ARM Comparison

I strongly sympathise with your request for a product comparison matrix. I wanted the same more than a year ago.

I did some evaluation back then, against some slightly weird requirements, many of which might not apply to you (I am focused on Open Source hardware).

The advice about tools and examples is very important.

I was moving from an 8-bit AVR.

I chose Cortex-M3 because it provides enough extra performance and improved peripherals without significantly higher cost. I think the new Cortex-M products since last Spring have strengthened the case for it.

When I wrote down my top requirements, and compared the data sheets, the STM32F was a clear winner. I found that surprising as I had expected the products to be very similar. The point is you might find it only takes a couple of days to build a matrix for your product plans and come to a clear conclusion.

Back then, I rated the ST Micro and NXP Cortex-M3's at the top of the list, with STM32F having strengths in ADC and DAC.

If I did it again, I think the STM32F would still win, but I would look very hard at the Atmel Cortex-M3 parts.

If I were in no rush, I'd look at the Cypress PSoC-5 too. It has some very useful features, but more than 6 months after the evaluation kits came out, parts are not slated for 'broad sampling' until August 2011:

http://www.cypress.com/?app=forum&id=2233&rID=44105

It'd also mean working with very new silicon.

Cypress PSoC might actually be an interesting path because Cypress do have 8051-based PSoC now, which might reduce some of the risk.

A thing that might have swung it for a different chip was LeafLabs Maple, which has Open Source tools and unencumbered libraries:

http://leaflabs.com/

This is STM32F, so my path was clear.

It would likely only take a few hours to make an initial matrix using a spreadsheet, but it might not be useful enough unless it is built around your requirements because the information is so multi-dimensional. (That was my feeling after I'd been through the 'I'll find an independent comparison with google, ... here's my requirements, ... here's my analysis' process)

I strongly sympathise with your request for a product comparison matrix. I wanted the same more than a year ago.

I did some evaluation back then, against some slightly weird requirements, many of which might not apply to you (I am focused on Open Source hardware).

The advice about tools and examples is very important.

I was moving from an 8-bit AVR.

I chose Cortex-M3 because it provides enough extra performance and improved peripherals without significantly higher cost. I think the new Cortex-M products since last Spring have strengthened the case for it.

When I wrote down my top requirements, and compared the data sheets, the STM32F was a clear winner. I found that surprising as I had expected the products to be very similar. The point is you might find it only takes a couple of days to build a matrix for your product plans and come to a clear conclusion.

Back then, I rated the ST Micro and NXP Cortex-M3's at the top of the list, with STM32F having strengths in ADC and DAC.

If I did it again, I think the STM32F would still win, but I would look very hard at the Atmel Cortex-M3 parts.

If I were in no rush, I'd look at the Cypress PSoC-5 too. It has some very useful features, but more than 6 months after the evaluation kits came out, parts are not slated for 'broad sampling' until August 2011:

http://www.cypress.com/?app=forum&id=2233&rID=44105

It'd also mean working with very new silicon.

Cypress PSoC might actually be an interesting path because Cypress do have 8051-based PSoC now, which might reduce some of the risk.

A thing that might have swung it for a different chip was LeafLabs Maple, which has Open Source tools and unencumbered libraries:

http://leaflabs.com/

This is STM32F, so my path was clear.

It would likely only take a few hours to make an initial matrix using a spreadsheet, but it might not be useful enough unless it is built around your requirements because the information is so multi-dimensional. (That was my feeling after I'd been through the 'I'll find an independent comparison with google, ... here's my requirements, ... here's my analysis' process)