STMicroelectronics recently announced a collaboration with Hilscher that combines the STM32 ecosystem with the multi-protocol flexibility of Hilscher’s netX control ICs. As a result, you can use the I-NUCLEO-NETX expansion board with any STM32 Nucleo-64 or STM32 Nucleo-144 development board.
The I-NUCLEO-NETX contains a netX 52 network controller IC with integrated Real-Time Ethernet switch. Plus, it includes two RJ-45 ports for line and ring topologies. netX 52 supports all Real-Time Ethernet protocol specifications and evolutions, including EtherCAT, PROFINET, EtherNet, Ethernet/IP, POWERLINK, CC-Link IE, Modbus TCP, and SERCOS III. Well suited for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). it also can support Fieldbus standards like CANopen, emerging standards such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), and OPC-UA and MQTT for cloud data exchanges.
Combining the strengths of netX with the STM32 family creates a “flexible, stable, and scalable platform for building products from simple I/O systems to complex, high-end drives and controls.” The I-NUCLEO-NETX expansion board is available on Amazon for $49. The I-CUBE-NETX expansion software—including evaluation versions of the EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP protocols—is available for free at www.st.com/i-cube-netx.
Source: STMicroelectronics
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