The collaboration will see the two companies integrate Qualcomm Technologies' AI-powered wireless connectivity technologies, starting with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo system-on-a-chip (SoC), with ST’s microcontroller (MCU) ecosystem.
Developers will benefit from connectivity software integration into STM32 general-purpose MCUs, including software toolkits, facilitating quick and broad adoption via ST’s world-wide sales and distributor channels.
“Wireless connectivity is key to the fast pervasion of edge AI across an ever-growing variety of use cases in enterprise, industrial and personal applications. This is why we are establishing a strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies on wireless connectivity,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, President, Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF Products Group, for STMicroelectronics. He continued, “Starting with Wi-Fi/BT/Thread combo SoC, we are already considering next steps, complementing our existing multi-protocol Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, Thread and sub-GHz products portfolio. We envision wireless connectivity products based on technology from Qualcomm Technologies augmenting any of our STM32 products, bringing significant value to our customers globally.”
Rahul Patel, Group General Manager, Connectivity, Broadband and Networking Business Unit for Qualcomm Technologies, added, "Our collaboration with STMicroelectronics pairs Qualcomm Technologies’ best-in-class connectivity offerings with ST’s leading STM32 microcontroller ecosystem and will help drive a significant acceleration of feature-rich capabilities across the IoT."
Focusing on the broader market, ST plans to introduce self-contained modules utilising Qualcomm Technologies’ Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo SoC portfolio, which can be system-level integrated with any STM32 general-purpose microcontrollers.
Wireless connectivity optimised and made available to ST’s developer ecosystem through ST’s well established software platform will contribute to reducing development time and time-to-market.
The initial product offerings resulting from this collaboration are expected to be available to OEMs in Q1 2025, with broader availability to follow.
This is a first step in a collaboration that sees a roadmap of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo SoC products over time, with the intention to extend into cellular connectivity for industrial IoT applications.
