STMicroelectronics Launches Stellar P6 Automotive MCU to Enable Electric Vehicle Platform System Integration

• Ultra-high integration supports automakers in designing next-generation electric drive systems and OTA wireless update domain control systems

• First to support new high-speed in-vehicle communication protocols

• Stellar family’s first production-proven MCU to support the automotive industry’s transition to software-defined vehicles

China, September 8, 2022 -- STMicroelectronics (STMicroelectronics), a leading semiconductor company serving multiple electronic applications, has launched a new automotive MCU chip , targeting the upcoming trend of automotive electrification and the OTA (Over-The-Air) wireless update domain control system of the next generation of electric vehicles. In response to the need for today's cars to generate, process and transmit large amounts of data streams, especially to better support the development of the next generation of electric vehicles, STMicroelectronics has launched the new Stellar P automotive MCU. This is the industry's first MCU that allows automakers to integrate the new CAN-XL in-vehicle communication standard on 2024 models. This technology can help new automotive platforms better handle and cope with growing data streams, keeping vehicle performance at its best.

“The Stellar P6 automotive MCU is a real-time and energy-efficient MCU that integrates advanced motor-control and energy-management domains with execution capabilities to ensure a smooth transition to the new electric drive architecture of software-defined vehicles for both traditional fuel-powered and electric vehicles,” said Luca Rodeschini, Vice President, Strategic Business Development, General Manager, Automotive Processors and RF, Automotive and Discrete Division, STMicroelectronics. “As the industry begins developing new vehicle platforms for 2024 models, ST is ready to support platform development with MCUs and simplify the transition from development to production.”

STMicroelectronics' Stellar automotive MCU product family is designed to help automakers and Tier 1 suppliers transform to software-defined cars. Stellar products are now available in multiple series:

- The Stellar E series ensures fast real-time control and system miniaturization for power conversion applications, maximizing the advantages of SiC and GaN power technologies in applications such as electric vehicle onboard charging, DC-DC converters and electric drive inverters.

- The Stellar G series MCU is mainly used in the body domain of the automotive domain control architecture, securely managing data and integrating functions in real time and security. The series can achieve excellent software wireless updates and low power consumption modes, and send and receive data through a wide range of in-vehicle communication protocols.

-The newly launched Stellar P series automotive MCU integrates advanced execution control capabilities and powerful functionality. Stellar P products are aimed at new electric vehicle electric drive technology trends and automotive domain control architectures, and can achieve excellent real-time performance and energy management effects.

Stellar P6 samples are available now for 2024 model year vehicles . For pricing and sample requests, please contact your local ST sales office.

Additional information

Automakers are transforming their next-generation vehicle platforms to software-defined vehicles in order to address the complexity and performance issues of new features (electrification, advanced safety, assisted driving, and autonomous driving) in next-generation vehicles. This transformation requires a top-to-bottom change in the vehicle platform architecture. Major changes include the shift from multiple electronic control units (ECUs) that manage a small subsystem to domain or zone controllers that integrate multiple functions. These domain controllers must also address the software integration issues of different systems on the vehicle. A new generation of automotive MCUs like Stellar can achieve higher processing performance and integrate important functions while ensuring the safety and performance of the vehicle. In a software-defined car that is fully driven by electronic systems, Stellar allows all systems to operate in full synchronization, securely upgrade software wirelessly, simplify vehicle maintenance and repair, and continuously improve performance.

Technical Information

Stellar P6 is manufactured in STMicroelectronics' own wafer fab, using energy-efficient 28nm FD-SOI technology, and embedded with up to 20MB of phase-change (non-volatile) memory (PCM). Developed and tested in accordance with the stringent automotive high-temperature operating environment, radiation resistance and data retention requirements, STMicroelectronics' PCM has a single-bit overwrite function that flash memory does not have, making memory access faster. In addition, non-stop wireless updates utilize a game-changing innovative mechanism that saves memory space by dynamically allocating memory space for newly downloaded software images before the new update software is effective. During the download process, the rest of the memory continues to execute running applications in real time.

STMicroelectronics' Stellar P6 MCU has up to six Arm® Cortex® R52 processor cores, some of which are dual-core lock-step operation, and some of which are split-core execution, providing fail-safe redundancy mechanisms for applications. These mechanisms enable new products to bring high performance, real-time determinism, and upgrade capabilities to next-generation automotive drive systems, electrification solutions, and domain control systems. Stellar P6 uses the unique features and firewalls of Cortex-R52 to solve hardware virtualization problems (sandboxing) and access resources on demand, which simplifies the development and integration of multi-source software on the same chip while ensuring the security isolation and performance of applications.

Advanced safety measures are implemented at all levels of the architecture to ensure ISO 26262 ASIL-D functionality is efficiently implemented . In addition, FD-SOI technology is inherently quasi-radiation-hardened and provides superior protection against system unavailability while ensuring the chip complies with the most stringent safety standards.

The fast hardware information security module (HSM) integrated on the chip adds a dual-core lock-step encryption engine, supports information security functions of ASIL D functional safety level, and can realize enhanced EVITA complete safety functions. The new product also provides high-speed security encryption services and secure network authentication to further protect manufacturers' firmware and end-user data.