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ST takes ST7 MCU series below $0.50

8-bit flash micros in 8- to 32-pin packages

STMicroelectronics’ ultra-low-cost series of flash microcontrollers for highly cost-sensitive products, the ST7FOX series, includes devices with from 2 kB to 8 kB of on-chip flash, and with eight to 32 pins, all costing less than the critical 50 cent ($0.50) point. Relative to other ST7 parts, these chips have a simplified feature set, operate at +5V (+/- 10%) power supply, and include an RC oscillator which you can calibrate within the application. With a CISC architecture, nested interrupt management and a variety of addressing modes in the core architecture simplify high-level language coding. ST designed the ST7FOX to satisfy the increasing needs in the industry for reliable low-end and very low-cost MCUs for use in cost-critical applications, with an upgrade path to the ST7Lite family that enables manufacturers to build scalable product families. Microcontroller designs in flash, to replace electromechanical or logic-based control, can cost as ROM devices. A free integrated development environment (IDE), including a C compiler, minimises costs for developers. Samples of ST7FOX are available now in: 8-pin DIP or SO-8 packaged devices with 2 kbytes of flash, and 32-pin DIP or LQFP devices with 4 kbytes of flash. All are priced at less than $0.50 in large quantities.