Press release

Renesas Electronics Launches RX23E-A Group, First RX Microcontrollers Built-In Industry-Leading Analog Front End for High-Precision Sensing and Measurement Equipment

businesswire,
0
Sponsored by Businesswire

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of
advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced the RX23E-A Group
32-bit RX microcontrollers (MCUs), combining high-precision analog front
end (AFE) and an MCU on a single chip. Designed for manufacturing and
test and measurement equipment applications that require high-precision
measurements of analog signals for temperature, pressure, weight, and
flow, the RX23E-A MCUs are the first Renesas solutions to enable such
signals to be measured with better than 0.1% precision without
calibration.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190528005204/en/

Renesas RX23E-A MCU built-in analog front end for high-precision sensing and measurement equipment ( ...

Renesas RX23E-A MCU built-in analog front end for high-precision sensing and measurement equipment (Graphic: Business Wire)

The new MCUs achieve AFE precision at the highest class in the industry
(offset drift: 10 nV/°C, gain drift: 1 ppm/°C, and RMS noise: 30 nV
rms), a level that could previously only be achieved by combining
dedicated A/D converter circuits with high-precision operational
amplifier ICs. By integrating this high-precision AFE IP (intellectual
property) on a single chip using the same fabrication process
technology, Renesas has made it possible to implement high-precision
sensor measurement, computation, control, and communications on a single
chip. This allows system manufactures to reduce the number of required
components, save space, and simplify system design in a wide range of
equipment requiring high-precision measurement, such as sensing,
temperature controllers, recording, weighing, and force sensing. It also
accelerates endpoint intelligence by enabling distributed processing
with MCUs.

“The RX23E-A MCUs will radically evolve the structure of high-precision
analog measurement systems,” said Akira Denda, Vice President,
Industrial Automation Business Division, Renesas Electronics
Corporation. “Moving forward, Renesas is aiming to deliver an extensive
product line, starting with the RX23E-A Group, that integrates MCUs and
high-precision analog on a single chip for programmable logic
controllers, distributed control system applications, and test and
measurement equipment that require a variety of higher precision
measurements.”

With big data-driven quality and productivity improvements, the pressure
is on for factories and manufacturing sites to measure a wide variety of
sensor data accurately and reliably. Since users require stability when
measuring small signals at high precision over a wide environmental
temperature range, it is important to reduce noise characteristics and
temperature drift characteristics to low levels. To address these needs,
Renesas has developed a high-precision AFE and integrated it into an RX
MCU with an extensive track record with industrial applications.

The RX23E-A MCUs are based on the RXv2 core, which features operating
speeds of 32 MHz, a digital signal processor (DSP), and superlative
floating point unit (FPU) calculations. This allows the implementation
of adaptive control using temperature data and inverse matrix
calculations using 6-axis distortion data. For example, robot arm force
sensors require the measurement and calculation of the 6-axis distortion
in a small space. The RX23E-A MCUs make it possible to measure the
6-axis distortion data and perform the inverse matrix calculations with
a single chip.

Key features of the RX23E-A MCUs

  • AFE block

    • 24-bit delta-sigma A/D converter: Up to 23 bits of effective
      resolution. Data output rate flexible at 7.6 PS to 15.6 kPS.
    • Two 24-bit delta-sigma A/D converters that can start
      synchronously, allowing sensor temperature correction to be
      performed without switching channels.
    • PGA (programmable gain amplifier): Rail-to-rail input PGA allows
      amplification up to 128×. Offset drift: 10 nV/°C, gain drift: 1
      ppm/°C, and RMS noise: 30 nV rms.
    • Voltage reference: Low temperature drift characteristics of 4
      ppm/°C with superlative temperature stabilization.
    • Excitation current source: Programmable current source with
      required matching required for 3-wire resistance temperature
      detector.
    • Analog inputs: differential inputs: up to 6 channels,
      pseudo-differential inputs: up to 11 channels, single-ended
      inputs: up to 11 channels. All can be used as inputs to the two
      A/D converters.
  • MCU block

    • CPU: 32-bit RXv2 core operating at 32 MHz
    • Digital signal processing can be implemented with DPS instructions
      and FPU.
    • ROM/RAM: ROM: 128 to 256 KB, RAM: 16 to 32 KB.
    • Communication interfaces: SPI (1 channel), UART (4 channels), I2C
      (1 channel), CAN (1 channel).
    • Functional safety: software load reduced by Self-diagnostic and
      disconnection-detection assistance functions for the A/D
      converter, clock frequency accuracy measurement circuit,
      independent watchdog timer, RAM test assistance functions using
      the DOC and other circuits.
  • Supply voltage: 5V. Independent power supplies can be used for the AFE
    block and microcontroller. Voltages of 1.8 to 5.5 V can be supported.
  • Operating temperature: -40°C to +85°C, -40°C to +105°C
  • Package: 48-pin QFP with 7 mm square. 40-pin QFP with 6 mm square.

Availability

Samples of the RX23E-A Group of MCUs are available now with mass
production planned for December 2019. (Availability are subject to
change without notice.)

More Information

To learn more about the new Renesas RX23E-A MCUs, visit https://www.renesas.com/products/microcontrollers-microprocessors/rx/rx200/rx23e-a.html

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:
6723) delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete
semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent
devices to enhance the way people work and live. A global
leader in microcontrollers, analog, power, and SoC products, Renesas
provides comprehensive solutions for a broad range of automotive,
industrial, home electronics, office automation, and information
communication technology applications that help shape a limitless
future. Learn more at renesas.com.

(Remarks) All registered trademarks or trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.