Renesas Electronics RX651 32-bit microcontrollers

Renesas Electronics has announced four RX651 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) supplied in ultrasmall 64-pin BGA and LQFP packages. The 64-pin (4.5 x 4.5 mm) BGA package reduces footprint size by 59% compared to Renesas’s 100-pin LGA, and a 64-pin (10 x 10 mm) LQFP offers a 49% reduction versus the 100-pin LQFP.

The MCUs address security needs for endpoint devices employing compact sensor and communication modules in industrial, network control, building automation and smart metering systems operating at the IoT edge. Suitable for compact applications, they are designed to give users the small footprint, high performance and security features they need to safeguard their connected industrial and manufacturing systems against cyber attacks.

The increase in endpoint devices operating at the edge has increased the need for secure over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. The RX651 devices support this reprogramming requirement with integrated TSIP, enhanced flash protection and other technology advancements that offer a secure and stable solution.

Optimised for connected industrial environments, the MCUs monitor the operating state of machinery from both inside and outside the factory, enabling data exchanges to change production instructions, and reprogram MCU memory to update equipment settings. They feature a high-performance RXv2 core and 40 nm process that provide high performance with a 520 CoreMark score at 120 MHz, and strong power efficiency with a 35 CoreMark/mA score as measured by EEMBC Benchmarks.

The integrated dual bank flash memory enables engineers to realise high root-of-trust levels through a combination of TSIP that protects the encryption key; encryption hardware accelerators including AES, 3DES, RSA, SHA and TRNG; and code flash area protection to protect boot code from reprogramming. The dual bank flash function supports both BGO (background operation) and SWAP, making it easy for manufacturers to execute in-the-field firmware updates securely.