STMicroelectronics and Luminary Micro continue to push ARM Cortex-M3-based microcontrollers into the low cost embedded market with new versions offering wider interface support.
As Embedded World 2009 exhibition starts in Nuremburg, 
href="http://www.st.com">STMicroelectronics has added a full-speed USB on-the-go (OTG) interface to its range of Cortex-M3-based STM32 microcontrollers.
Dubbed the STM32 Connectivity Line, it also includes an Ethernet interface featuring hardware support for IEEE1588 precision time protocol.
“Implementing the protocol in hardware reduces CPU overhead and enables faster response for real-time 
applications and when synchronizing networked devices,” said the company.
The reason suppliers are increasing the number of interface peripherals in one MCU is that it should allow designs to incorporate multiple functions such as motor-control and user-interface control in a more cost-effective way
This is also the first STM32 microcontrollers to include two CAN2.0B controllers.
According Jim Nicholas, general manager of ST’s microcontroller division: “There are now 75 MCUs across all STM32 families with complete pin-to-pin and software compatibility.”
Luminary Micro, which sells over 140 versions of its Cortex-M3-based Stellaris MCU, is offering for the first time support for ARM’s Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard (CMSIS).
CMSIS is a hardware abstraction layer for the Cortex-M processor series which is intended to support software reuse across embedded platforms.
“The new CMSIS is a valuable software addition for users who have already chosen the open ARM architecture to enable common software reuse across multiple end-product platforms, bringing further improvements in time-to-market,” said Jean Anne Booth, CMO of Luminary Micro.
The most recent introductions to the Stellaris family feature a 100MHz clock speed and combined 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, USB On-The-Go, and CAN interfaces.
These devices incorporate the ARM Cortex-M3 R2P0 low power core, extended on-chip software in ROM, increased single-cycle RAM up to 96KB for data efficiency, and 32 channels of DMA support expanded to more peripherals.
See more news at Embedded World 2009