STMicroelectronics, one of the leading semiconductor manufacturers, launched the STM32MP1 microprocessors series back in February 2019 which are based on an HSA (heterogeneous system architecture). The microprocessors are based on an Arm® Cortex®-A7 core running at 650 MHz and Cortex®-M4 at 209 MHz combined with a dedicated 3D graphics processing unit (GPU) and MIPI-DSI display interface and a CAN FD interface.
The STM32MP1 microprocessors series is expected to follow new applications in the computing world targeting use in Industrial control, HMI (Human Machine Interface), Gaming console, Industrial IoT, and many more. Emtrion, the Germany based company is banking on the STM32MP1 microprocessors and they announced an upcoming computer-on-module based on the STM32MP1 back in March this year. The module was called the emSTAMP Argon Module and is tailored for graphics, communications, and industrial IoT applications.
Fast-forward to today, Emtrion has recently launched the Emtrion emSBC-Argon, a single board computer that is based on the STM32MP1 microprocessor that is packed in the Emtrion’s emSTAMP-Argon module. The emSTAMP-Argon module combines a pair of 650MHz Cortex-A7 cores with a 209MHz Cortex-M4 measuring only 35 x 35 x 4mm. The Emtrion emSBC-Argon SBC integrates the emSTAMP-Argon module using an edge-castellated “stamp hole” interface.
The emSTAMP-Argon module is available in two variant; STM32MP157A and STM32MP157C models. Both models include a Vivante 3D GPU that supports OpenGL ES 2.0, adds dual FD-CAN support, a WXGA resolution (1280 x 800) at 60fps video. The STM32MP157C goes a step ahead by adding a hardware crypto chip with TRNG, tamper, secure boot, and TrustZone support.