Future-proofing the development of next-gen cars with innovative memory solution

STMicroelectronics has announced Stellar with xMemory, a new generation of extensible memory embedded into its Stellar series of automotive MCUs. This technology will transform the challenging process of developing software-defined vehicles (SDV) and evolving platforms for electrification.

Instead of managing multiple devices with varying memory options and the associated development and qualification costs, the device introduces a single, innovative device with extensible memory, supplying customers with an efficient and cost-effective solution. This simpler approach enables carmakers to future-proof their designs, with room for further innovation later in their development cycle, lowering development costs and accelerating time to market with a simpler supply chain. It will be first available on the Stellar P6 MCUs, which target the new drivetrain trends and architectures for EVs, with production to start later in 2025.

“ST has developed the ultimate memory technology for the automobile market with the smallest bit cell to meet the endless need for more memory. Stellar with xMemory will streamline the car architectures of tomorrow, making them more cost-effective and significantly reducing development time for carmakers,” said Luca Rodeschini, group vice president and General Purpose and Automotive Microcontrollers Division, general manager, STMicroelectronics. “This innovative solution enables the same hardware to ensure carmakers have the infrastructure and capabilities with the headroom to innovate their products over time continuously. It provides peace of mind to introduce new innovations in digitalisation and electrification, allowing them to stay ahead in the market and extend the lifetime of their vehicles.”

“With the embedded PCM technology, Stellar offers a robust and flexible memory concept to create highly performant, adaptable microcontrollers for automotive usage. The technology provides application advantages compared to other memory technologies, such as RRAM and MRAM,” said Axel Aue, vice president, Bosch.

“By choosing an extensible MCU like Stellar with xMemory, engineers can avoid costly hardware redesigns to support software features. As software inevitably grows, whether during the initial development or through post-launch OTA updates, the same platform can be upgraded in the field, significantly reducing time-to-market and maintenance costs. A solution like Stellar with xMemory also enables simplified logistics and bill of material efficiency,” said Anshel Sag, principal analyst, Moor Insights and Strategy.

Carmakers need seamless software and hardware integration to maximise reuse across platforms, extend vehicle longevity and improve digital capabilities. Memory becomes a bottleneck as software complexity grows, driven by new features and regulations, memory-hungry AI and ML applications, and OTA updates. ST’s xMemory satisfies this challenge by extending the memory during the development phase or when the vehicle is in the field, giving them unlimited application upgrades.

Selecting the right MCU at the start of the SDV lifecycle ensures sufficient on-chip memory for future software development. Today’s choice of over-specifying memory increases costs while under-specifying may necessitate finding and re-qualifying a different MCU with extra memory later, adding complexity, cost, and delays. Stellar MCUs with xMemory are competitively priced to bring further savings, simplify the OEM supply chain, and accelerate time to market by lengthening the product lifetime and maximising reuse across projects to decrease time for qualification.