Smart Thermostat with the STM32MP1 System-in-Package
Published On: December, 23, 2020 By: Gene Frantz | Updated: January 7, 2021 by Cathleen Wicks
It is amazing how much the science of managing the environment in which we live in has advanced. Houses are not only well insulated reducing the heat loss but are being sealed to virtually eliminate air leaks. Advances such as these have changed the purpose of our home HVAC system from keeping us warm in the winter and cool in the summer to protecting us from allergens, viruses and even intruders. The thermostat is changing its role from managing the temperature to managing the environment within our homes and businesses.
The good news is that the technology available for use in a thermostat has advanced meeting all the present as well as future needs and wants for the homes and businesses in which we live. Beyond the simple temperature control many of us grew up with, we now have multiple zones within our homes to make it possible for us to live comfortably in our space. Further we may be able to control the air quality surrounding each of us by managing the humidity, removing the allergens and viruses, while introducing airborne qualities to the environment.
They are called smart thermostats now but consider the opportunity to make them brilliant thermostats by using System in Package devices such as the OSD32MP15x which integrates STMicroelectronics’ STM32MP15x featuring Dual Arm® Cortex® A7 Cores and an Arm® Cortex® M4, up to 1GB of DDR3L, STPMIC1 Power Management IC, EEPROM, MEMs Oscillator, and passives into a single easy to use BGA package.
The block diagram below depicts the five main segments of smart thermostat: 1) Support functions such as Power management, Memory – Storage for user data, OS, and user program, and Real time clock, 2) Human Machine Interface – Display, key entry, voice, visual, etc., 3) Communications – Bluetooth, WiFi, optical, etc., 4) Sensors – temperature, humidity, air quality, etc., and 5) Actuators – switches, motors, windows, doors, alarms, etc. The OSD32MP15x, with its peripherals and resources, can not only interface with each of the five groups of interactions, but can efficiently manage each of them with ease making it the perfect control solution for the thermostat of today and tomorrow.
A PDF of this Application Note can be downloaded here.
The OSD32MP15x
Now for a quick preview of the OSD32MP15x and how it can not only take on today’s smart thermostat but also have the performance to keep up with the performance and power efficiency demands of your future product offerings:
Both a microprocessor and a microcontroller
Combining power efficiency and performance, the OSD32MP15x can read data from its sensors, process the data and then control the HVAC system, as well as the other environmental systems. The combination of an ARM Cortex-A7 and a M4 processors is the optimal solution of processors for this application.
Dual core ARM™ Cortex™-A7 Processor
Can drive a high-resolution audio and visual I/O (I.e., a personal assistant quality GUI), process high level environmental information such as images and video from cameras, wirelessly transfer data to the cloud, and still have bandwidth to periodically communicate with the ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller to coordinate the acquisition of data from and control of the environment.
ARM™ Cortex™-M4 microcontroller
Is a 209MHz RISC core that is designed to handle the control aspects of the thermostat efficiently: the sensing, actuator control and other tasks that require tight control or can be run at low power.
Energy Efficient
Even running at its full speed of 800MHz, the OSD32MP15x is designed to be power efficient device. With support for all low power modes, the power dissipation can be significantly reduced to support a wide range of applications while battery powered.
Smallest Single Chip Computer Solution
The OSD32MP15x family offers single chip computer solutions that are over 60% smaller than a discrete implementation, making it ideal for thermostats of all shapes and sizes.
Linux open source libraries
Fully supported by mainline Linux and Yocto, leverage the Open-source Linux community to help speed up your development cycle.
Versatile GPIO interfaces
The OSD32MP15x supports multiple communication protocols/interfaces like UART, I2C, SPI, CAN, MMC, SDIO, USB, PWM, etc. to connect and control any peripheral needed for your thermostat design.
Faster Time to Market
The OSD32MP15x makes designing with a powerful Dual Core ARM Cortex-A7 processor as easy as working with a Microcontroller. You spend less time on getting the processor to work and more time on developing your product.
Get Started Today
Low Cost (OSD32MP1-BRK) and Full Featured (OSD32MP1-RED) Opensource development platforms are available for you to begin developing today.
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