STMicroelectronics Launches AutoDevKit: Accelerating Automotive ECU Design

With the automotive industry moving decisively toward electrification and digital connectivity, STMicroelectronics has unveiled the AutoDevKit ecosystem— a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline the creation of electronic control units (ECUs) that govern modern vehicles’ myriad systems.

As new cars now contain over 100 ECUs and each module’s complexity grows, design teams face a pressing need to accelerate development cycles. Simultaneously, legacy components such as halogen bulbs and mechanical actuators are being replaced by smarter elements like LEDs and brushless motors.

AutoDevKit cuts months of engineering effort by allowing developers to focus on system‑level functionality while the platform handles low‑level tasks, including device driver construction.

Available at no cost, the AutoDevKit library plugin lets users browse ST’s automotive microcontroller and functional board catalog, assemble a prototype, and then connect, generate code, compile, and flash firmware—all within a guided workflow that also supports testing and debugging.

The full ecosystem comprises the AutoDevKit library plugin, hardware development kits such as the AEK MCU Discovery boards and functional boards, and the AEKD System Solution Demonstrators—all optimized for automotive use. The discovery boards enable rapid evaluation of specific microcontrollers, while the functional boards cover motor control, LED lighting, power management, audio, and connectivity.

Integrated with ST’s SPC5 automotive microcontrollers, the AutoDevKit software delivers intuitive application‑programming interfaces (APIs) for each functional board. These APIs, combined with SPC5 Studio’s low‑level drivers, generate code that remains portable across different microcontroller platforms.

ST will showcase AutoDevKit at Embedded World 2020 (Hall 4A, Stand 138). Register at www.st.com/autodevkit-ew2020 to receive a free AutoDevKit board during the event.