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Hello everyone, I am Mai Ge.

Recently, a reader asked.

Will ESP32 replace STM32 in embedded systems in the future?

Let me briefly share my views. Both ESP32 and STM32 have their own vertical niche areas.

First, let’s talk about ESP32

Compared to STM32, the speed of the ESP32 core is higher, and it processes instructions faster. However, ESP32 is more focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) direction, with built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

It can be controlled as a module through AT commands, and it integrates a TCP/IP protocol stack, which is a significant advantage for networking.

It can also be developed through IDF, and the official documentation is very complete, allowing for quick product development. Moreover, the price of the chip is also quite good. If you are working on IoT-related projects and have to choose between STM32 and ESP32, then ESP32 is the first choice.

Currently, there is a large number of users for ESP32 both domestically and internationally, with a wealth of open-source projects and learning materials. This level of popularity indicates that the ecosystem of this chip is well-developed, cost-effective, and has various advantages.

Now, let’s look at STM32

The first time I encountered STM32 was with the Cortex-M3 core STM32F103. At that time, I had just transitioned from the 51 to the 32, from an 8-bit microcontroller to a 32-bit microcontroller, and it was truly exhilarating. The price was similar, but the resources and processing speed were significantly higher.

From manually manipulating registers to calling standard libraries (ST previously released a peripheral library, currently promoting the HAL library, while the standard library has stopped updating).

Using hardware emulators for single-step debugging was really efficient.

Overall, the improvement of the development environment and the optimization of development tools led to the rapid popularity of STM32, resulting in a large number of developers using it in various products such as home appliances, balance bikes, flight control, shared bikes, electric control, etc.

I remember during this period, the 16-bit microcontroller MSP430 promoted by TI was overshadowed by the brilliant performance of STM32.

At that time, STM32 was everywhere, and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.

As everyone knows, the chip shortage wave has led to skyrocketing chip prices. The STM32F103C8T6, a commonly used chip, has risen from around 5 to over 100, which is terrifying.

At that time, speculating on chips was much more reliable than speculating on real estate.

Later, a large number of domestic 32-bit microcontrollers began to rise, capturing a significant market share. Suddenly, STM32 began to decline, and many domestic 32-bit chips occupied the market.

Everyone who needed to expand production did so, and those who needed to stock up did so. Now, the consumer end is down, and a long process of de-stocking has begun.

The stocks I bought in the MCU sector are still down, and I don’t know when they will rise again.

Although STM32 is not as dominant as it once was, it still occupies a portion of the market. It will be hard to be completely replaced in the future, especially in industrial control fields where it may be replaced by other chips, but ESP32 is relatively difficult to replace STM32.

Finally

Both chips have their advantages and can play to their strengths in their respective fields. I believe that new MCUs will emerge for different fields in the future, but replacing each other will definitely be a relatively long process.

The above are my views. What do you think? Feel free to leave comments for discussion.