ST and Thingsquare to advance easy-to-use Internet of Things

SWITZERLAND: Thingsquare, a pioneering provider of open-source software for the Internet of Things, and STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, have co-operated to bring Thingsquare Mist Internet-connectivity software to ST’s SPIRIT1 radio transceiver on the STM32L microcontroller platform.

Thingsquare Mist is a game-changing software system that brings true Internet-connectivity to the Internet of Things. Used in connected-home products, smart lighting systems, and smart city projects, Thingsquare Mist builds on well-known open-source components, has a small memory footprint, low computational requirements, is battle-proven, and works with multiple microcontrollers with a range of radios.

ST’s SPIRIT1 is a very low-power RF transceiver, intended for RF wireless-sensor node applications in the sub-1 GHz band, such as Automatic Meter Infrastructure, alarm and security systems, home and building automation, and industrial monitoring and control.

The SPIRIT1 uses a very small number of discrete external components, integrates an embedded ‘listen-before-talk’ (CSMA/CA) engine and an AES 128-bit encryption co-processor for secure data transfer.

The SPIRIT1 transceiver works in tandem with ST’s ARM Cortex-M3-based STM32 L1 microcontroller series, which boasts ultra-low-power consumption with no compromise on performance. The MCU adds a range of integrated peripherals like USB, analog-to-digital converter and LCD controller that make it suitable for industrial, consumer, fitness, and healthcare applications.

“Thingsquare Mist makes it possible for customers to quickly add Internet-connectivity to their products,” said Marcello San Biagio, High End Analog and RF Business Unit director, STMicroelectronics. “The Thingsquare Mist ‘sleepy mesh’ technology is extremely efficient and helps increase reliability and range in wireless sensor networks without sacrificing battery life.”

“The SPIRIT1 combines exceptional performance in the sub-GHz band with very low power consumption,” said Fredrik Österlind, Thingsquare CTO. “With its range, the SPIRIT1 can be used in both indoor and outdoor applications.”