Combines 12-Bit A/D Converter and 66 µA Per MHz in 3 × 3 mm Package, Making the RL78/G1A MCUs Ideal for Next-Generation Sensor Applications
Renesas' New RL78 Microcontrollers with Enhanced Analog Functionality
TOKYO, November 16, 2011 — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the expansion of the RL78 Family with the introduction of the new RL78/G1A Group of microcontrollers (MCUs). The RL78/G1A 16-bit MCUs integrate enhanced analog technology with industry-leading power-efficient technology of the RL78 Family to deliver excellent processing performance. The RL78/G1A Group of MCUs are ideal for a number of applications including industrial automation sensors, white goods, home automation and medical applications. Renesas has equipped the RL78 Family of MCUs with the superior DNA of the 78K and the R8C Family, contributing to lower system power consumption and reduced system cost. RL78 Family product development continues actively.
Key features of the new RL78/G1A Group of MCUs:
(1) Enhanced analog functions
The RL78/G1A MCUs incorporate enhanced analog functionality such as an accurate 12-bit A/D converter. The RL78/G1A MCUs have an independent power supply for internal analog parts that reduces noise influence from digital peripheral lines. The new devices support a maximum of 28 channel analog inputs, making them ideal for feature-rich sensor applications.
(2) Functions that contribute to reduced system power consumption overall
In addition to its 66 µA/MHz current consumption in active mode, and 0.57 µA with RTC + LVD active, the RL78/G1A MCUs support a new low-power mode called the “snooze mode”. The snooze mode supports analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion and serial communication while the CPU is in standby mode, which significantly extends the life of battery-operated devices.
(3) Small package
The RL78/G1A MCUs support the small packages of 3 × 3 mm land grid array (LGA) package and 4 × 4 mm ball grid array (BGA) package.
(4) Built-in safety mechanisms
The RL78 MCUs incorporate a number of built-in mechanisms that can be utilized to comply with standard safety regulations, such as IEC60730, which are required for electrical appliances. Such features include a flash memory cyclic redundancy check (CRC) function, RAM parity error checking, clock fail and frequency detection circuit, A/D test function and illegal memory access detection.
(5) Industry-standard development tools
Renesas' low-cost E1 on-chip debugging emulator and the IECUBE full-spec emulator, which provide system designers with the ability to choose the product that best matches their debugging requirements, are available as hardware development tools. For flash programming Renesas offers the PG-FP5 programmer or factory programming. Powerful support for system designers of application software is provided by the IAR Embedded Workbench integrated development environment (IDE) and optimized C++ compiler.
Renesas partner companies continue to expand with a wide variety of hardware and software development tools for the RL78 Family including multiple RTOS providers.
Refer to the separate sheet for the main specifications of the new RL78/G1A MCUs.
Pricing and Availability
Samples of Renesas' new RL78/G1A Group of MCUs will be available in Q1 2012. Mass production is scheduled to begin in Q2 2012. The sample price for the new products differs depending on the memory capacity, package type, and pin count. For example, samples of the R5F10EGAAFB device with 16 KB of on-chip flash memory, 2 KB of on-chip RAM, and a 48-pin low-profile quad flat package (LQFP) will be priced at $1.23 per unit in 1,000-piece lots. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)
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) The new RL78 Family uses SuperFlash® technology licensed from Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. SuperFlash® is a registered trademark of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc., of the U.S.A. in the United States, Japan, and other countries. Names of products or services mentioned in this release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Other product and service names that appear in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks 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.