STMicroelectronics STLINK-V3PWR is a new in-circuit programming and debugging probe that offers precise power measurement for the STM32 microcontroller (MCU). With a broad dynamic range, it can be used to manage power-conscious applications, including IoT and wireless applications the probe measures current levels up to 500mA in nanoamps and can be accurate to +-0.5 percent.
An in-circuit debugging and programming probe is a hardware device used by developers to test and debug microcontroller-based embedded systems. It allows developers to interact with the microcontroller that is on the target system and track the microcontroller’s behavior in real time while the system is operating. This helps the developer find and fix any hardware or software problems that might be encountered during the process of development. The probe is typically connected to the system of the target using an JTAG or SWD interface, and connects to the host computer via USB. It can also offer options like programming Flash memory on the microcontroller, as well as capabilities for power measurement.
Additionally, it is able to provide up to 2A of power to the target system via one USB cable, which allows users to run the board without needing the need for a separate power source. STLINK-V3PWR is supported directly within the STM32CubeMonitor-Power graphical tool, which helps visualize the power demands of the application in real-time and analyze the effects of design changes to improve energy efficiency. It’s also integrated into the Arm(r) Keil(r) development tool as well as the IAR developed environment (IDE) that allow users to coordinate the execution of code with energy consumption measurements to optimize the application’s energy profile.
IAR Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software program that offers a complete integrated development environment to develop embedded software. It was designed specifically for those working with microcontrollers and comes with an editor for code as well as a compiler, debugger, as well as other tools needed to create and test embedded software. Its IAR IDE is tailored to be compatible with a variety of microcontrollers, and it allows for a wide range of programming languages like C as well as C++. It also includes options like optimizing code, profiling code and analysis tools, which allow developers to maximize the performance of their code and reduce memory consumption. It is an IDE that IDE is extensively used by the business world to develop embedded applications, especially in the industrial, automotive and medical device fields.
“Ultra-low-power microcontrollers use energy harvesting, or run for long periods on batteries, yet even minor mistakes in design can cause unexpected power problems,” said Reinhard Keil the senior director for embedded technologies at Arm. “The new STLINK V3PWR probe is able to enable power profiling in conjunction with Keil MDK. The uVision debugger is able to correlate programs with their energy consumption, and provide analysis that can help developers discover the possibility of design mistakes and provide many improvements in battery lifespan.” Anders Holmberg, CTO of IAR said, “Full support for the STLINK-V3PWR probe in IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm lets developers gain faster and more efficient accessibility to analysis of power that’s precise and repeatable, as well as with high-resolution. It’s sure to aid in achieving more energy savings and efficiency improvements in the next generation of ultra-low-power and extremely efficient connected smart devices, as well as dramatically speeding up the time to market for these devices.”
STLINK-V3PWR further strengthens the toolkit for embedded developers that is eco-friendly together with it’s STM32 Power shield (X-NUCLEO-LPM01A) A programmable power supply source that offers the ability to measure current dynamically from 100nA up to 50mA. It’s usually utilized to evaluate applications running on STM32 MCUs with ultra-low power. Furthermore the energy meter on the Discovery kit STM32L562E-DK intermediate board is able to measure dynamic current ranging from 300nA up to 150mA. STM32CubeMonitor-Power acquires power measurements through any of these devices and allows data rendering in real-time as well as updating of acquisition parameters. It is a programming and debug probe, STLINK V3PWR comes with the single wire debug (JTAG/SWD) interfaces that allow communication directly with STM32 MCU in the board that runs applications.
There is also a Virtual COM port interface and a multi-path bridge allowing the host PC to communicate with the target microcontroller through a SPI/UART/I2C/CAN/GPIO communication to facilitate firmware update as well as power measurement tests in the field.
