MCUs for edge applications in next-gen E/E architecture

With the RL78/F24 and RL78/F23, Renesas expands its RL78 Family of low-power 16-bit MCUs and strengthens its broader automotive portfolio, offering customers highly reliable, high-performance solutions for systems ranging from actuators to zone control.

With E/E architecture extending to include zone and domain control applications, control mechanisms are evolving to accommodate body control for automotive systems such as lights, windows, and mirrors; motor control for engine pumps and fans; and multiple sensor control.

Moving forward, high-speed and secure connectivity with zone and domain controllers will be mission critical for edge electronic control units (ECUs). Renesas’ next-generation RL78/F24 and RL78/F23 MCUs address changing technology demands for actuator and sensor control with enhanced security, rich connectivity, and functional safety capabilities. The new devices support the CAN FD high-speed communication protocol (RL78/F24) and EVITA-Light security and are optimized for systems targeting ASIL-B levels under the ISO 26262 functional safety standard.

“Advances in E/E architecture add stress to the already heavy development burden, and there is high demand among our customers to efficiently develop actuators,” said Naoki Yoshida, Vice President, Automotive Digital Products Marketing Division at Renesas. “Our new actuator and sensor control MCUs build on our highly popular RL78/F14 and RL78/F13 devices and enable developers to reuse most of their existing software assets, reducing costs while continuing to accelerate the advancement of E/E architecture.”

The future of automotive systems design lies in a vehicle-centralised, zone-oriented E/E architecture, and that shift is sparking higher demand for more advanced functionality and better performance in actuator controller applications.

The RL78/F24 and RL78/F23 MCUs deliver up to approximately 70 percent faster operating frequencies than the previous generation, which can more than double the performance in brushless motor control (BLDC) applications.

Renesas also enhanced the hardware accelerator and timer functions for motor control and added a 12-bit A/D converter, offering customers the enhanced functionality and performance levels they demand.

Key Features of RL78/F24 and RL78/F23 MCUs

• 40 MHz operating frequency
• Supports several connectivity interfaces, including CAN FD (RL78/F24), LIN, SPI, and I2C
• EVITA-Light support security functionality (support for AES-128/192/256 encryption algorithms)
• Pin compatible with the RL78/F14 and RL78/F13 MCUs with the same power efficiency
• On-chip flash memory capacity of 128 KB or 256 KB
• Package lineup ranging from compact 5 × 5 mm 32-pin QFN to 100-pin QFP
• Support for high temperatures up to 150°C

RL78/F24 Target Board and RL78/F24 12V Motor Control Evaluation System Starter Kit soon to be released for RL78/F24 (under development)