STMicroelectronics has launched its ST64UWB family of Arm Cortex-M85 ultra-wideband SoCs that support both the current IEEE 802.15.4z and upcoming IEEE 802.15.4ab standards for longer-range positioning and secure proximity-based interactions. The family targets digital car keys, hands-free access, and smart device detection across automotive and smart home applications.
The lineup includes three variants built on an 18 nm FD-SOI process. The ST64UWB-A100 (automotive entry) and ST64UWB-A500 (automotive premium) offer ASIL-A(B) safety support and run at 100 MHz and 256 MHz respectively, while the ST64UWB-C100 (industrial and smart home) runs at 100 MHz. All three support UWB channels 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12 (6.49 GHz to 8.99 GHz) with BPRF and HPRF modulation, plus dual transmit and receive antenna ports. The manufacturing process improves the RF link budget by roughly 3 dB, extending range about 50% beyond the IEEE 802.15.4ab standard alone. The A500 model adds radar sensing capabilities for multi-moving target detection, distance and angle sensing, automotive kick sensors, and child presence detection.
The new IEEE 802.15.4ab standard introduces narrow-band assisted multi-millisecond ranging that increases link budget by up to 18 dB and can extend secure ranging distance up to eight times compared to the current 802.15.4z standard. The A500's radar system benefits from the Kaiser pulse shape and 1.3 GHz bandwidth of UWB channel 11, providing roughly twice the spatial accuracy compared to traditional 500 MHz UWB channels. All devices include Arm TrustZone with Armv8.1-M security extensions, a secure enclave, tamper detection, and PSA and SESIP Level 3 security certification. Peripherals include up to 20 GPIOs, 2x SPI, 2x I2C, USART, LPUART, and a general purpose ADC, with the C100 adding 2x I3C interfaces and the automotive models adding FDCAN.
The ST64UWB devices are currently sampling with major suppliers and OEMs, with no official pricing announced yet. The platform integrates with the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key, Intelligent Car Connectivity Industry Alliance (ICCE), and Aliro Alliance standards. More details are available on the STMicroelectronics press release and product page.
