Mar 05, 2021STMicroelectronics has announced several products in recent weeks, including extensions to the ecosystem that supports development with its STM32MP1 dual-core microprocessors, with new software packages and support for open-source security initiatives. By providing code for security mechanisms such as Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment (OP-TEE) and the Trusted Firmware-A (TF-A) project, ST says it is helping STM32MP1 developers address the need for confidentiality, integrity, availability and authenticity verification in their applications. ST has also extended its roster of authorized partners in embedded security with Sequitur Labs.
Sequitur Labs' EmSPARK Security Suite for STM32MP1 streamlines firmware development implementing protective techniques, the company reports, such as secure boot and device authentication. "We are proud to partner with STMicroelectronics in delivering the EmSPARK Security Suite to meet mission-critical, STM32MP1-enabled, device-protection requirements," said Philip Attfield, Sequitur Labs' CEO, in a prepared statement. "The combination of EmSPARK and STM32MP1 makes our customers' IoT applications and data safe."
ST's STM32MP1 dual-core microprocessor
EmSPARK Security Suite works with Arm's TrustZone architecture, according to the company, and assists with secure provisioning to simplify the deployment of connected devices. The system is designed for applications such as industrial control, building automation, smart-home equipment, machine vision, automotive communication and medical devices. These resources join the STM32MP1 ecosystem alongside solutions from Prove&Run, TimeSys and Witekio built to meet security-software development challenges.
Prove&Run lets STM32MP1 customers integrate security in their design by providing custom security engineering services (secure boot, secure firmware and OP-TEE), as well as solutions leveraging the ProvenCore secure OS. TimeSys' Vigiles Vulnerability Management Suite, embedded in OpenSTLinux, constantly watches for vulnerabilities that open devices to cyberattacks; Vigiles also provides remediation information for device lifecycle management. Witekio's FullMetalUpdate open-source over-the-air solution lets IoT platform operators manage OTA updates.
ST has revealed details of software expansion packages tailored for STM32MP1, designed to help customers leverage artificial intelligence in computer-vision projects and accelerate the development of predictive-maintenance applications. These include X-LINUX-AI, an OpenSTLinux Expansion Package that targets AI for STM32MP1 microprocessors. The package contains Linux AI frameworks and application examples to help users implement computer-vision use cases with STM32 evaluation boards and discovery kits.
To accelerate the development of predictive-maintenance applications, the X-LINUX-PREDMNT expansion package implements edge gateway features between sensors and cloud services, the company reports. The pack contains functions for sending processed sensor data to the IoT cloud, visualizing data on the dashboard and analyzing that information to detect conditions that may indicate the need for maintenance intervention. X-LINUX-PREDMNT includes Amazon's AWS IoT Greengrass Edge Computing service.
In addition, STMicroelectronics has launched its STPay-Mobile platform to simplify the virtualization of security-critical public transit ticketing and payment cards on smartphones and wearables. STPay-Mobile, the company reports, is intended to help mobile-device manufacturers leverage the features of ST's ST54 secure system-on-chip to handle contactless transactions and protect sensitive information, such as data and authentication credentials.
ST has announced details of a new ticketing solution for public transit that leverages the OnBoard platform created by Snowball Technology. This platform, together with STPay-Mobile managing services on the ST54 secure SoC, lets smartphones and wearables host virtual tickets that, according to ST, can be easily created by transit agencies and are convenient for travelers to buy and use.
"The ST54 product family and new STPay-Mobile services, combined with Snowball's platform, OnBoard, join smart-device manufacturers with public transit agencies to enable virtual ticketing for the broadest range of globally-supported contactless card standards," said Ciaran Fisher, Snowball Technology's CEO and co-founder, in a separate prepared statement. "Snowball and ST are aligned in their vision to create products and services that support smart, secure, and connected lifestyles. Together, ST's secure and high-performing semiconductors and our innovative OnBoard platform are powering the development of smart cities in the 21st century."
"We are rolling out STPay-Mobile services to help smartphone OEMs take advantage of the strong security and efficient NFC support provided by ST54 SoCs to create next-generation products that will power the future of ticketing and payment virtualization," add Marie-France Li-Saï Florentin, the VP of ST's Microcontrollers & Digital ICs Group, in the statement. "Connecting the STPay-Mobile services with Snowball's OnBoard platform has created an incredibly scalable and flexible solution that allows transit agencies to introduce virtual cards on their networks without changes to existing systems and infrastructure."
The OnBoard platform has been deployed by 50 transit agencies to date in more than 125 cities worldwide, including all major cities in China. The platform is compatible with more than 330 models of smartphones and wearables, ST reports. STPay-Mobile Ticketing services for the ST54 are intended to help mobile device manufacturers address the different transport infrastructures deployed worldwide, and to scale solutions globally. The services are open to any transit card scheme, according to the company, including open standards such as Calypso, ITSO and OSPT, as well as proprietary standards such as MIFARE Classic , MIFARE DESFire and MIFARE Plus.
The STPay-Mobile Payment services framework will soon complete certification according to Mastercard and Visa specifications. The services present a certified and validated contactless-payments solution for OEMs, integrated with the Mastercard Digital Enablement Service and Visa Token Service tokenization platforms. The ST54J SoC combines contactless front-end circuitry and Secure Element on a single die, creating a compact solution for protected transactions on mobile devices.
Finally, STMicroelectronic has announced a new generation of its STM32U5 microcontroller series, designed to meet demanding power and performance requirements for smart applications, including wearables, personal medical devices, home automation and industrial sensors. The STM32 MCUs, utilizing Arm's Cortex-M processors, are built into billions of domestic appliances, the company reports, as well as industrial controls, computer peripherals, communication devices, and equipment designed to manage smart cities and infrastructure.
The STM32U5 series combines Arm's Cortex-M33 core with ST's proprietary power-saving features and on-chip IP that reduce energy demand while boosting performance, according to the company. The product line adds cybersecurity functionality with hardware-based protection targeting PSA and Security Evaluation Standard for IoT Platforms (SESIP) assurance level 3, as well as graphics accelerators for rich user experiences.
ST's STM32U5 microcontroller
"ST has almost doubled its share of global microcontroller sales in the last five years, shipping more than two billion ultra-low-power STM32 devices to date. With our low-power expertise and focus, we are particularly strong in the ultra-low-power category with about 25% of that market," said Ricardo de Sa Earp, the group VP of ST's Microcontroller Division, in a separate prepared statement. "We expect our STM32U5 microcontrollers to be even more popular, enabling our customers to create new smart consumer and industrial products that deliver superior energy rating, performance, and cyberprotection."
ST's STM32U5 IoT Discovery Kit (B-U585I-IOT02A) combines the MCU with a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module and various sensors. Microsoft has chosen this kit as the reference board for its new Azure Certified Device program. "The STM32U5 provides an excellent platform for delivering Azure IoT services via Azure RTOS leveraging the advanced features of STM32U5 microcontroller," added Sam George, Microsoft's corporate VP for Azure IoT, in the prepared statement. The kit is slated to be made available to order later this year, the company indicates.
