The Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses a broad range of topics, with applications branching into areas such as smart cities, smart transportation, smart healthcare, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The concepts of IIoT and Industry 4.0 are closely intertwined, emphasizing connectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data. While IoT is widely used in consumer applications, IIoT focuses on realizing connected living within industrial applications.

Factory automation enhances production efficiency, ensures product quality stability, and effectively addresses labor shortages. From automated production lines to autonomous vehicle transport systems, and further supported by robots and mechanical arms, technology is evolving rapidly. However, realizing a truly smart factory is a challenge not every enterprise can overcome. Traditional factories rely on frontline employees to record production data manually, compiling spreadsheets for management to make decisions based on past experiences and assumptions. This time-consuming process often delays the best opportunities to resolve issues.

Upgrading from traditional factories to smart factories begins with integrating Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and sensors with outdated equipment. Data collected by sensors is analyzed via visualization tools, transmitted to controllers for real-time monitoring, and finally uploaded to the cloud for centralized management, forming a complete industrial IoT system. To achieve this, factories need to install embedded or non-embedded network devices on existing equipment. MCUs, with their high computing power, compact size, and low cost, facilitate hardware communication, edge computing, real-time response, and motor control, accelerating the transition of traditional factories. The core features of IIoT include high-speed communication networks, fast distributed computing, and enhanced edge computing for better data analysis. These capabilities are essential for signal acquisition and drive control via PLCs and motor control systems. As system demands increase, 8-bit MCUs can no longer meet manufacturers' needs, leading to the adoption of 32-bit MCUs for improved performance (Figure 1).

Currently, Arm® processor cores have become the industry standard for highly integrated, low-cost MCUs in industrial and automotive systems. The ARM® Cortex®-M4 32-bit MCU inherits the advantages of the Cortex-M3 core while integrating a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and an optional single-precision Floating Point Unit (FPU). This gives the Cortex-M4 the ability to handle complex, high-precision calculations, while maintaining accessibility for firmware development.

The Cortex-M4 32-bit MCU effectively enhances low-latency performance, precision, and power management, consolidating traditional MCU functions into a single chip. It offers large memory capacity, flexible deployment, and optimized system costs, while providing a development platform that facilitates engineering design. These features deliver high performance, real-time control, network communication, data analysis, and secure control. To meet these demands, ARTERY has introduced the AT32 MCU series, built on ARM® Cortex®-M4/M0+ 32-bit MCUs, which push the boundaries of performance and precision, surpassing competing products in the market. The following are the key advantages of AT32 MCUs in industrial automation:

Real-Time Response and Control
Ensuring the safety and continuous operation of factory equipment depends on precise analog signal control, which must operate within strict timing requirements. The ability to rapidly process large amounts of data allows for immediate responses and control. For instance, high-speed motor drive applications—where motors operate at extremely high speeds with high-frequency currents and small inductance coils—require high-frequency, high-resolution PWM voltages for stable and efficient motor operation.
The AT32F435/437 series, developed by ARTERY, features a 288MHz clock speed, supports FPU floating-point operations, and integrates up to 4032KB Flash and 512KB SRAM, allowing the CPU to perform zero-wait-state access (read/write) (Figure 2). Additionally, the built-in Automatic Clock Calibration (ACC) module calibrates the HICK 48MHz high-speed internal clock, ensuring optimal accuracy across the chip’s operational temperature range, meeting the high computational and precision requirements of motion and smart control systems.

Simplified Design and Reduced System Complexity
AT32 MCUs integrate rich peripherals like CAN bus, UART, SPI/I2S, ADC, and versatile timers into a single-chip system. These components are optimized through advanced software programming and built on flexible hardware architectures, allowing software configuration to meet diverse application requirements while ensuring scalability and system compatibility, thus reducing overall system complexity. Additional features include dual DMA controllers, compatibility with IEEE-802.3 10/100Mbps Ethernet, and USB OTG, all of which enhance data transmission efficiency and reliability. ARTERY has also developed a complete system ecosystem, including development environments, Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS), and validated third-party software resources that comply with IEC-60730 international safety standards. This robust ecosystem significantly accelerates product development and market deployment.

Large Memory Capacity for Enhanced Flexibility
AT32 MCUs support standard expansion boards and built-in debugging interfaces for flash memory programming and runtime control. The Quad-SPI (QSPI) flash memory offers high read bandwidth, speeding up data access and editing in high-performance embedded systems. Advanced process technology enables the integration of larger SRAM for data caching, allowing the execution of complex system code and flexible applications. The AT32F403A/407 and AT32F435/437 series offer 256–4032KB Flash and 96–512KB SRAM, providing versatile solutions for various industrial automation control fields, such as chemical processing, plastics, textiles, packaging, printing, HVAC systems, and environmental equipment (Figure 3).

Improved Energy Efficiency
Future industrial equipment will require more control programs and sensors to enhance safety, demanding higher computational capabilities. For example, integrating anomaly detection functions enables preventive maintenance before catastrophic failures occur, ensuring continued safe operation, reducing downtime, and expanding communication options.
In factory automation upgrades, low-power electromagnetic flowmeters and current meters facilitate wireless metering and data transmission, saving labor and improving efficiency. The AT32WB415 series adopts Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy (BLE) technology, integrating a Bluetooth RF transceiver and baseband functions into a wireless MCU, making it the preferred choice for factory deployments. Since factory equipment must remain constantly connected, energy management poses a significant challenge.
The AT32L021 series, slated for release in late 2022, operates at 72MHz and integrates a rich set of peripherals. It features a 12-bit ADC with a sampling rate of up to 2Msps, and nearly all I/O interfaces tolerate 5V input signals. Suitable for high-speed data acquisition, industrial, and motor control, the chip offers outstanding power efficiency, consuming approximately 1μA in standby mode and 20μA in deep sleep mode.

According to a Market Research Future report, the IoT microcontroller market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% through 2023, with annual revenue approaching $4 billion. IIoT applications focus heavily on connecting factory equipment and numerous remote sensors, requiring high-speed data transmission and processing capabilities while maintaining low power consumption—a challenge ARTERY MCUs are continuously striving to meet.