Auto semiconductor company STMicroelectronics today announced what it says is the first automotive MCU (micro control unit) with built-in AI (artificial intelligence) acceleration for automotive edge intelligence. The Stellar P3E is designed for future SDVs (software-defined vehicles) and to simplify multi-function integration for X-in-1 ECUs (electronic control units) that reduce system cost, weight, and complexity.

“Stellar P3E sets a new benchmark for automotive electrification by combining high-performance real-time control and edge AI in a single device that meets the highest automotive safety levels,” said Luca Rodeschini, Group Vice President and General Purpose and Automotive Microcontrollers Division General Manager at STMicroelectronics. “Its increased processing power, AI acceleration, large and extensible memory, rich analogue content, smart sensing capabilities, and intelligent power management functions support new applications such as virtual sensors. This better enables automakers with the tools to create safer, more efficient, and more responsive driving experiences.”

The MCU’s defining feature, an integrated ST Neural-ART Accelerator for real-time AI efficiency, is said to make it the first MCU with an embedded neural network accelerator for the automotive industry. Powered by the dedicated NPU (neural processing unit) with an advanced data-flow architecture for AI workloads, and combined with its rich sensing capabilities, the P3E enables smart sensing that opens the door to new applications such as virtual sensors.

“Shifting neural processing from centralized hubs to the edge of the vehicle enables sub-millisecond-level decision-making, which is essential for the next generation of in-vehicle intelligence,” said Greg Basich, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research. “Integrating AI hardware acceleration at the MCU level allows OEMs to deliver advanced capabilities, such as predictive maintenance for vehicle performance and smart sensing with virtual sensor applications. This enables very low latency sensing, actuation control, and other sophisticated features, without the cost and thermal burden of a full-scale SoC.”

As the automotive industry embraces the shift toward SDVs, the Stellar P3E’s integrated xMemory, ST’s proprietary non-volatile memory based on PCM (phase-change memory), provides the essential scalability and flexibility needed. Offering twice the density of traditional embedded flash memory and qualified for automotive environments, this extensible memory solution enables dynamic expansion of software storage to accommodate new features and updates without requiring any hardware redesign.

The Steller P3E delivers inference processing at microsecond speeds, achieving up to 30 times greater efficiency compared to traditional MCU core processors. This enables always-on, low-power AI that can support real-time functions, including predictive maintenance and smart sensing, delivering significant benefits across a range of applications.

For instance, these capabilities can enhance charging speed and efficiency in electric vehicles and enable rapid deployment of new features in the factory or the field. OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) can introduce new functions and more intuitive behaviors through different AI models, reducing the need for additional sensors, modules, wiring, and integration effort.

The MCU is supported within the ST Edge AI Suite, an edge-AI ecosystem that spans from dataset creation to on-device deployment for data scientists and embedded engineers. As part of this suite, NanoEdge AI Studio tool is now available for the full Stellar MCU family. It is already integrated into Stellar Studio, the company’s all-in-one development environment tailored for automotive engineers.

Together, they reinforce a robust hardware and software ecosystem designed to streamline the deployment of sophisticated edge AI solutions in demanding automotive environments.

Among the key technical highlights, its open Arm architecture leverages a vast global developer community for accelerated innovation. The MCU features 500-MHz Arm Cortex-R52+ cores said to deliver the highest CoreMark score in its class, exceeding 8000 points. A split-lock architecture enables designers to optimize the balance between functional safety and peak performance. Rich I/O and analog capabilities support diverse functions, including advanced motor control for enhanced vehicle dynamics.

Stellar P3E start-of-production is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.