The MCUs are the latest addition to Renesas’ RX 32bit family and support operating voltages of up to 5V. They are the first in Renesas’ higher-end RX general purpose MCU devices to support 5V and the first in the RX Family to feature a built-in CAN FD controller that enables fast data communication.

High operating voltages eliminate the need for external noise suppression components that are required for many 3V MCUs in home appliances and industrial equipment today, advises the company.

As functional safety and security have become a critical part of electronic systems, more products are equipped with real time operating systems to simplify software maintenance. Products are also being designed to accommodate future functional enhancements using over-the-air (OTA) updates. To meet these needs, the RX660 has an RXv3 core (6.00 CoreMark/MHz) with a maximum operating frequency of 120MHz. The MCUs have ROM up to 1Mbyte and RAM up to 128kbytes. They are available in package options ranging from 48 to 144 pins. The effective pin count for general purpose I/O pins is 10% higher than on the earlier RX210, which is also 5V compatible. As a result, more sensors can be connected to an MCU for a given package, making it simpler to upgrade existing systems, says the company.

The MCUs were introduced in response to customers using high power supply voltages for products. “Noise suppression is essential for home appliances and industrial products since ambient electromagnetic waves in the surrounding environment can cause system malfunctions or reduce performance,” said Sakae Ito, vice president of the IoT Platform business division at Renesas.  

The RX660 is the first group in the RX Family to integrate a CAN FD controller that supports fast, high-volume data transfer. CAN (controlled area network) is becoming popular in industrial equipment and robotics, but the number of sensors in networks increases the volume of data communication, causing insufficient bandwidth and higher costs for requiring multiple buses. CAN FD allows security signals in large volume to be transmitted in a single frame, making it possible to build stronger security into devices.  

Renesas offers two development boards for the RX660 group for both prototyping and detailed evaluation. Target Board for RX660 enables users to transform their ideas into working hardware and software. Renesas Starter Kit for RX660 is intended for detailed evaluation and allows users to make use of the full functionality of the RX660 when developing applications.

The RX660 MCUs and development boards are available now