STM32 Microcontroller

STM32 is a family of 32-bit ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers by STMicroelectronics. Unlike simpler microcontrollers (Arduino's 8-bit AVR), STM32 chips provide advanced peripherals (UART, SPI, I2C, ADC, timers, DMA), higher clock speeds (up to 1 GHz), and support for real-time operating systems (RTOS). STM32 dominates industrial, automotive, IoT, and consumer electronics—from smart home devices to automotive infotainment systems to industrial control. Programming STM32 involves configuring peripherals (typically with STM32CubeMX GUI), writing interrupt handlers, managing memory, and optimizing for real-time constraints. Development tools include Keil MDK or IAR Embedded Workbench (IDEs), ST-Link debuggers, and C/C++ compilers.