Wi-Fi connectivity cloud kit simplifies IoT connections

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

Renesas Electronics Corp. launched the RX65N Cloud Kit that is designed to simplify secure internet of things (IoT) endpoint device connections to Amazon Web Services (AWS). The kit, which features onboard Wi-Fi as well as environmental, light, and inertial sensors, combines the RX65N microcontroller (MCU) with Amazon FreeRTOS connected to AWS.

The MCUs include Trusted Secure IP (TSIP) as part of their built-in hardware security engine. The TSIP driver uses strong encryption key management with hardware accelerators, including AES, 3DES, SHA, RSA, and TRNG, as well as a protected boot code flash area to securely boot customers’ IoT devices. The MCUs also offer dual bank flash for secure network or remote over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates.

The cloud kit can be used for both evaluation and prototyping of secure end-to-end IoT cloud solutions for sensor-based endpoint equipment. Designers use Renesas’ e2 studio integrated development environment (IDE) to create the IoT applications by configuring Amazon FreeRTOS, all the necessary drivers, and the network stack and component libraries. Designers can reuse the hardware and sample software as reference building blocks to speed up development.

By using the browser-based software, users can visualize the sensor data using a smart-device cloud dashboard to monitor a wide range of applications including networked smart meters; building, office, and industrial automation systems, and home appliances.

Key features of the RX65N Cloud Kit include:

• RX65N  R5F565NEDDFP 32-bit, 120-MHz MCU target board with 2-MB code flash memory and 640-KB SRAM
• Pmod module with Silex  SX-ULPGN Wi-Fi communications
• Cloud option board with two USB ports for serial communications and debugging, and three sensors for sampling and sending measurement data to the cloud:

-Renesas  ISL29035 digital light sensor for ambient/infrared light measurement

-Bosch  BMI160 MEMS sensor for  three-axis acceleration and gyroscopic measurement

-Bosch  BME680 MEMS sensor for gas, temperature, humidity, and pressure measurements

• Renesas  e2 studio IDE

The RX65N Cloud Kit is available now from Renesas’ authorized distributors with a recommended resale price of $50. Watch the video for more information.