STMicroelectronics ST6 Series Microcontrollers
1. Overview
The ST6 series was a family of 8-bit microcontrollers introduced by STMicroelectronics in the 1990s.
It succeeded the ST62 series and was widely used in industrial, consumer, and automotive applications.
2. Key Features
- 8-bit Harvard architecture
- ROM, OTP, or EPROM memory options
- Clock speed ranging from 4 MHz to 8 MHz
- Low-power operation (3V to 5V supply)
- Efficient 8-bit instruction set
- Multiple on-chip peripherals
3. Onboard Peripherals
(a) Timers & Counters
- 8-bit timers for basic timing functions
- Watchdog Timer (WDT) for system reliability
- PWM Generator for motor control
(b) Analog Peripherals
- 8-bit ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) for sensor interfacing
- Comparator for analog signal comparison
(c) Communication Interfaces
- I²C for multi-device communication
- SPI for high-speed peripheral interfacing
- UART for serial communication
(d) Memory & Storage
- ROM / OTP / EPROM for program storage
- EEPROM for non-volatile data storage
(e) GPIO (General-Purpose I/O)
- Configurable I/O pins with multiple functions
- Interrupt-driven inputs for event detection
(f) Other Features
- Brown-Out Detection (BOD) to prevent power instability
- Low-power sleep modes for battery efficiency
4. ST6 Series Variants
| Model |
Flash/ROM Size |
RAM |
ADC |
Timers |
Communication |
Notes |
| ST62T10 |
2K |
128B |
No |
1x 8-bit |
No |
Basic MCU |
| ST62T25 |
4K |
192B |
8-bit ADC |
2x 8-bit |
SPI, UART |
Industrial & automotive |
| ST62E40 |
8K |
256B |
8-bit ADC |
2x 8-bit |
I²C, SPI |
OTP variant |
| ST62T60 |
16K |
512B |
8-bit ADC |
3x 8-bit |
I²C, UART, SPI |
High-end MCU |
5. Applications
- Home Appliances: Washing machines, microwave ovens
- Automotive: Dashboard controls, lighting systems
- Industrial: Motor controllers, process automation
- Consumer Electronics: Remote controls, smart toys
6. Transition to ST7 Series
The ST6 family was later succeeded by the ST7 series, which introduced flash memory,
enhanced performance, and expanded peripheral options.