This new embedded memory is intended to support the challenging process of developing software-defined vehicles (SDV) and evolving platforms for electrification.
Instead of managing multiple devices with varying memory options and the associated development and qualification costs, Stellar with xMemory introduces a single device with extensible memory, providing customers with an efficient and cost-effective solution.
A much simpler approach, this will enable carmakers to future-proof their designs, with room for additional innovation later in their development cycle, reducing development costs and accelerating time to market with a simpler supply chain.
Stellar with xMemory will be first available on the Stellar P6 MCUs, which target the new drivetrain trends and architectures for electric vehicles (EVs), with production to start later in 2025.
“Stellar with xMemory will streamline the car architectures of tomorrow, making them more cost-effective and significantly reduce development time for carmakers,” said Luca Rodeschini, Group Vice President and General Purpose and Automotive Microcontrollers Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “This solution enables the same hardware to ensure carmakers have the infrastructure and capabilities with the headroom to continuously innovate their products over time.”
“By choosing an extensible MCU like Stellar with xMemory, engineers can avoid costly hardware redesigns to support software features. As software inevitably grows, whether during the initial development or through post-launch OTA updates, the same platform can be upgraded in the field, significantly reducing time-to-market and maintenance costs. A solution like Stellar with xMemory also enables simplified logistics and bill of material efficiency,” explained Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst, Moor Insights & Strategy.
Memory has become a significant bottleneck as software complexity grows, driven by new features and regulations, memory-hungry AI and Machine Learning applications, and over-the-air (OTA) updates. ST’s xMemory looks to address this challenge by extending the memory either during the development phase or when vehicle is in the field, giving them unlimited application upgrades.
Selecting the right MCU at the start of the SDV lifecycle ensures sufficient on-chip memory for future software development but by over-specifying memory costs are increased, while under-specifying may necessitate finding and re-qualifying a different MCU with extra memory later, adding complexity, cost, and delays.
Stellar MCUs with xMemory have been competitively priced to bring additional savings, simplify the OEM supply chain, and accelerate time to market by lengthening the product lifetime and maximising reuse across projects to reduce time for qualification.
ST has been at the forefront of the transition from Flash to eNVM technology in automotive MCUs, introducing the first 28nm eNVM qualified for automotive applications, which is at the core of the xMemory.
ST’s embedded Phase-Change Memory (ePCM) has among the best power, performance, area (PPA) index of NVM technologies such as RRAM, MRAM, and Flash and with the industry’s smallest eNVM cell size, PCM fabricated at 18nm and 28nm nodes, provides twice the memory density of other technologies.
The latest-generation PCM technology will be available on all upcoming Arm-based Stellar P and G automotive MCUs. The portfolio includes Stellar Integration MCUs (Stellar P and Stellar G series) for centralised zone and domain controllers and body applications, which consolidate the functions of multiple, separate communication and control ECUs, and Stellar Electrification MCUs (Stellar E series), which are optimised for control of EV traction-module power converters.
