An ultra-small RX651 32-bit MCU for iot connectivity modules and space-constrained edge devices

Renesas Electronics has introduced four new 32-bit RX651 microcontrollers (MCUS) in an ultra-small 64-pin BGA and LQFP package. The new product expands Renesas' popular RX651 MCU family with a 64-pin (4.5mm x 4.5mm) BGA package that offers up to 59% less area than the 100-pin LGA; The 64-pin (10mm x 10mm) LQFP has 49% less area than the 100-pin LQFP. This family of MCUS addresses advanced security requirements for endpoint devices such as compact sensors and communication modules used in industrial, network control, building automation and smart metering systems to operate at the edge of the Internet of Things.

Daryl Khoo, vice President of Marketing, iot Platform Business Unit, Renesas Electronics, said: "The explosive growth of iot and Industry 4.0 has led to the demand for higher performance, smaller size iot connectivity modules that also support the various security requirements required for iot connectivity, such as confidentiality, data integrity and availability. The RX651 in an ultra-compact package fulfills these needs and is ideal for compact networking applications with low cost and high performance. The 64-pin RX651MCU family provides customers with miniaturized, high-performance and secure features to protect their connected iot devices, such as industrial and manufacturing systems, from cyber attacks."

The RX651 family of MCUS integrates connectivity, Trusted Secure IP (TSIP) encryption, and trusted flash area protection to enable flash firmware on-site updates over secure network communication. In addition, the increase in endpoint devices running at the edge has also increased the need for over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. The new RX651 integrates TSIP, enhanced flash protection, and other advanced technologies to support this firmware update requirement and is more secure and stable than other solutions on the market.

Key features of the RX651 64-pin MCU

● Enable advanced iot edge devices: An ultra-small 64-pin MCU with enhanced security based on a high-performance RXv2 core and 40nm process, achieving 520 Coremark superior performance at 120 MHz and 35 CoreMark/mA high power efficiency as measured by EEMBC® benchmarks.

● Easy on-site firmware updates: Integrated dual bank flash memory, combined with TSIP that protects encryption keys for a high trust root level. Encryption hardware accelerators include AES, 3DES, RSA, SHA and TRNG and code flash area protection to protect boot code from illegal tampering. Dual bank flash supports BGO (background operation) and SWAP for easier and more reliable on-site firmware updates.

● Network connectivity: The RX651 series MCUS are optimized for the connected industrial environment to monitor the operating status of machines inside and outside the plant, exchange data, change production instructions, and reprogram MCU memory to update device Settings.