Dusseldorf, 24th June 2011 – Renesas Electronics , a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the expansion of the RL78 microcontroller (MCU) family with the introduction of the RL78/G14 Group. The new 16-bit MCUs combine the advanced on-chip peripheral functions of Renesas’ R8C MCU family with the industry-leading power-efficient technology of the RL78 family to deliver excellent processing performance. The new RL78/G14 group of MCUs is ideal for a number of applications, including household appliances, healthcare devices, office equipment and industrial automation systems, as well as medical and consumer products such as motor control, security systems and mobile devices.
Renesas Electronics has equipped the RL78 family of integrated MCUs with the superior DNA of the 78K and R8C families that contribute to lower overall system power consumption and reduced development cost The new RL78/G14 group MCUs deliver a further boost in performance and power efficiency while incorporating advanced on-chip peripheral functions from the R8C family, meeting the needs of customers wishing to utilize existing software resources originally developed for the R8C family.
“In addition to the low-power process technology, the new RL78/G14 devices incorporate a number of versatile peripherals to enable innovative, low-cost embedded designs,” said Mohammed Dogar, Product Marketing Manager, Industrial and Distribution Business Unit, Renesas Electronics Europe. “A good example of these features is the advanced 64MHz-capable 16-bit timer units designed for the precise control of low-end motor systems. These timer peripherals – combined with 5-V support, advanced hardware-based safety features such as RAM parity check and CRC – make the RL78/G14 devices ideal for higher-efficiency household appliances. Furthermore, to minimize development time, Renesas designed these devices to maintain compatibility with its existing R8C and 78K MCUs, allowing developers to save time by re-using some of their legacy code.”
Key features of the RL78/G14 group of MCUs
(1) Advanced timer modules
The new MCUs incorporate advanced time modules—’Timer RD’, ‘Timer RG’, and ‘Timer RJ’—which are compatible with timers in the R8C MCU family. Timer RD comprises two 16-bit timers capable of operating at 64 megahertz (MHz) and a pulse wave modulation (PWM) function able to output 6 three-phase waveforms with the amplitude specified by the user. Timer RG is a 16-bit timer module that can automatically measure the counts of a two-phase encoder in phase counting mode. Timer RJ is a 16-bit timer module that can measure the pulse width or cycle of pulse output or external pulse input.
(2) Data transfer controller and event link controller
The RL78/G14 MCU devices integrate a data transfer controller (DTC) and event link controller (ELC), which have a proven track record in the R8C family of reducing the CPU load and lowering power consumption. The DTC enables memory-to-memory data transfers without using the CPU. Compared with the DMA function of the RL78/G13, the DTC supports a larger number of transfer channels and activation sources, and it also enables data transfers from the Flash memory. The event link controller (ELC) allows direct connection between peripherals bypassing the CPU and interrupt controller to provide faster and more deterministic real-time control. It is also possible to use the ELC to start peripheral functions when the CPU is stopped, thereby reducing power consumption.
(3) 8-bit DAC and comparator
The new MCU products with 96 kilobyte (KB) or more Flash memory feature two channels of 8-bit D/A converter (DAC) analogue comparators with the window function previously available on the R8C family MCUs. The DAC can be utilized to implement audio playback or to generate high-resolution voltage signals, with minimal external components reducing system cost.
(4) Additional CPU instructions and enhanced on-chip debugging functions
The new MCUs include multiply, divide, and multiply and accumulate instructions in the instruction set of the RL78/G13’s CPU core, eliminating the need to handle overflow interrupts when performing arithmetic operations. In addition, the on-chip debugging functions of the new microcontrollers with 96 KB or more of Flash memory now support trace data for up to 256 branches, enabling more efficient system development and evaluation.
(5) Extensive product lineup
The new MCUs are available in Flash ROM capacities ranging from 16 KB to 256 KB, RAM capacities from 2.5 KB to 24 KB, and a total of 17 package configurations, including a Quad Flat Package (QFP), a compact Quad Flat Non-Leaded (QFN) package, and a Land Grid Array (LGA) package, with pin counts from 30 to 100 pins. This extensive product lineup enables customers to select the memory capacity and package type that best matches their system requirements and contributes to optimized board size, more compact systems, and reduced cost. Renesas Electronics also plans to enhance the new RL78/G14 group with devices with up to 512 KB of Flash ROM, 128 pins and 105°C operation for systems like cooking appliances.
Development tools for the RL78/G14 group include the IAR Embedded Workbench, Renesas Electronics’ E1 integrated on-chip debugging emulator, and the IECUBE full-function in-circuit emulator. There are also plans to release a Flash Programmer and Renesas Starter Kit (RSK) supporting these new MCUs.
Please refer to the separate sheet for the main specifications of the RL78/G14 group of MCUs.
Remarks
The new RL78/G14 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.
About Renesas Electronics Europe
Renesas Electronics Europe with its Business Operations Centre located in Dusseldorf, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers and a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions, secure MCU applications and a broad-range of analog and power devices. Renesas Electronics’ European structure is comprised of four dedicated business groups serving the region’s key markets: automotive, communications & consumer, industrial, and mobile platforms. The business groups are supported by the Engineering Group, which itself includes the Engineering Design Centre; the European Quality Centre that provides technical support to local customers in Europe; and the European Technology Centre to design leading-edge products specifically for the European market. Further information about Renesas Electronics Europe can be found at: www.renesas.eu.
Renesas Electronics Europe on http://twitter.com/Renesas_Europe, http://facebook.com/RenesasEurope andhttp://youtube.com/RenesasPresents
