Cloud dev kits support Microsoft Azure

Renesas Electronics Corp. has announced its cellular-to-cloud development kits powered by its RA and RX 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) support Microsoft’s Azure cloud services. The Azure-certified cloud dev kits also incorporate the company’s LTE CAT-M1 module, which wirelessly connects MCUs to cloud services without a gateway. Key embedded applications include asset tracking, building automation, medical data management, voice command and industrial control.

The two cloud kits – the CK-RA6M5 and CK-RX65N enable the connection and management of wireless IoT devices via the cloud. They come with Microsoft’s new Embedded Wireless Framework, which provides a simplified link to the Azure cloud platform, allowing any network adapter to securely connect to the cloud.

(Source: Renesas Electronics Corp.)

As pre-certified kits, the devices are validated to connect with Azure IoT Hub and can be securely provisioned through the Device Provisioning Service. Both devices also are IoT Plug and Play-certified, which means developers can integrate the devices into their solutions using pre-defined device models, eliminating manual hardware configuration, Renesas said.

What’s in the cloud kits? They include a high-performance MCU, the RYZ014A Cat-M1 Pmod, six on-board sensors, and lots of peripherals, including a USB FS connector, USB-to-UART serial converter, two PMOD connectors and a battery connector.

For security, the kits include hardware-based security, such as the Renesas Secure Crypto Engine 9 (SCE9) and Trusted Secure IP (TSIP) driver, which are incorporated into the RA6M5 and RX65N MCUs, respectively. In addition, Renesas collaborated with Crypto Quantique to implement a software-based IoT cryptography platform that securely connects IoT devices to server-hosted applications on-premises or in the cloud.

For AI/ML at the edge, the dev kits make it easy to collect data from onboard sensors, upload them to the cloud for processing and tools, and download the model back to the end point, said Renesas. Development is further simplified with the company’s out-of-the-box tools, including Reality AI Tools and Edge Impulse Studio.

The cloud kits are part of the Renesas Quick-Connect IoT Platform, which enables developers to connect to additional sensors or connectivity options via the standard Pmod interfaces. It also allows them to expand their use-cases and graphically build software with the Quick-Connect Studio. The company also developed a Winning Combination reference design, Cellular Cloud Connected System, to speed up design.

Both the CK-RA6M5 and CK-RX65N cloud kits are available now. Visit here for more information about Renesas’s cloud solutions.