Date: 25/06/2014
ST's specific MCU for digital power control of cloud
The new Digital Power microcontroller STM32F334 from STMicroelectronics is suggested for designing digital power control systems powering cloud computing systems.
By using digital control of computer power supplies data-center efficiency can be increased by 60% by adjusting continuously as power demand fluctuates, according to the Uptime Institute.
ST said its new microcontroller simplifies the data-center industry’s transition to energy-efficient digital power supplies, such as multi-phase interleaved or resonant soft-switching (LLC), by providing all the major power-control functions in a single chip. The 217ps high-resolution timer embedded in the STM32F334 guarantees superior precision allowing better power-supply efficiency while the asynchronous ultra-fast reaction time guarantees safe operation, says ST.
“Integrating features already proved in STM32 F3 devices used for digital motor drives and solar-inverters, the new STM32F334 Digital Power line adds innovations such as the high-resolution timer, making these the industry’s most advanced microcontrollers for digital power applications,” said Michel Buffa, General Manager, Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics. “With built-in high-speed peripherals featuring versatile interconnects, multiple timer outputs, powerful CPU and communication peripherals, these devices greatly simplify digital control of complex power-supply topologies used in data servers and telecom infrastructure, as well as in wireless charging points, lighting, welding, and industrial power supplies.”
STM32F334 Digital-Power microcontrollers are in production now and available in LQFP64, LQFP48 or LQFP32 packages, priced from $1.54 for orders of 10,000 units.
STM32F334 features 72MHz ARM Cortex-M4 core with DSP and floating-point unit (FPU). The on-board Core-Coupled Memory (CCM-SRAM) provides a “routine boost” (90DMIPS equivalent to >100MHz CPU frequency), which accelerates the execution of control loop or any critical routine.
The high-resolution timer is based on a modular architecture providing 217ps (picosecond) resolution due to which fine control of resonant soft-switching converters is possible.
