MCUs with 'best-in-class' power consumption
Renesas Electronics has introduced the RA0 microcontroller (MCU) Series based on the Arm® Cortex®-M23 processor. The new, low-cost RA0 devices offer the industry’s lowest overall power consumption for general purpose 32-bit MCUs.
The RA0 devices consume only 84.3μA/MHz of current in active mode and only 0.82 mA in sleep mode. In addition, Renesas offers a Software Standby mode in the new MCUs that reduces power consumption by a further 99 percent to a miniscule 0.2 µA. Coupled with a fast wake-up High-speed On-Chip Oscillator (HOCO), these ultra-low power MCUs deliver an ideal solution for applications including battery-operated consumer electronics devices, small appliances, industrial system control, and building automation applications.
Feature Set Optimized for Low Cost
Renesas is now shipping the first group in the RA0 Series, the RA0E1 Group. These devices have a feature set optimized for cost-sensitive applications. They offer a wide operating voltage range of 1.6V to 5.5V so customers don’t need a level shifter/regulator in 5V systems. The RA0 MCUs also integrate timers, serial communications, analog functions, safety functions and HMI functionality to reduce customer BOM cost. A wide range of packaging options is also available, including a tiny 3mm x 3mm 16-lead QFN.
In addition, the new MCU’s high-precision (±1.0%) on-chip oscillator (HOCO) improves baud rate accuracy and enables designers to forego a standalone oscillator. Unlike other HOCOs, it maintains this precision in environments from -40°C to 105°C. This wide temperature range enables customers to avoid costly and time-consuming “trimming,” even after the reflow process.
The RA0E1 MCUs include critical diagnostic safety functions as well as an IEC60730 self-test library. They also offer security features including true random number generator (TRNG) and AES libraries for IoT applications, including encryption.
“As the leader in embedded processing, our customers expect Renesas to provide the best solution for any application,” said Akihiro Kuroda, Vice President of the Embedded Processing 2nd Division at Renesas. “The RA0E1 Group MCUs deliver the ultra-low power and low cost needed for price-sensitive systems without sacrificing safety, data security and ease-of-design. Coupled with the recent introduction of the high-performance RA8 Series, Renesas now offers the premier MCU solution for any customer application anywhere in the world.”
"Power-constrained IoT embedded applications addressing markets such as industrial and smart home have specific performance, efficiency and security needs,” said Paul Williamson, senior vice president and general manager, IoT Line of Business at Arm. “Renesas’ RA MCU Family, built on Arm technology, now offers solutions ranging from low power RA0 MCUs to the high performance AI-capable RA8 devices, all with a common design environment that enables easy and fast development and migration.”
