EEDEHD ARM Cortex M7 MCU choices
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Whenever possible, we would do our best to never use FN packages.
We will minimize BGA packages use.
We choose parts not under EOL/Obsolete/Discontinued status.
View Prices At: Quantity 1
Marketplace Product: Exclude
Part Status: Active
Package / Case: NOT FN
Supplier Device Package: NOT FN
As will be seen later, choices for ARM Cortex M7 MCUs will influence our choices of M4F MCUs.
Note: only single-core solutions are looked at here, as being far less easier to start using for the first time by a newcomer, compared to multicore solutions.
Starting from:
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/filter/embedded-microcontrollers/685
Additional Search Criteria/Parameters:
Core Processor: ARM Cortex-M7
Manufacturers left:
Atmel, but they don't have any MCUs with Ethernet capability. Only an aftermarket item.Freescale Semiconductor. Only an aftermarket item (see NXP).- Microchip Technology
- NXP USA Inc.
- STMicrolectronics
So, it is already 2022, but only three companies bothered to develop and release ARM Cortex M7 MCUs by now. We would not want to use an MCU like M4F if such a company is not capable of providing an M7 MCU as well.
So, here are some quick notes for the three manufacturers that are available:
Microchip Technology ARM Cortex M7 MCU offers
Microchip has awesome community support, bewildering number of total technologies they have acquired, and has awesome documentation. However, the largest MCU package for M7 only has 144 pins.
Representative single-core M7 families are:
SAM V71 Family (With CAN-FD, Ethernet AVB and Media LB)
SAM E70 Family (With CAN-FD and Ethernet AVB)
SAM V70 Family (With CAN-FD, Without Ethernet Control)
SAM S70 Family (Without CAN-FD, Ethernet AVB and Media LB)
STMicrolectronics ARM Cortex M7 MCU offers
STMicroelectronics M7 offers have pincount up to 265 balls. Awesome!!! Also awesome is their "Open Source Hardware" policy on evaluation boards documentation.
Representative single-core M7 families are:
STM32F7
STM32H7
Dual-core families are:
STM32H7
NXP USA Inc ARM Cortex M7 MCU offers
We heard a rumor that NXP MCUs have a good (sequential / well-organized) pinout for related functions, but we have not verified this, as we have far less experience with NXP MCUs than the two others listed here. Large-pinout packages are available. NXP M7 MCUs also don't have DACs for some reason. We will pencil NXP as a fallback / future support option.
Representative single-core M7 families are:
Kinetis KV
RT1020
RT1024
RT1050
RT1060
RT1064
RT1170
Dual-core families are:
i.MX
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