Renesas Electronics' 16-bit MCU for smart meters, the 78K0R/LG3-M
TOKYO, Japan, September 28, 2011 — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) today announced the availability of its new highly integrated 16-bit microcontroller, the 78K0R/LG3-M, which enables the design of cost-effective and highly integrated single-phase static electricity meters. Combining a high-performance 20 megahertz (MHz) 16-bit core with128 kilobytes (KB) of flash memory and 7 KB of RAM, the new MCU integrates all the major functions required in a static electricity meter, including a dedicated electrical power calculation circuit, analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, an LCD driver circuit, and a real-time clock (RTC) with an independent power supply. Primarily targeting conventional meter applications, the 78K0R/LG3-M MCU can be used together with other Renesas power-line and wireless communications solutions to create highly optimized and low cost smart meters.
Through awareness campaigns, consumers have become more aware of their electricity consumption and the importance of reducing that consumption. The next generation of smart meters will enable this reduction by including integrated LCD displays and bi-directional communication, which will allow remote reading, tariff updates and load balancing through intelligent control of smart appliances.
Key features of the 78K0R/LG3-M Microcontroller:
(1) Support for increased meter functionality
To support the increased application requirements of single phase electricity meters, the 78K0R/LG3-M MCU features 128 KB of embedded flash memory and 7 KB RAM.
(2) On-chip DSP metrology engine with four second-order precision Sigma Delta 24-bit ADCs (differential input) and a two-channel 10-bit successive approximation ADC.
The metrology engine includes calibration and power calculation functions to free up the main CPU core to manage other application-related tasks. Furthermore, the 78K0R/LG3-M MCU achieves a 0.1 percent active power-measurement error as its power calculation precision, and it conforms to all power meter standards in Japan, Europe and China.
(3) Integration to reduce system costs
To enable meter designers to optimize system costs, the 78K0R/LG3-M MCU integrates several additional peripherals required in metering applications, including
- Advanced RTC with independent power supply
- Advanced RTC with independent power supply
- Anti-tamper detection circuit to prevent falsification of power calculations
- Power quality measurement circuit that includes both power outage and current/voltage peak detection functions
- 160-segment LCD driver for user interface
- Zero-cross and surge-level detection circuits
Many other peripherals are integrated to facilitate system design such as multiple timers, multiple serial interfaces and robust I/O.
(4) Ultra-low-power consumption
With an operating voltage (V) range from 1.8 V to 3.6 V and ultra-low-current consumption with the RTC operating, the device offers leading-class power consumption, enabling further cost reduction due to the smaller batteries needed for backup operation when the power fails.
Refer to the separate sheet for the full specifications of Renesas' 78K0R/LG3-M MCU.
Pricing and Availability
Samples of Renesas Electronics' new 78K0R/LG3-M MCU are available now, priced at US$6.5 per unit. Mass production is scheduled to begin in March 2012 and is expected to reach a combined volume of 50,000 units per month. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)
Ranked #1 Supplier Worldwide for Microcontrollers
Renesas Electronics Corporation again has been ranked by Gartner as the number one MCU supplier worldwide based on revenues from shipments in 2010 for 8-, 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers in the March 2011 market share report*. More information about Renesas Electronics' MCU offerings can be found at http://www.renesas.com/prod/mcumpu/.)
About Renesas Electronics Corporation
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live. A global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power and SoC products, Renesas provides comprehensive solutions for a broad range of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications that help shape a limitless future. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
(Remarks) SuperFlash memory technology used in Renesas Electronics' 16-bit devices is licensed from Silicon Storage Technology Inc. SuperFlash is registered of Silicon Storage Technology in the U.S., Japan, and other countries. *Source: Gartner "Market Share: Semiconductor Devices, Worldwide, 2010" March 2011. All other registered trademarks or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The content in the press release, including, but not limited to, product prices and specifications, is based on the information as of the date indicated on the document, but may be subject to change without prior notice.