7 ms·

ST is quite probably the market leader for embedded micros (though NXP may be getting there). They're hardly the up and coming underdog, they're the 800lb goril

ST is quite probably the market leader for embedded micros (though NXP may be getting there). They're hardly the up and coming underdog, they're the 800lb gorilla in the market and the things you mention are pretty much par for the course. This combined A7+M4 device is unusual, but is simply a cost saving over what would simply be an A7 device serially attached to an M4 (for example). There does not seem to be any new features here other than the cost saving from combining them.

zokier 8y ago
> ST is quite probably the market leader for embedded micros (though NXP may be getting there). This report from 2016 puts NXP at twice the marketshare over STmicro who are sitting steadily in the fifth place: https://epsnews.com/2017/05/01/nxp-tops-microcontroller-supplier-ranking/ https://epsnews.com/2017/05/01/nxp-tops-microcontroller-supp... Although at least part of the sales volume difference can be explained by NXP having had more expensive i.MX range available (and others), so in terms of chips sold they might be closer to each other. > This combined A7+M4 device is unusual I'm not sure if I'd say that, previously NXP did the exact same thing with i.MX7, and TI with their AM5x. And of course don't forget the classic AM3x which had PRUs filling part of the same role.
- solarkraft 8y ago
  I can anecdotally say that I'm hearing a lot more about STMs than about NXP microcontrollers.
  - stefan_ 8y ago
    Because you're in the wrong industry. Very big in automotive.
    - Matthias247 8y ago
      Likely true. In Automotive and likely also some other industries also Renesas is huge. However in hobby circles one never hears about them.
    - rvense 8y ago
      I take apart prosumer audio/music gear quite often, and STM32s seem quite popular there. Not sure where that is in volume, though.
  - ballooney 8y ago
    Hobbyists and tinkerers like us are somewhere between completely irrevelevent and mostly irrevelent when it comes to market share.
- monocasa 8y ago
  > I'm not sure if I'd say that, previously NXP did the exact same thing with i.MX7 And before that, they had their Vybrid line that's a A5 paired with an M4.
- rnestler 8y ago
  > This report from 2016 puts NXP at twice the marketshare over STmicro who are sitting steadily in the fifth place: To be fair that is largely because they aqquired Freescale, the year before they had almost the same market share.
magicalhippo 8y ago
> They're hardly the up and coming underdog Didn't mean they're an underdog as such, one can still be up the top and push hard. Many just don't. > the things you mention are pretty much par for the course As I said my background was Arduino, and the ARM offering from Atmel is a lot more expensive from what I can gather. I don't know too much about the others. Coming from the Arduino, the peripherals of most STM32s are something else. edit: of course the price point is also a big factor in this, with the "Blue Pill" and similar dev boars in the <$2 delivered range.
- ballooney 8y ago
  A background of arduino gives you a view of the microcontroller world that is like climbing a minaret in the smog in delhi gives you a view of the himalayas.
  - voiture_rapide 8y ago
    Rotflmao
sjburt 8y ago
I haven't looked around, but the 10x10mm form factor seems quite small for an A7 product. And they have some shared memory which should be an advantage over a serial interface between two separate processors.

zokier 8y ago

> ST is quite probably the market leader for embedded micros (though NXP may be getting there). This report from 2016 puts NXP at twice the marketshare over STmicro who are sitting steadily in the fifth place: https://epsnews.com/2017/05/01/nxp-tops-microcontroller-supplier-ranking/ https://epsnews.com/2017/05/01/nxp-tops-microcontroller-supp... Although at least part of the sales volume difference can be explained by NXP having had more expensive i.MX range available (and others), so in terms of chips sold they might be closer to each other. > This combined A7+M4 device is unusual I'm not sure if I'd say that, previously NXP did the exact same thing with i.MX7, and TI with their AM5x. And of course don't forget the classic AM3x which had PRUs filling part of the same role.

solarkraft 8y ago
I can anecdotally say that I'm hearing a lot more about STMs than about NXP microcontrollers.
- stefan_ 8y ago
  Because you're in the wrong industry. Very big in automotive.
  - Matthias247 8y ago
    Likely true. In Automotive and likely also some other industries also Renesas is huge. However in hobby circles one never hears about them.
  - rvense 8y ago
    I take apart prosumer audio/music gear quite often, and STM32s seem quite popular there. Not sure where that is in volume, though.
- ballooney 8y ago
  Hobbyists and tinkerers like us are somewhere between completely irrevelevent and mostly irrevelent when it comes to market share.
monocasa 8y ago
> I'm not sure if I'd say that, previously NXP did the exact same thing with i.MX7 And before that, they had their Vybrid line that's a A5 paired with an M4.
rnestler 8y ago
> This report from 2016 puts NXP at twice the marketshare over STmicro who are sitting steadily in the fifth place: To be fair that is largely because they aqquired Freescale, the year before they had almost the same market share.

magicalhippo 8y ago

> They're hardly the up and coming underdog Didn't mean they're an underdog as such, one can still be up the top and push hard. Many just don't. > the things you mention are pretty much par for the course As I said my background was Arduino, and the ARM offering from Atmel is a lot more expensive from what I can gather. I don't know too much about the others. Coming from the Arduino, the peripherals of most STM32s are something else. edit: of course the price point is also a big factor in this, with the "Blue Pill" and similar dev boars in the <$2 delivered range.

ballooney 8y ago
A background of arduino gives you a view of the microcontroller world that is like climbing a minaret in the smog in delhi gives you a view of the himalayas.
- voiture_rapide 8y ago
  Rotflmao

sjburt 8y ago

I haven't looked around, but the 10x10mm form factor seems quite small for an A7 product. And they have some shared memory which should be an advantage over a serial interface between two separate processors.