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Footprint of a Microcontroller

Cedric Boudinet
Associate III

Hello

I found this article of ST about an LCA of a microcontroller: https://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/about/st_approach_to_sustainability/sustainability-priorities/sustainable-technology/eco-design/footprint-of-a-microcontroller.html

Is it possible to have more information?

For example, do the figures apply to all the product range? In that case is it possible to have know the standard deviation on each figure? Otherwise, for which range are the figure valid?

Regards

2 REPLIES 2
Danish1
Lead II

I should imagine estimates of carbon footprint for given components are, at best, fairly "handwaving" and uncertain. So attempts to break things down by family of microcontroller will probably not achieve much (other than contributing to carbon footprint due to the time it takes to gather and process the information).

And once one gets to the *use* of components, over their lifetime, that is well outside the control and knowledge of ST.

I suppose once could argue that e.g. a Triac, which can switch a lot of power, will control much more power over its useful life than it took to manufacture. But the triac might be controlling power extremely efficiently so it does not necessarily mean it dissipates (wastes) a lot of power in its use.

Whereas something that is internally extremely complicated but burns very little power in use such as a stm32L5, will take proportionally much more power for production when compared to the power involved in its use.

Hope this helps,

Danish

Cedric Boudinet
Associate III

Hello

Thanks for answering.

I do agree on the fact that ST cannot assess the component footprint on the use phase (still the LCA analysis give that figure without providing any hypothesis). Moreover, it is not really complicated for the developer to evaluate that impact and as you say this part is not the biggest part.

My question is more about the production and materials footprint. I wonder if there is a great difference for those two phases between the models (for example STM32Lx Fx Gx Hx).

Bests

Cedric