ST will give 7000 microcontroller discovery kits to the 'embedded world' attendees

ST Microelectronics said it will give away 7000 quick-start development boards for fast evaluation and low-risk prototyping with ST's popular 8-bit (STM8) and 32-bit (STM32) microcontroller devices at embedded world trade show in Nuremberg.

The 'Discovery Kits' is a USB powered kit, which can be plugged to PC, these USB-powered boards integrate a microcontroller and an ST-Link debugger. ST provides free programming and compiling software from ST and third parties.

On-board hardware extensions provide easy connection to other boards or devices for deeper testing of the microcontroller peripherals. All kits contain LEDs and push buttons and enable access to all device pins through an extension header.

The available discovery kits available include standard 8-bit (STM8S), the STM8S-Discovery; ultra-low-power 8-bit (STM8L), the STM8L-Discovery; and the standard 32-bit (STM32) microcontroller series, the STM32VL-Discovery. At the embedded world 2011, a new Discovery Kit is introduced for ST's 32-bit ultra-low-power family, the STM32L, and it will be available in April 2011.

Normally priced below €10, Discovery Kits are popular with the embedded design community as the perfect tool for discovering the possibilities of ST's microcontrollers, with some 100,000 units shipped to date.

‘embedded world 2011’ Discovery Kit vouchers are available1 upon registration at www.st.com/internet/com/events/ew2011regform.jsp and the free kits can be claimed on ST’s booth (Hall 12/330) at the Nuremberg, Germany, Trade Fair Center on March 1-3, 2011.