EtherCAT microprocessor delivers motor control solution

Optimised for high-speed processing and high-precision real-time control for applications adopting EtherCAT communication protocols, the RZ/T2L inherits the same advanced hardware architecture from Renesas' RZ/T2M MPU.

Reducing its overall footprint by up to 50 percent over the RZ/T2M, the RZ/T2L is a cost-effective and scalable alternative for designers and first-time developers looking to enter the rapidly expanding EtherCAT market with a single-chip motor control solution.

The device is also ideally suited for applications such as AC servos, inverters, industrial robots, medical equipment, wind turbines and elevators.

The Renesas RZ/T2L microprocessor features an Arm Cortex-R52 CPU with a maximum operating frequency of 800 MHz, an Ethernet MAC and a proven 3-port EtherCAT slave controller designed by Beckhoff Automation for Ethernet communication. The MPU's tightly coupled 576 KB of memory is directly connected to the CPU.

This design element reduces execution time unpredictability caused by cache memory, enabling reliable, deterministic processing. All RAM on the MPU is also equipped with an error correction code (ECC) function required for industrial applications.

The robust peripheral capabilities of the RZ/T2L include multi-protocol encoder interfaces for angle sensors, Sigma-delta interfaces, 3-phase PWM and 12-bit ADCs. These peripherals are arranged on a dedicated low latency peripheral port (LLPP) bus directly connected to the CPU to achieve fast and accurate real-time control functionality.

Other notable features of the RZ/T2L include support for various security functions such as secure boot, secure firmware update, JTAG authentication, unique ID and cryptographic accelerator to reduce the risk of data breach and tampering of user programs.

The MPU can also be used as a functional safety microprocessor to meet the growing processing requirements for industrial equipment.

To support the development of the RZ/T2L microprocessor, Renesas offers a companion RZ/T2L Starter Kit+, also available through Mouser Electronics.

The MPU and Starter Kit+ utilise Renesas' Flexible Software Package (FSP) and software development environment, which is compatible with other RZ Family MPUs and RA Family MCUs to help designers preserve software assets and reduce development efforts and overall costs.