STMicroelectronics STEVAL-IHM026V1

Overview

STEVAL-IHM026V1 from STMicroelectronics is a motor control and touch sensing demonstration board built around the STM8S207RB microcontroller. It implements sensorless and sensored 3-phase BLDC motor control with six capacitive touchkeys, on-the-fly parameter tuning, RS-232/I²C/IrDA interfaces, and a 122×32 dot-matrix LCD - deployed for rapid evaluation of embedded motor + HMI systems in industrial drives and appliance prototypes.

For engineers reviewing the STEVAL-IHM026V1 datasheet, STEVAL-IHM026V1 pinout, STEVAL-IHM026V1 application, or STEVAL-IHM026V1 equivalent, this board serves as a validated reference for integrating STM8-based touch-sensing firmware with real-time BLDC commutation logic, debuggable via SWIM/STice, and extensible through its MC connector and peripheral headers.

Technical Context

The board hosts the STM8S207RB MCU - a 24 MHz, 32 KB Flash, 2 KB RAM 8-bit microcontroller with advanced motor control peripherals including three complementary PWM timers, analog comparators, and hardware-accelerated touch sensing channels. Its firmware integrates ST's TS (Touch Sensing) and MC (Motor Control) libraries, enabling immediate execution of field-oriented control (FOC)-ready commutation sequences.

Hardware architecture supports dual operation modes: standard mode for stable motor run, and demonstration mode for interactive parameter adjustment via touchkeys and LCD. Motor control signals are routed to a dedicated 12-pin MC connector with phase outputs, current sense inputs, brake, emergency stop, and heatsink temperature monitoring.

Key Specifications

Availability

STEVAL-IHM026V1 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial motor drive prototyping, home appliance HMI development, educational BLDC control labs, and embedded firmware validation requiring stable component supply and documented reference implementation.

Supply support for STEVAL-IHM026V1 includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

STMicroelectronics is a global semiconductor leader headquartered in Geneva, designing and manufacturing microcontrollers, power devices, sensors, and analog ICs for industrial, automotive, and consumer applications.

This board belongs to ST's STEVAL (ST Evaluation) series - purpose-built to accelerate time-to-prototype for STM8-based motor control and human-machine interface solutions using production-grade silicon and production-relevant firmware stacks.

FAQ

Is STEVAL-IHM026V1 still in production?

No - STMicroelectronics has marked STEVAL-IHM026V1 as obsolete (as confirmed in Doc ID 16314 Rev 1). However, Aetrix Electronics maintains legacy inventory and provides full technical documentation, schematic files, and firmware binaries for continued use in maintenance, education, and legacy system support.

What motor types can be controlled with this board?

The board supports 3-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motors up to ~500 W, using either sensorless (back-EMF zero-crossing detection) or sensored (Hall-effect or encoder input) commutation. It does not support stepper or brushed DC motors natively - firmware and hardware are optimized exclusively for trapezoidal or FOC-ready BLDC control.

Can the touch sensing firmware be modified or extended?

Yes - the board ships with ST's open-source Touch Sensing Library v3.x, fully compatible with Cosmic and STVD IDEs. Developers can reconfigure key sensitivity, add proximity detection, integrate with custom UI logic, or port the TS layer to other STM8S devices using the provided source code and configuration utilities.

Does it support real-time parameter tuning during motor operation?

Yes - the demonstration firmware enables on-the-fly adjustment of critical motor parameters (e.g., acceleration ramp, current limit, BEMF filter gain, PWM frequency) via the six capacitive touchkeys while the motor is running, with immediate effect and no reset or reflash required.