Optimized for industrial automation, healthcare, and consumer tech applications, they provide industry-leading low-power features, enabling advanced AI and IoT deployments with streamlined energy consumption.
Renesas Electronics Corporation has introduced two new microcontroller (MCU) groups, RA8E1 and RA8E2, to its RA8 series, bringing advanced processing power to cost-effective markets. The MCUs harness the powerful Arm Cortex-M85 processor, boasting 6.39 Coremark/MHz performance, positioning them as ideal options for high-volume applications in industrial automation, healthcare, consumer products, and more.
Both MCU groups integrate Arm’s Helium technology, an M-Profile Vector Extension delivering up to a 4X performance boost in digital signal processing (DSP) and machine learning (ML) compared to the Cortex-M7. This performance jump supports AI applications in edge AI and AIoT, allowing more efficient execution of machine learning models and enabling devices in AI-driven systems to operate effectively.
Key specifications include:
- RA8E1: 360 MHz Cortex-M85, 1MB Flash, 544KB SRAM, Ethernet, Octal SPI, USB, CAN-FD, and 12-bit ADC/DAC. LQFP packages of 100/144 pins.
- RA8E2: 480 MHz Cortex-M85, 1MB Flash, 672KB SRAM, 16-bit external memory interface, GLCDC, and similar peripheral capabilities. Available in a 224-pin BGA package.
They also deliver industry-leading energy efficiency, with low-power modes, independent power domains, quick wake-up times, and a design geared for lower voltage operation. This combination ensures low system power consumption, addressing both regulatory and efficiency needs. The Arm Cortex-M85 core efficiently performs DSP and ML tasks at low power, meeting the demands of energy-conscious applications.
The coompany supports these MCUs with its Flexible Software Package (FSP), which facilitates faster development by providing all necessary infrastructure, including middleware, connectivity, networking, and TrustZone support. This package enables seamless integration of legacy code and RTOS of choice, simplifying application migration and development across the RA8 family or from the RA6 series.
The company offers “Winning Combinations,” including designs like Entry Level Voice & Vision AI System and HMI for Appliances, combining RA8E1 and RA8E2 with complementary Renesas components for faster, risk-reduced product development. The MCUs, along with their prototyping and evaluation kits, are now available. For further information, click here.
