GD32C231 Series MCU — Redefining Cost-Performance, Unleashing New Potential
GigaDevice, a leading semiconductor company specializing in Flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), sensors, and analog products, today officially launched the value-packed GD32C231 series of entry-level microcontrollers, further expanding its Arm® Cortex®-M23 core product lineup. As the leader in China’s largest Arm® MCU market, GigaDevice positions the GD32C231 series as a “high-performance entry-level” solution designed to offer more competitive options for applications including small home appliances, BMS (Battery Management Systems), small-screen display devices, handheld consumer products, industrial auxiliary controls, and automotive aftermarket systems.
With over 2 billion cumulative MCU shipments and a mature supply chain, GigaDevice’s newly launched GD32C231 series overcomes the performance limitations of traditional entry-level chips through innovative design. The series not only integrates a rich set of peripherals but also adopts an industrial-grade wide-voltage process and offers a comprehensive ecosystem. While maintaining exceptional cost-effectiveness, this affordable MCU supports more complex application scenarios, redefining value standards in the entry-level MCU market and ushering in a new era of “affordable yet high-spec” solutions.
The GD32C231 series MCUs deliver a significant upgrade in computing performance and peripheral features while maintaining excellent price competitiveness, achieving an ultra-high cost-performance balance. Built on Arm’s advanced Cortex®-M23 core architecture, the series offers up to 10% higher performance than Cortex®-M0+, with clock speeds reaching 48MHz. It supports efficient processing capabilities such as integer division, greatly enhancing software execution efficiency.
In terms of memory configuration, the series features 32KB to 64KB of highly reliable embedded Flash and 12KB of low-power SRAM, with full memory areas equipped with ECC error correction. To meet the demands of diverse applications, multiple package options are available, including TSSOP20/LGA20, QFN28, LQFP32/QFN32, and LQFP48/QFN48. Thanks to its highly integrated chip design, the series effectively reduces the number of external components, providing users with a bill-of-materials (BOM) cost-optimized solution.
GD32C231 Product Portfolio
The Perfect Balance of Wide Voltage Support, Low Power, and Fast Wake-up Time
The GD32C231 series delivers exceptional power flexibility and energy efficiency, supporting a wide operating voltage range from 1.8V to 5.5V and a broad temperature range from -40°C to 105°C. This makes it highly adaptable for deployment in harsh and demanding environments. Featuring multiple power management modes, the device consumes as little as 5μA in deep sleep mode and offers ultra-fast 2.6μs wake-up time—achieving an optimal balance between low power consumption and real-time performance. These capabilities make the GD32C231ideal for battery-powered and portable applications.
Reliable Operation for Safety-Critical Applications
Engineered for reliability, the GD32C231 provides robust ESD protection – meeting 8kV contact discharge and 15kV air discharge standards. Full ECC error correction is applied across Flash and SRAM memory, helping to prevent data corruption. An integrated hardware CRC module further enhances data transmission integrity. These features ensure the MCU performs reliably in safety-critical environments such as industrial automation and automotive electronics.
Highly Integrated Peripherals for Flexible Design
The GD32C231 series integrates a comprehensive set of peripherals, significantly enhancing system integration and design flexibility:
- A 12-bit ADC with 13 external channels and 2 internal comparators for precise analog signal measurement.
- Up to 4 general-purpose 16-bit timers and 1 advanced 16-bit timer for versatile time-based operations.
- 2 high-speed SPI interfaces (including quad QSPI at 24Mbps), 2 I²C interfaces (supporting Fast Mode+ at 1Mbit/s), and 3 UARTs (up to 6Mbps) for robust serial communication.
- An integrated 3-channel DMA controller and 1 I²S interface for efficient peripheral data handling.
With support for up to 45 GPIOs in a 48-pin package, the GD32C231 offers excellent expandability for complex designs. These rich peripheral resources empower the MCU to meet the demands of a wide range of applications – from consumer electronics to industrial control systems – with ease and reliability.
GD32C231 block diagram
Full-Stack Ecosystem Support for Efficient Development
The GD32C231 series is backed by a comprehensive development ecosystem designed to accelerate product design and time-to-market. Standard software libraries and resources are readily available on GigaDevice’s official website.
To support developers throughout the entire development cycle, GigaDevice provides extensive documentation, including datasheets, user manuals, hardware design guidelines, application notes, and porting references—enabling rapid onboarding for both hardware and software development. A complete SDK firmware package is also offered, featuring rich sample code and development board resources that cover everything from low-level drivers to advanced applications.
The GD32 MCU family natively supports FreeRTOS, offering developers a lightweight, open-source, and high-efficiency real-time operating system. To streamline development even further, GigaDevice offers the GD32 Embedded Builder IDE – its proprietary development environment that integrates graphical configuration and intelligent code generation, reducing design complexity. The GD32 All-In-One Programmer supports essential Flash operations such as programming, erasing, reading, and option byte configuration. Meanwhile, the GD-Link debugger provides dual-mode SWD/JTAG support with plug-and-play functionality for a seamless debugging experience. GigaDevice also collaborates closely with third-party programming tool providers to offer customers a wide range of programming and debugging options.
Additionally, the GD32C231 series is fully compatible with major international toolchains including Arm® Keil, IAR Embedded Workbench, and SEGGER Embedded Studio, ensuring flexibility across various development platforms. For typical use cases, GigaDevice provides robust application solutions and reference designs – helping developers shorten design cycles, simplify product validation, and accelerate the path to mass production.
