cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

STM32 MCU capabilities with parallel processing

LWebb.1
Associate

I am trying to design a modular avionics bay whereby I came across a concept called parallel processing, whereby multiple MCU's can be utilised to both increase processing capabilities, decrease power consumption of one chip, and to allow for modular design (which is a major constraint). Although I don't know whether the STM32 chips ( mainly the f4 series I have been eyeing out) are capable of achieving this, and if they do how I can actually go about communicating between multiple 'master' devices, or whether one chip should be the master whilst the other stm mcus can be slaves? Send help

This discussion is locked. Please start a new topic to ask your question.
2 REPLIES 2
Danish1
Lead III

Some stm32 have two arm processor cores. On those ones two execution streams (threads / tasks / programs) execute simultaneously.

But for many applications, a single arm core may be shared between multiple threads by way of a real-time operating system (or a tasking library - I often use Rowley’s Crossworks Tasking Library).

As long as the processor(s) has enough power ro do all the tasks sufficiently quickly, plus a little overhead for task-switching and inter-process communication, then any stm32 may be chosen. And the user will not see any problems.

Personally, if a single stm32 is powerful enough for the job, that’s my preferred route.

As to multiple master inter-chip communication, it depends on necessary bandwidth amongst other considerations. I2C is capable of multi-master, as is CAN and some UART

Send help? Surely a business where you'd have a team of engineers qualified to advise directly?

What volume of data needs to be communicated? Something CAN bus would suit?

Some of the Cortex-M7 would have significantly better math capabilities.

Ethernet? Some standard avionics bus?

Tips, Buy me a coffee, or three.. PayPal Venmo
Up vote any posts that you find helpful, it shows what's working..