Replacing the STM32F107 Series with the GXSC MCU in Programmable Logic Controllers

A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is a computer control system designed specifically for industrial environments to automate the operation of machinery or production lines. Embedded programmable logic controllers place high demands on the main control chip’s real-time control capabilities, multi-bus communication performance, and I/O expandability. This article primarily introduces an embedded PLC system built on a 32-bit MCU based on a domestic RISC core, which offers advantages such as strong networking capabilities, high real-time performance, and flexible customization.

An embedded programmable logic controller is an industrial control terminal centered around an MCU. The system operates under a “signal acquisition – logical operation - instruction output - data exchange." The GXSC high-performance 32-bit MCU, featuring a Cortex-M3 core, operates at a clock speed of up to 72 MHz. It natively integrates a rich array of industrial communication peripherals, including Ethernet MAC, CAN, USB, and USART, and combines high computational real-time performance, strong anti-interference capabilities, and exceptional cost-effectiveness, making it the preferred chip for embedded PLC control.

The GXSC MCU is hardware and software compatible with the STM32F107. The chip features built-in high-speed memory (up to 512 KB of flash and 96 KB of SRAM), a rich set of enhanced I/O ports, and peripherals connected to two APB buses. These include 2 12-bit ADCs, 4 general-purpose 16-bit timers, and 2 PWM timers. Additionally, it features standard and advanced communication interfaces: up to 2 I2C interfaces, 3 SPI interfaces, 2 I2S interfaces, 1 SDIO interface, 5 USART interfaces, 1 USB interface, and 1 CAN interface.

GXSC MCU Features:

1. Core: ARM 32-bit Cortex™-M3 core, operating at up to 144 MHz, with zero-wait-cycle memory access

2. Memory: 64 KB to 512 KB program Flash, up to 96 KB SRAM

3. Clock, Reset, and Power Management: 2.0–3.6 V power supply and I/O pins

4. 2 x 12-bit ADCs, 1μs A/D conversion (up to 16 input channels)

5. 2-channel 12-bit D/A converter

6. Up to 80 high-speed I/O ports: 39/51/80 multifunction bidirectional I/O pins; all I/O pins can be mapped to