In the industrial equipment market, performance and functionality improvements lead to larger program code sizes. As a result, storage capacity and read speed play key roles in determining real-time performance. The new RX72N and RX66N devices offer up to 4 megabytes (MB) of on-chip flash memory that perform read operations at a frequency of 120 MHz, among the fastest in the industry, as well as 1 MB of on-chip SRAM.

This ample on-chip memory eliminates the need for external memory, which has slower read speeds, and makes it possible to extract the full performance capacity of the CPU. In addition, larger memory capacity enables high-resolution graphics support, such as WVGA, on a single chip, which was not possible on earlier general-purpose MCUs.

With this combination, the MCUs can implement single-chip equipment control and networking function, enhancing the real-time performance of applications such as industrial robots, general-purpose inverters, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and remote I/O devices. They also make it possible to improve the exterior design and operability of a wide range of industrial automation equipment.

“The new products extend our portfolio of MCU products that combine equipment control and networking function on a single chip, joining the already available RX72M with EtherCAT® support, and the mainstream RX65N and RX651 models,” said Sakae Ito, Vice President of IoT Platform Business Division at Renesas.

“The RX Family provides a high level of hardware and software inter-compatibility, making it easy for customers to build a development platform that scales from low-end to high-end products. This year marks the ten year anniversary of RX. We are planning a range of activities to appreciate our loyal RX customers and dedicated partners, which includes the launch of new products such as RX72N and RX66N. We are committed to continue to strengthen RX lineups for many more years to come.”

Renesas also introduced the RX72N Envision Kit to further reduce common barriers to development. The evaluation board makes it easy to experiment with an array of functions.