Powertrain control MCU features on-chip 90 nm high-speed flash memory

The SH72531 is built around the SH-2A high-performance 32-bit CPU core and uses a 90-nanometer (nm) process node. It achieves a processing performance of 240 million instructions per second (MIPS) when operating at 120 MHz. This enables fine-grained and sophisticated real-time control of engine or transmission systems. It supports 120 MHz operation at temperatures up to 125°C, something that is difficult to achieve in a Flash MCU while power consumption is 350 mW or less.



Typically, due to their method of operation, flash memories have a lower maximum operating speed than the logic block. Nevertheless, the SH72531 incorporates flash memory design technology exclusive to Renesas Technology to achieve a flash memory operation speed of 100 MHz. In addition, a low-power cache circuit optimized for the flash memory reduces power consumption when data from the on-chip flash memory is used for processing and delivers performance roughly equivalent to single-cycle access at an operating speed of 120 MHz.



Furthermore, 32 kilobytes of on-chip flash memory is allocated for data storage and can be overwritten while the MCU is operating. It provides roughly the same functionality as electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM). This eliminates the need for external memory to store data and contributes to reduced system cost overall.



By specifically selecting the on-chip peripheral functions based on actual requirements, it was possible to fit the SH72531 into a compact 176-pin LQFP package, in contrast to the 272-pin P-BGA of its predecessor, the SH72544R. In spite of its low pin count, the SH72531 integrates key functions and interfaces needed for engine and transmission control applications, including the Advanced Timer Unit III (ATU-III) multifunction timer unit, a high-speed 12-bit A/D converter, a CAN interface, and a high-speed serial interface. This enables highly precise real-time control.



Built around the same SH-2A CPU core as the earlier SH72544R, it provides a subset of the peripheral functions of the SH72544R. This means that software developed for the SH72544R can be reused when developing systems incorporating the SH72531, reducing the development time required.



The E10A-USB on-chip debugging emulator is available as a development tool. Compact in size, it runs off USB bus power and requires no external power supply.