ST's specific MCU for digital power control of cloud
Date: 25/06/2014
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.
