STMicroelectronics teams with Microsoft to boost development of Smart, Connected Devices

Integration lets STM32 developers access Microsoft Azure RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) for embedded projects

STMicroelectronics has signed an agreement with Microsoft that the two companies claim will simplify and accelerate the development of smart-appliance controllers and other Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices.

Developers working with STM32 microcontrollers (MCU) can now leverage Microsoft Azure RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) to provide ready-to-use services for managing their application. Connected to the STM32Cube development ecosystem, which consolidates tools and software to support customers’ projects, Microsoft Azure RTOS will be fully supported and all licenses are free for images deployed properly on STM32 microcontrollers, including prototyping and volume production.

The STM32Cube ecosystem provides free development tools, software bricks, and software expansion packages for users to handle everything from selecting the right device and initializing the project to coding, programming, testing, and scaling and porting the design if needed. Over 1000 STM32 variants are apparently already available, covering a spectrum of performance, feature integration, and package sizes.

The STM32Cube ecosystem also features embedded software libraries. The user can pick and choose in a portfolio of more than 100 software packages from ST and partners.

The collaboration between ST and Microsoft is intended to enable customers to leverage the services of Azure RTOS, which meet the needs of tiny, smart, connected devices. This includes Azure RTOS ThreadX real-time operating system, which has a compact memory footprint suited to deeply embedded applications. Also included are the FileX FAT file system, NetX and NetX Duo TCP/IP networking stacks, and USBX USB stack.

Value-added features of the Azure RTOS middleware components include support for IP layer security (IPsec) and socket layer security (TLS and DTLS) protocols, with future Common Criteria (CC) EAL4+ certification for TLS/DTLS and FIPS 140-2 certified software cryptographic library. Microsoft will apparently also provide safety pre-certifications including IEC 61508 SIL4, IEC 62304 Class C, and ISO 26262 ASIL-D.

While ensuring a consistent look and feel across Azure RTOS components and products, which promotes ease of use, Microsoft is also providing extra flexibility for embedded developers by publishing the source code at GitHub as part of the agreement with MCU vendors.