Renesas offers low-power, high-performance microcontrollers for IoT applications

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, has expanded its RA4 Series microcontrollers (MCUs) with 12 new RA4M2 Group MCUs. The new devices deliver an exceptional combination of very low power consumption, high performance, and enhanced security features that positions them as ideal solutions for industrial and IoT applications.

The highly power-efficient RA4M2 Group offer an operating current of only 80 µA/MHz in active mode, and a low standby current of 0.7 mA. Even with these leading specifications, the new devices have an extremely fast wakeup time from standby of 30 µs.

With operating frequencies up to 100 MHz, the RA4M2 MCUs are ideal for performance-hungry, low-power applications such as industrial and IoT edge devices.

The RA4M2 MCUs employ the Arm Cortex-M33 core based on Armv8-M architecture. They feature Arm TrustZone technology and Renesas’ Secure Crypto Engine. The Secure Crypto Engine incorporates multiple symmetric and asymmetric cryptography accelerators, advanced key management, security lifecycle management, power analysis resistance, and tamper detection. This combination enables customers to realize secure element functionality, enabling safety and security in IoT edge devices for low-power applications.

“The RA4M2 MCU Group is the ideal solution for very low power IoT edge applications, combining high performance and security features with low power consumption,” said Roger Wendelken, senior VP in Renesas’ IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit. “Our rollout of market-leading solutions within the RA Family is a testament to the design, manufacturing, and marketing prowess that has made Renesas the pre-eminent MCU supplier worldwide.”

Features

Very Low power consumption of 80 μA/MHz in active mode; 30 µs wakeup time
100-MHz Arm Cortex-M33 with TrustZone technology
Renesas’ Secure Crypto Engine as part of a full security solution
Scalable from 48- to 100-pin LQFP packages; also available in 48-pin QFNs
Integrated flash memory of 512KB, 384KB, or 256KB; 128K SRAM
Capacitive touch sensing unit
USB 2.0 Full Speed
Advanced analog with one ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) unit
QuadSPI
SDHI

The RA4M2 Group is supported by the easy-to-use Flexible Software Package (FSP), which includes a best-in-class HAL driver. The FSP uses a GUI to simplify and dramatically accelerate the development process, while also making it easy for customers to transition from an original 8/16-bit MCU design. Designers using the RA4M2 MCUs also have access to the extensive Arm partner ecosystem, offering a wide range of tools that help speed time-to-market.

The RA4M2 MCUs can be combined with Renesas’ complementary analog and power offerings to create comprehensive solutions for a variety of applications. These “Winning Combinations” showcase the unique capabilities of the RA4M2 MCUs and the breadth and depth of Renesas’ product line-up.