C AS E S TU DY

STMicroelectronics Electrification
Solutions Improve Vehicle
Efficiency and Extend Range

The Race to Electrification
ST is an integrated device
manufacturer working with more than
200,000 customers and thousandsof partners to design and build
products, solutions, and ecosystems
that address their challenges andopportunities, and the need to support
a more sustainable world.

www.st.com

Driven by demands for more sustainable mobility and safer, more efficient
vehicles, the automotive industry is racing toward electrification. Rapid
innovation is vital to calm range anxiety and shrink charging times so thatelectric vehicles (EVs) become an even more attractive option for drivers
who need to travel longer distances.

Vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers are focused on developing newconcepts for efficient, safe, and secure e-mobility. A major shift in digitalcomputing solutions is helping to optimize energy management and makeEVs the ideal choice for consumers.

Microcontrollers (MCU) play a pivotal role in EV compute platforms, with
their management of power conversion efficiency and performance being
crucial to ensuring rapid charging and a longer cruising range between
charges. There is now a new generation of MCUs that combine superior
levels of safety and security, with over-the-air (OTA) software update
capabilities to enhance the ownership and driving experience throughout
the entire vehicle lifecycle. These features offer manufacturers the ability
to keep pace with technology innovation, respond to evolving threats,
and add new features and revenue models to their vehicle portfolios.

Boosting EVs with Enhanced Efficiency,
Safety, and Software Features
ST Stellar E automotive MCUs are built on dual 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M7
CPU cores to foster vehicle electrification. They feature advanced capabilities
and high-resolution control for increased power efficiency and safety featuresthat are essential for extending cruising range and faster charging times.
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The embedded Cortex-M7 cores, working at 300MHz, ensure real-time
control and performance scalability. Stellar E has the flexibility to support
various safety integrity levels up to ASIL D, and the compute performance
to optimize each design’s cost and scalability.

The high-speed control-loop processing of the Stellar E Automotive MCUs
drives power conversion applications to maximize the benefits of ST Silicon

F IG . 1

Stellar Electrification MCU: Go Green

Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) power technologies.

Tailored for onboard charging, DC-DC converters, and traction inverters,
Stellar E MCUs deliver both control and actuation in one MCU. This simplifies
system design, saves costs, and speeds compliance with automotive safety
and security standards. Its safety and security foundations combined withreal-time and analog performance, take Stellar E electrification to the nextlevel of vehicle efficiency.

F IG . 2

Stellar E simplified block diagram

The Sigma-Delta-ADCs and the high-resolution timers embedded in Stellar
E deliver fast control loops to support high switching frequency with precise
time control. Coupled with fast computing capability and an onboard mathaccelerator, this control loop chain replaces external DSPs.

Stellar E MCUs also include fast on-chip comparators to implement
protection. Additionally, fast SAR ADCs, delivering up to 5 MSPS in dual
mode, help boost control-loop performance.

As vehicles rapidly become software-defined, OTA update capabilities
are essential for the quick and efficient rollout of new features, optimized
performance, and to resolve future safety or security concerns. Stellar E
MCUs implement efficient OTA updates, allowing vehicles to continuously
improve over time.

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Finally, a flexible hardware security module (HSM) sub-system helps protect
the vehicle’s control systems against cybersecurity threats and ensure thatthe vehicle operates as intended.

MCUs for the EV Future
By providing reliable and efficient energy management, power conversion
control, security, and safety, MCUs are critical components of EVs. In theevolution of vehicle architectures, MCUs must deliver more capabilities
than ever before and anticipate future vehicle design needs. Arm’s
partnership with ST shows that innovative and forward-looking products
can help increase consumer confidence and accelerate the shift toward thetransformation taking place in the automotive industry.

“Our Stellar MCUs enable state-of-the-art electrification, while
ensuring efficient energy management and software-defined
flexibility for vehicle lifecycle management,” said Luca Rodeschini,
Automotive and Discrete Group Vice President, Strategic Business
Development and Automotive Processing and RF General Manager,
STMicroelectronics. “With the new Stellar E devices, this platform
enables a new value chain for EVs that can sense the environment,
control vehicle dynamics, enhance power-conversion efficiency, andsafely manage high-current power stages. Stellar E effectively handles
all this in a single component. Moreover, Stellar E’s ability to update
software securely over-the-air lets manufacturers refine their control
strategies for extra driving range, performance, and power efficiency.”C A S ES T U D Y4

References[01] Stellar Actuation MCUs - STMicroelectronics[02] The future of eMobility: Silicon carbide MOSFETs and Stellar E microcontrollers[03] Arm Cortex-M7© A R M L T D . 2 0 2 3 All brand names or product names are the property of their respective holders. Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in, or theproduct described in, this document may be adapted or reproduced in any material form except with the prior written permission of the copyright holder. The product described inthis document is subject to continuous developments and improvements. All particulars of the product and its use contained in this document are given in good faith. All warranties
implied or expressed, including but not limited to implied warranties of satisfactory quality or fitness for purpose are excluded. This document is intended only to provide information
to the reader about the product. To the extent permitted by local laws Arm shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of any information in this document or anyerror or omission in such information.

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