Renesas RE family adopted as main controller of G-SHOCK watch

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced that Casio Computer Co., Ltd. has adopted a Renesas’ ultra-low power consumption RE Family controller.

It will be the main controller of the new Casio G-SHOCK watch GBD-H1000 with heart rate monitor and GPS functionality.

The GBD-H1000 is a new addition to Casio’s G-SHOCK line of shock-resistant watches, which is equipped with:

An optical sensor that measures heart rate by detecting changes in the blood flow under the skin
A triple sensor that measures compass bearing, barometric pressure/altitude, and temperature
An acceleration sensor that measures step count and distance traveled, in addition to GPS functionality that acquires location information

The Renesas ultra-low power RE Family controller implements high-load internal watch processing while consuming very little power. This makes it possible to build user-friendly watches that offer an array of functions while requiring only solar power for charging during daily use.

“The development of GBD-H1000 necessitated technical innovation to achieve processing performance that went beyond a mere linear extension of the capabilities of previous processors,” said Yuichi Masuda, senior executive managing officer, senior GM of Product Development Headquarters, senior GM of Timepiece Business Unit, Business Strategy Headquarters at Casio. “We selected Renesas’ SOTB technology for its superior results in terms of both performance and power efficiency. I am deeply grateful for the tremendous contribution of the Renesas RE Family to the functional advances of the GBD-H1000.”

The RE Family controller employed in the new watch utilizes Renesas’ exclusive SOTB process technology to achieve industry-leading ultra-low power consumption levels in both operating and sleep modes. Renesas and Casio worked together from the development stage of the GBD-H1000 watch onward to achieve both multi-functionality and low power consumption.