For years, man has lived with the 8-bit micro-controller world.  And while endless amazing projects have been created with these humble chips, eventually the torch must be passed to the new kid on the block.  I’m talking about ARM processors.  Capable of running the most basic LED blinkers all the way up to powering your cell phone, the ARM processor with its 32-bit core has been making great strides in the world.

And right now, STMicroelectronics is helping you get into the world of ARM with their STM32F4 Discovery development board.

The STM32F4DISCOVERY helps you to discover the STM32F4 high-performance features and to develop your applications easily. It includes everything required for beginners and experienced users to get started quickly.

Based on the STM32F407VGT6, it includes an ST-LINK/V2 embedded debug tool, two ST MEMS, digital accelerometer and digital microphone, one audio DAC with integrated class D speaker driver, LEDs and push buttons and an USB OTG micro-AB connector.

The best part is, STMicroelectronics is currently allowing you to pick up one of these development boards for free.  Dangerous Prototypes first broke news of this offer, but didn’t know if boards were actually being sent out.  Well, just yesterday my personal Discovery development board came in the mail, and I can’t wait to start experimenting with it.  If you have any interest in tinkering with the 32-bit ARM world, make sure to head over to STMicro and request your own development board.