Join us at the Microchip MASTERS 26

Join us at this year's Microchip MASTERS 26, August 10th to 13th 2026 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, in Phoenix, Arizona USA.

We'll be present at Innovation night from 7pm to 10pm on Tuesday, and on the Main Hall booth between 10am to 7pm MST on Wednesday.

We'll be demoing our new Cyclone MultiChannel, as well as providing the world's first sneak peak at our PEmicro Visual Studio Code Extension with Microchip MPLAB and its ability to do operating system tracing within Perfetto.

We hope to see you there!

Visit the Microchip MASTERS 26 official website

Add Support For GigaDevice GD32A711 and GD32A712

With the release of Cyclone software v11.72 and PROG-HL-ARM software v10.07.01, PEmicro development and production programmers now support the GigaDevice GD32A71x microcontrollers.

The GD32A711 and GD32A712 automotive MCU series is based on a Cortex®-M7 with up to 2 MB of flash memory.

GD32A71x series high-performance MCUs features a mature integration of in-house developed IP to ensure strong system efficiency and design flexibility.

The device supports ISO 26262 functional safety up to ASIL-B, and incorporates advanced security capabilities, including EVITA-Full compliance and support for Chinese commercial cryptographic algorithms SM2, SM3, and SM4, ensuring robust protection for automotive applications.

The series provides rich automotive communication interfaces, including up to 8x CAN FD, 12x LIN, 6x USART/LIN, and 1x Ethernet, enabling flexible in-vehicle networking architectures. It also supports a wide 2.97V to 5.5V supply range, along with strong ESD/EFT immunity to enhance system reliability in demanding automotive environments.

Designed for demanding operating conditions, the GD32A71x operates across a wide ambient temperature range from -40°C to +125°C and is qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 1 and IATF 16949:2016 standards, following a zero-defect quality philosophy for automotive-grade reliability.

STMicroelectronics STM32C5 RDP Regression Guide

STMicroelectronics: Securing and Recovering STM32C5 Devices with RDP Regression

PEmicro's development tools and production programmers support life-cycle management with readout protection (RDP) on STM32C5 devices. This article explains the STM32C5 security model and walks through provisioning regression passwords and performing RDP regression using PROGACMP and related PEmicro utilities.

Tool support note: PEmicro tools support OEMKEY-based RDP regression from RDP2 to RDP0. Boundary scan operations are not currently supported — this includes the BSKEY transition from RDP2 with boundary scan to RDP2, and OEMKEY regression from the RDP2 with boundary scan state. If you use PEmicro tools for life-cycle management, plan to transition directly between RDP0 and RDP2.

For background on STM32 families that support OEM-password RDP regression, see our earlier article on [STM32U-series RDP regression]. The STM32C5 workflow is similar, but there are important differences in RDP levels, key sizes, and tool configuration that are covered below.

STM32C5 Security Background

The STM32C5 series introduces a simplified but hardened product life cycle focused on secure boot and password-protected regression. Unlike many other STM32 families, the STM32C5 does not have an RDP level 1. The device operates in one of three readout protection states set by the RDP value in the FLASH_OPTSR option byte. The following states are listed below with their correlating RDP values:

The STM32C5 device supports two password keys, provisioned while the device is in RDP0:

• OEMKEY (128 bits / 16 bytes): Required to perform regression from RDP2 back to RDP0. Regression triggers a full mass erase of device memory. This is the regression path supported by PEmicro tools.
• BSKEY (32 bits / 4 bytes): Used by the device to transition from RDP2 with boundary scan to RDP2 (closing boundary scan access). Factory default is 0xAAAAAAAA if not customized in RDP0. PEmicro tools do not support this boundary scan transition.

Important warnings

• Provision OEMKEY before closing the device. If RDP2 (or RDP2 with boundary scan) is set without first provisioning an OEMKEY, the device is permanently locked. Even STMicroelectronics cannot recover it.
• Store keys securely. Once the device is in RDP2, the OEMKEY cannot be read back from the device — the `FLASH_OEMKEYR` registers always read as zero.
• OEMKEY cannot be erased, only changed. After the first programming, OEMLOCK remains set permanently. The key can be reprogrammed in RDP0, but never cleared. To lock a device with no regression path, do not program an OEMKEY.
• Regression always mass-erases flash — including write-protected pages — and resets security-related user options. SRAM is also erased.
• Do not store secrets in OTP. The OTP area is preserved during regression, which means any secrets stored there become readable once the device returns to RDP0.
• Invalid RDP option-byte values are interpreted as L2. A corrupt or incorrect RDP level in option bytes causes the device to behave as closed.
• One unlock attempt per power cycle. Per RM0522, password-based unlocking can only be attempted once between power-on resets. Power-cycle before retrying after a failure.

For full technical details, refer to:

- [ST Wiki: How to set the RDP password keys and levels on STM32C5 MCUs]

- [ST Wiki: Getting started with STM32C5 security]

- [RM0522 STM32C5 Series Reference Manual] — Chapter 3, Product Life Cycle

Cyclone MultiChannel Programmer Launched!

PEmicro has launched the Cyclone MultiChannel Programmer, a new production programming platform capable of simultaneously programming up to 16 devices in a compact, modular form factor.

Designed for manufacturing environments where throughput, reliability, automation, and form factor are critical, the Cyclone MultiChannel combines true independent-channel programming with a single point of control, enabling production teams to manage parallel programming operations without increased complexity.

Built on programming technology refined by PEmicro over decades and redesigned for today's automated manufacturing environments, the Cyclone MultiChannel represents a new generation of PEmicro production programming tools.

Ultra-Compact Design Without Sacrificing Capability

Fixture and benchtop space are at a premium.

The Cyclone MultiChannel packs a high channel count into an exceptionally compact footprint, making it ideal for fixture integration, benchtop operation, automated test systems, and scalable manufacturing environments.

Its modular architecture is built around quad-channel blocks that can be snapped together, mounted, or DIN-railed to fit the production environment. Standard configurations include 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16-channel systems, with even larger programming installations possible through SDK-based control of multiple units.

The result is a programming platform that scales with production requirements while minimizing fixture space and cabling complexity.

Built to Meet Production Challenges

Production programming requirements vary widely.

Some production environments program large volumes of a single product, while others support a continually changing mix of devices each with their own programming requirements. The Cyclone MultiChannel was designed to meet these challenges. 

The platform supports thousands of ARM and non-ARM devices and a broad range of programming protocols including SWD, JTAG, Secure JTAG, BDM, DAP, Nexus, and more.

The Cyclone MultiChannel has a robust and varied set of capabilities including:

• High-speed parallel programming
• Dynamic per-device data and serialization
• Robust production monitoring and status reporting
• Corruption and Tamper Resistant Programming Images
• Device verification and securing
• Device traceability
• Per-channel target power control
• Electrically isolated USB and Ethernet communications
• Secure image storage and IP protection
• Extensive device support with no per-supported device costs

Whether the requirement is high-throughput programming, serialization, traceability, device testing, automation, or support for multiple device architectures, the Cyclone MultiChannel provides the flexibility needed to support a wide range of programming applications.

Designed for Automation

Manufacturing often depends on automation, and the Cyclone MultiChannel was built with that reality in mind.

Comprehensive SDK and console tools enable seamless integration into custom manufacturing applications, command-line interfaces, fixture controllers, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Automated Test Equipment (ATE).

Integration support includes:

• LabVIEW
• C and C++
• C#
• Java
• Python
• Rust
• Visual Basic
• Additional language support through standard APIs
• Windows, Linux, and macOS

Whether integrating a single fixture or deploying a fully automated production line, the Cyclone MultiChannel provides the flexibility and control needed to fit into existing manufacturing infrastructure.

Learn more about the new Cyclone MultiChannel Programmer and explore available configurations, features, and supported architectures.

Available for ordering now, ships June 30th 2026.

New device supports for STMicroelectronics®

With the release of Cyclone software v11.70 and PROG-HL-ARM software v10.00, the following support for STMicroelectronics has been added:

Add Support For GigaDevice GD32F50x

With the release of Cyclone software v11.70 and PROG-HL-ARM software v10.00, PEmicro development and production programmers now support the GigaDevice GD32F50x microcontrollers.

The GD32F503 and GD32F505 contain a High Performance Cortex®-M33 with up to 1 MB of flash program memory. 

GD32F5 series high-performance MCUs offer significantly expanded storage space, excellent processing efficiency, and a wide array of interface options. Compliant with the system-level IEC61508 SIL2 functional safety standard, they provide a comprehensive software and hardware security solution to meet the industrial market's demands for high reliability and security applications.

Configure a Programming Image to Synchronize with PEcloud

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing environments, programming images are evolving to be more than static files that sit on a local PC or server.  By generating programming images that are synchronized with the cloud, the user gains many benefits — Remote Visibility into the programming process, Enhanced control, easy distribution, history of program jobs and logged data.   

Added Support for Nuvoton M253 devices

With the release of Cyclone software v11.68 and PROG v9.97, PEMicro’s development and production tools now include support for Nuvoton M253 series of devices. The M253 series is based on the Arm Cortex-M23 with up to 128KB of Flash and 16KB or SRAM. Each device's algorithm supports both the APROM and LDROM regions of flash for the respective device's flash memory size. 

New device support added for the following part numbers: M253LD3AE, M253LD3BE, M253LE3AE, M253LE3BE, M253ZE3AE, M253ZE3BE.

Added Support for Autochips AC7805x Devices

With the release of Cyclone software v11.68 and PROG v9.97, PEMicro’s development and production tools now include support for Autochips AC7805x devices. Each device includes algorithms for both the main flash region and the Control Information 8KB region.  

New device support added for the following part numbers: AC78056FD, AC78056FE, AC78056HD, AC78056HE, AC78056MD, AC78056ME, AC78058FD, AC78058FE, AC78058HD, AC78058HE, AC78058MD, AC78058ME

Added Support for Nordic Semiconductor nRF54L Devices

With the release of Cyclone software v11.68 and PROG v9.97, PEMicro’s development and production tools now include support for Nordic Semiconductor nRF54L devices. The nRF54L series is the successor to the nRF52 series and offers double the processing power and triple the processing efficiency. The nRF54L is a Cortex-M33 based device that enabled creation of IoT products with reliable wireless communication and processing performance. 

New device support added for the following part numbers: nRF54L05, nRF54L10, nRF54L15.

Added Support for Additional Nordic nRF91 Devices

With the release of Cyclone software v11.68 and PROG v9.97, PEMicro’s development and production tools now include support for Nordic Semiconductor nRF9151 and nRF9161 devices. The nRF9151/9161 are Cortex-M33 based modules with 1MB of flash and 256MB of RAM and are specifically designed for cellular IoT and DECT NR+ applications. The new algorithms, "Nordic_nRF9151_1MB.arp" and "Nordic_nRF9161_1MB.arp", support the nRF9151 and nRF9161 devices respectively. 

With this support, the User information configuration registers (UICR) region at 0x00FF8000-0x00FF8FFF is available for reprogramming. To reprogram the UICR region, the EM Erase module command needs to be run first to erase the region. 

If there are any issues connecting to the target, particularly when it is erased, then the "mass erase upon connection to target" checkbox should be selected. This checkbox can be found in the connection manager of PROGACMP or the Power and Communication settings tab in the Image Creation utility. 

Improved Wireless Stack Support for the STMicroelectronics STM32WB Devices

With the release of Cyclone software v11.70 and PROG v10.00, PEMicro’s development and production tools now support additional Wireless Stack features for the STM32WB5x, STM32WB3x, and STM32WB1x devices. The latest PROG and Cyclone support now enables selecting .BIN files for the FUS Operator, Wireless Stack, or the FUS FW. A new command has been added to start the wireless stack in case the FUS begins running. In PROGACMP, there is an additional command to read the FUS FW version from the target to determine which FUS FW version to upgrade.