32-bit microcontrollers add CAN FD bus protocol

Renesas Electronics Corp. has expanded its family of RX 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) with the introduction of the RX660 group. The RX660 MCUs support operating voltages up 5 V with high noise tolerance for home appliances and industrial equipment exposed to high electromagnetic interference.

(Source: Renesas Electronics)

The RX660 is the first in Renesas’ higher-end RX general-purpose MCU devices to support 5 V. The high operating voltages “eliminate the need for external noise-suppression components that are required for many 3-V MCUs,” enabling a reduction in development time and component cost, said Renesas.

It also is the first in the RX family to offer a built-in CAN FD controller that enables fast data communication, particularly a benefit as industrial equipment and robotics continue to add more sensors, thus increasing the amount of data transmitted. “CAN FD allows security signals in large volume to be transmitted in a single frame, making it possible to build stronger security into devices,” said Renesas.

To meet the rising software demand for functional safety and security as well as the need to deliver functional enhancements via over-the-air updates, the new chip was developed to offer higher performance and power efficiency. This is thanks in part to its RXv3 core (6.00 CoreMark/MHz) with a maximum operating frequency of 120 MHz.

Block diagram of the RX660 32-bit microcontrollers (Source: Renesas Electronics)

The RX660 MCUs also feature large-capacity ROM of up to 1 megabyte (MB) and RAM of up to 128 kilobytes (KB). They are available in a variety of package options from 48-pin to 144-pin.

Renesas said the pin count for general-purpose I/O pins is 10% higher than on the earlier RX210, which is also 5-V compatible. As an example, the 144-pin version of the RX660 has an effective pin count of 134, 11 more than on the RX210. The increased pin count enables more sensors to be connected to an MCU.

A winning combination reference design using the RX660 with a variety of analog and power management devices for power conversion systems is available. The On-line Type UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Winning Combination solution integrates all the key power conversion components including inverters, buck regulators, battery boost regulators, and PFC in a single chip, and offers the ability to remotely monitor activities via Bluetooth.

Renesas offers two development boards for the RX660 group for prototyping (Target Board) and evaluation (Starter Kit for the RX660). The RX660 MCUs and development boards are available now.