STMicroelectronics STM32F217IEH6

Overview

STM32F217IEH6 from STMicroelectronics is a high-performance ARM® Cortex®-M3 microcontroller featuring 120 MHz CPU operation, 512 KB Flash memory, 128 + 4 KB SRAM, hardware cryptographic acceleration (AES-128/192/256, SHA-1, MD5), and dual USB OTG (FS + HS) with dedicated DMA. It integrates 10/100 Ethernet MAC with IEEE 1588v2 support and an 8–14-bit parallel camera interface-designed for industrial gateways requiring secure connectivity, real-time vision preprocessing, and deterministic network timing.

For engineers reviewing the STM32F217IEH6 datasheet, STM32F217IEH6 pinout, STM32F217IEH6 application, or STM32F217IEH6 equivalent, key selection criteria include its dual USB OTG capability with on-chip PHYs, hardware crypto engine with TRNG, Ethernet MAC with MII/RMII and IEEE 1588v2 timestamping, and DCMI interface supporting up to 48 MB/s camera data throughput.

Technical Context

The STM32F217IEH6 implements a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 core with Adaptive Real-Time Accelerator (ART Accelerator™) enabling zero-wait-state execution from Flash at 120 MHz. Its memory subsystem includes flexible static memory controller (FSMC) supporting NAND/NOR/PSRAM and LCD parallel interface in 8080/6800 modes.

Peripherals are organized across three AHB domains and two APB buses, with dedicated DMA channels for high-bandwidth interfaces: Ethernet MAC (with IEEE 1588v2 hardware timestamping), dual USB OTG controllers (one FS with on-chip PHY, one HS with ULPI support), and DCMI with programmable data capture timing aligned to external VSYNC/HSYNC signals.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

LQFP176 (24 × 24 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) package with 140 I/O pins - 136 capable of 60 MHz operation and 138 rated 5 V-tolerant. Includes dedicated VCAP1/VCAP2 pins for internal regulator decoupling, NRST with Schmitt trigger, and separate VDDA/VSSA for analog domain isolation.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar high-performance ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller applications.

Compared with STM32F217IEH6, the STM32F427VIT6 trades IEEE 1588v2 and hardware hash for higher CPU performance and FPU, while the STM32F767ZIT6 sacrifices camera interface and dual USB for Cortex-M7 compute density - making STM32F217IEH6 uniquely balanced for vision-enabled, time-sensitive industrial networking.

Availability

STM32F217IEH6 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial gateways, secure edge nodes, medical imaging modules, and automated test equipment requiring stable component supply, long-term lifecycle assurance, and qualified automotive-grade traceability.

Supply support for STM32F217IEH6 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, Switzerland, designing and manufacturing microcontrollers, power ICs, sensors, and analog devices for industrial, automotive, and consumer markets.

The STM32F2 series targets high-end embedded applications demanding advanced connectivity, hardware security, and real-time determinism - specifically engineered for industrial automation, networking infrastructure, and vision-capable edge devices.

FAQ

What is the maximum operating frequency and how is it achieved?

The STM32F217IEH6 operates at up to 120 MHz using its ARM Cortex-M3 core with the Adaptive Real-Time Accelerator (ART Accelerator™). This proprietary prefetch/cache system eliminates Flash wait states, enabling zero-wait-state execution from internal Flash memory. The maximum frequency is sustained under full voltage (3.3 V) and temperature (105°C) conditions per datasheet Section 6.3.1.

Does this MCU support IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) hardware timestamping?

Yes - the integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC includes dedicated IEEE 1588v2 hardware timestamping logic. It captures precise ingress and egress timestamps for PTP sync, delay_req, and pdelay_req packets with sub-microsecond resolution, independent of CPU load. This is confirmed in Section 3.26 and electrical specs Table 61 of the datasheet.

Can the DCMI interface handle raw Bayer format from CMOS image sensors?

Yes - the 8–14-bit parallel Digital Camera Interface (DCMI) supports raw Bayer, RGB, YUV, and JPEG formats. It accepts external VSYNC/HSYNC/PIXCLK signals and captures pixel data directly into memory via DMA. Section 3.31 and timing specs Table 6.3.26 confirm support for asynchronous sensor clocks and programmable data capture edge alignment.

Is hardware cryptographic acceleration limited to specific key sizes or algorithms?

No - the dedicated crypto engine supports AES-128, AES-192, AES-256, Triple DES, and HASH (MD5, SHA-1) in both encryption and decryption modes. All operations execute in constant time with no software intervention. Electrical characteristics Table 6.3.31.1 confirms full algorithm coverage and throughput metrics up to 21.9 MB/s for AES-128 ECB mode.