a system. Its selling point lies in different peripherals, which is the key to personalization. Due to information asymmetry, the cost of the information industry is relatively transparent. The price of IT products is falling every day, while the price of the fashion industry is rising every day. Therefore, the MCU will definitely not be the core of competition in the end. The core is the peripherals around the MCU. Therefore, those peripherals and the integration capabilities of manufacturers for these peripherals are the highlights we need to pay attention to in the future.

The emerging technology markets such as the Internet of Things and smart grids are brewing an explosion. The 32-bit single chip combines performance and development convenience, and is bound to completely replace the old system in the future market and gradually occupy the market segments. From this point of view, the application prospects of 32-bit single chip microcomputers should be bright.

32-bit MCU is irreplaceable in automotive electronics applications

In fact, the main control systems of automotive electronics are basically 32-bit systems. 32-bit machines can indeed bring a lot of convenience to customers in various occasions as auxiliary subsystems in automotive electronics applications, such as the driving safety and vehicle body stability requirements mentioned above. The intelligent driving system must be a 32-bit system combined with a high-speed DSP, otherwise it will be difficult to cope with various complex road conditions. This subsystem is a necessary subsystem to prevent mass deaths and injuries caused by fatigued drivers on the highway. In the city, the reversing assistance system is also a very important subsystem, which allows the majority of novices who cannot reverse to have a more convenient parking method.

At present, the largest application field of 32-bit microcontrollers is communication networks, followed by industrial control, automotive electronics, Internet of Things, and medical electronics. Among them, 32-bit microcontrollers with flash and RAM below $1 will pose a threat to 8-bit/16-bit microcontrollers. At present, the price of most 32-bit microcontrollers is about $1.5, which is still a long way from completely eroding the 8-bit microcontroller market. STMicroelectronics will play a pioneering role in eroding the 8-bit microcontroller market.

Major semiconductor manufacturers that dominate the automotive electronics industry, including STMicroelectronics, Infineon, Renesas Electronics, Freescale, NXP, Texas Instruments, etc., have developed 32-bit microcontroller product lines and application solutions. It is particularly important to point out that as the Chinese automotive electronics application market continues to expand, related 32-bit microcontroller manufacturers based in the Chinese market will benefit from it in the future.