Renesas Electronics Introduces SuperH Microcontrollers with Built-In Large-Capacity 2.5MB SRAM

TOKYO, Japan, October 13, 2010 — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the availability of two new 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), the SH7268 and SH7269, that achieve increased functionality and enable a smaller-size solution for digital car audio, consumer, and industrial applications, which drive a color TFT-LCD. These new MCUs share the following features: (1) large-capacity 2.5 megabyte (MB) on-chip SRAM that is almost double the size of the predecessor SH7266 MCU, allowing display of WVGA resolution (800 × 480) images without any external RAM; (2) maximum CPU operating frequency is increased by 1.8 times (now at 266 megahertz (MHz)) elevating performance to handle additional system tasks plus digital audio signal processing; (3) enhanced functions such as a 2D graphics accelerator conforming to OpenVG™ 1.1, the industry's standard graphics processing programming interface (API) for embedded equipment.

Renesas Electronics' new SH7268 and SH7269 MCUs in the SuperH™ family are based on the SH2A-FPU (floating point unit) superscalar CPU core, which provides superlative real-time performance and a double-precision floating point math unit, while integrating many peripheral functions for audio and graphic applications.

Because the price of color TFT-LCD panels continues to fall, a wide variety of products using an embedded processor are now gaining a color 2D graphics display for the user interface, enhancing the overall perceived value of the end product, and making their use naturally intuitive. The trend is to use higher and higher resolutions on the displays (up to WVGA), which requires a proportionally larger RAM frame buffer memory outside the MCU. Since Renesas Electronics' SH7268 and SH7269 MCUs uniquely have an extremely large internal SRAM, there is no need for this external memory, saving power and space, increasing performance, and lowering emissions of electromagnetic interference. Many applications that can benefit from these attributes include automotive infotainment and vehicle status displays, office automation equipment, home appliances, games, medical patient monitoring equipment, home and building automation equipment, and fire/security control panels.

Following are key features of the new capabilities of the SH7268 and SH7269 MCUs:

(1) Large-capacity 2.5 MB on-chip SRAM supports one-chip solution

By including 2.5 MB of on-chip SRAM, the new MCUs can store the required image information for two screens of WVGA resolution when the SRAM is used as a frame buffer. For users of the previous generation SH7266 MCUs with VGA resolution (640 × 480), this is a natural upgrade path to WVGA without requiring any external frame buffer memory.

This built-in 2.5MB SRAM can also be used for program storage or as working memory. Since the memory space is divided into six pages, multiple pages can be accessed at the same time from different bus masters making these MCUs optimal for real-time processing.

(2) Achieves 266 MHz high-speed operation

To take full advantage of the high-speed SRAM, and to produce faster signal processing for digital audio, the maximum CPU operating frequency has been increased by 1.8 times from the existing SH7266 MCU, now achieving 266 MHz. The maximum CPU performance is reached when the 1-cycle access SRAM is used for program storage. The higher speed increases system capability for example, by making it possible to respond to voice commands during audio playback or to implement noise reduction processing for hands-free telephone applications.

(3) Improved display functions, including an OpenVG 1.1 conforming 2D graphics accelerator

The new MCUs include a 2D graphics accelerator supporting the OpenVG 1.1 industry standard, providing high-precision 2D graphics display capability, with reduced loading on the CPU core itself, and reduced memory footprint, for a cost-effective enhanced HMI (human-machine interface).

Additionally, these MCUs include a hardware JPEG codec, and thereby can perform image data compression and JPEG data decoding at high speeds. Also, there are digital RGB output pins that support a full-color display with almost 17 million colors at WVGA resolution.

With a selection of 12 total products among the SH7268 and SH7269 devices, Renesas Electronics offers options with and without a CAN interface, and two temperature ranges (−40 to +85℃ and -20 to +85℃). The SH7268 MCU is available in a 208-pin QFP package, and the SH7269 is available in both 256-pin QFP and 272-pin BGA packages. All packages are lead-free.

Renesas will continue to respond to market needs by offering new products in the SH7260 series that provide higher speeds, higher performance, and higher functionality for high-end applications by increasing CPU performance and on-chip memory capacities, and richer sets of peripheral functions. The company also will develop products that achieve lower costs for low-end applications.

More information can be found on the separate sheet for the specifications of the new MCUs.

Pricing and Availability

Samples of Renesas Electronics' new SH7268 and SH7269 MCUs are available now, with a suggested resale price of US$27 and US$29 in 1-piece quantity, respectively. Mass production is scheduled to begin with a combined volume of 500,000 units per month by October 2011.

(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.

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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.