Driving Innovation with High-Performance but Low-Power Multi-Core MCUs – ELE Times

Report on High-Performance Embedded Systems and Their Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Role of IoT in Sustainable Development

The proliferation of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices is a critical enabler for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These devices, central to smart homes, industrial automation, and medical technology, require advanced processing capabilities. However, their widespread adoption necessitates a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable design to align with global goals. The development of high-performance, low-power multi-core microcontrollers (MCUs) and innovative memory technologies represents a significant step towards building a more sustainable and resilient technological infrastructure.

Advancements in MCU Architecture for Energy Efficiency and Innovation

Modern IoT applications demand a combination of high-performance computing, real-time control, and advanced security, all within a low-power envelope. This drives innovation in embedded systems, directly supporting several SDGs.

Dual-Core MCUs: A Framework for Sustainable System Design (SDG 7, SDG 9)

The emergence of dual-core MCUs, such as those featuring Cortex-M85 and Cortex-M33 cores, provides a powerful solution for balancing performance with energy consumption. This architectural approach is fundamental to achieving SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

1. Energy Efficiency through Task Partitioning: By assigning tasks to different cores, systems can optimize power usage. A lower-performance core can manage housekeeping and low-power wake-up functions, while the high-performance core remains in a low-power state until needed for compute-intensive tasks. This segregation directly reduces overall system power consumption, contributing to SDG 7.
2. Enhanced Performance for Resilient Infrastructure: The ability to handle real-time control loops on one core while processing complex algorithms (e.g., AI models, graphics) on another leads to more efficient and robust systems. This supports the development of reliable industrial automation and smart grid infrastructure, a key target of SDG 9.
3. Functional Safety and System Robustness: Isolating safety-critical tasks from high-compute functions on separate cores enhances system reliability. This is crucial for applications in industrial control and medical devices, promoting safe and resilient infrastructure (SDG 9).

Innovations in Memory Technology for Responsible Production (SDG 12)

The industry’s shift towards finer process technologies (e.g., 28nm, 22nm) has necessitated alternatives to traditional embedded flash memory. Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) has emerged as a superior technology that supports goals for responsible consumption and production.

Embedded MRAM: A Sustainable Memory Solution

Embedded MRAM (eMRAM) offers significant advantages over flash memory, aligning with the principles of sustainability and efficiency.

• Lower Power Consumption (SDG 7): MRAM features faster write speeds without the need for an energy-intensive erase cycle. Furthermore, it exhibits no leakage in standby mode, making it substantially more power-efficient than SRAM and contributing to energy savings in end-devices.
• Manufacturing Efficiency (SDG 12): The production of MRAM requires fewer mask layers compared to embedded flash, which can lower manufacturing costs and resource consumption, promoting more sustainable production patterns.
• Increased Durability and Longevity (SDG 12): MRAM provides higher endurance and data retention than flash memory. This can extend the operational life of devices, potentially reducing electronic waste and supporting a more circular economy.
• Technological Scalability (SDG 9): MRAM scales effectively with lower process technology nodes, ensuring it remains a viable and innovative solution for future generations of high-performance, energy-efficient MCUs.

Applications Driving Progress on Global Goals

The integration of high-performance MCUs and MRAM technology enables cutting-edge applications that directly contribute to specific SDGs.

Key Application Areas and SDG Alignment

1. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9): In industrial robotics, data centers, and smart grid applications, MRAM allows for real-time, non-volatile data storage and fast retrieval. This enhances the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of critical infrastructure.
2. Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11): Low-power MCUs are foundational to Edge AI in smart city and smart home applications. MRAM’s ability to store AI models and weights without needing to reload them on each power cycle improves performance and energy efficiency in devices that make urban environments more sustainable.
3. Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3): MRAM’s inherent immunity to radiation makes it an ideal choice for medical applications and devices used in clinical settings, fostering innovation in healthcare technology.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article extensively discusses the reduction of power consumption in electronic devices. By creating more energy-efficient microcontrollers (MCUs) and memory (MRAM), the technology contributes to reducing the overall energy demand of the exponentially growing number of IoT devices.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The text is centered on technological innovation, detailing advancements in semiconductor design like dual-core MCUs and the shift from embedded flash to MRAM. These innovations are crucial for upgrading industrial sectors, as evidenced by their application in “industrial automation,” “robotics,” and “smart grid applications,” which are all components of modern, resilient infrastructure.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The focus on creating devices that have “lower power consumption” and “prolong battery life” directly supports more sustainable consumption patterns. By making the building blocks of modern electronics more resource-efficient (specifically in terms of energy), this technology helps reduce the environmental footprint of a vast range of consumer and industrial products.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

   The article directly supports this target by describing technologies designed to significantly lower energy use. Phrases like “reduces… power consumption,” “lower power and fast wake-up times to… reduce overall system power consumption,” and MRAM being “much lower power than SRAM” all point to a direct contribution to energy efficiency in the electronics sector.

2. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.

   The article highlights the use of these advanced MCUs in “industrial control and robotics” and “smart grid applications.” Integrating these high-performance, low-power components into industrial processes and energy infrastructure represents a direct upgrade that increases resource-use efficiency (energy) and makes these systems more sustainable.

3. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation.

   The entire article is a testament to this target. It details the results of significant research and development, such as the move to “finer process technology nodes like 28nm or 22nm,” the development and integration of “alternative memory technologies like Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM),” and the creation of “high-performance multi-core MCUs.” This represents a clear upgrade of technological capabilities.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 7.3: Reduction in power consumption of electronic devices.

  While the article does not provide specific wattage numbers, it repeatedly emphasizes “lower power consumption” as a key advantage of both dual-core architecture and MRAM technology. Progress could be measured by tracking the average power consumption of IoT devices and systems that incorporate these new technologies compared to older designs.

• Implied Indicator for Target 9.4: Rate of adoption of energy-efficient MCUs in industrial and infrastructure applications.

  The article mentions that these technologies are being used in “industrial automation” and “smart grid applications.” An indicator of progress would be the market penetration and adoption rate of these low-power, high-performance components within these specific sectors, leading to more efficient industrial operations and energy grids.

• Implied Indicator for Target 9.5: Advancement in semiconductor performance and efficiency metrics.

  The article provides qualitative and quantitative indicators of technological advancement. These include the increase in processing speed (“running up to 1GHz”), the move to smaller process nodes (“28nm or 22nm”), and the development and commercial integration of new technologies like MRAM. These advancements serve as direct measures of progress in upgrading technological capabilities.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

Source: eletimes.ai