Renesas Sets New Standard with 22-nm MCU Featuring Bluetooth 5.3 LE

Renesas Electronics, a leading semiconductor provider has announced the production of its first-ever microcontroller based on advanced 22-nm process technology. By moving to 22nm, Renesas hopes to improve performance and power consumption in its RA family. Renesas recently announced that it will begin sampling its RA 32-bit Cortex-M family MCUs at 22nm for the first time. 

This groundbreaking development enables Renesas to deliver superior performance with reduced power consumption by leveraging state-of-the-art process technology and reduced core voltages. The advanced process node also allows for the integration of a rich feature set, including RF functions, resulting in smaller chips that offer enhanced peripheral and memory integration.

The newly developed 22-nm MCU is an extension of Renesas’ highly popular RA family of 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M microcontrollers. This wireless MCU incorporates Bluetooth® 5.3 Low Energy (LE) and features a software-defined radio (SDR) integration. It provides a future-proof solution for customers seeking long-lasting products, allowing for easy upgrades with new application software or Bluetooth capabilities to ensure compliance with the latest specification versions

Roger Wendelken, Senior Vice President in Renesas’ IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit, emphasised the company’s commitment to providing the market with top-notch performance, ease-of-use, and the latest features. Wendelken expressed his satisfaction with the first-ever 22-nm product development in the RA MCU family, stating that it sets the stage for next-generation devices that will empower customers to future-proof their designs while ensuring long-term availability.

Features of Renesas New Microcontroller

• Renesas Electronics Corporation introduces its first microcontroller (MCU) based on advanced 22-nm process technology.
• Superior performance with reduced power consumption due to state-of-the-art process technology and reduced core voltages.
• Integration of a rich feature set including RF functions.
• Smaller chip size with higher integration of peripherals and memory.
• Xtension of the popular RA family of 32-bit Arm Cortex-M microcontrollers.
• Wireless MCU with Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy (LE) and software-defined radio (SDR) integration.
• Future-proof solution allowing for easy upgrades with new application software or Bluetooth capabilities.
• Support for previous Bluetooth LE specification releases, including features like Angle of Arrival (AoA) / Angle of Departure (AoD) and low-power stereo audio transmission.
• Ability to create optimised designs with Winning Combinations, combining the 22-nm MCUs with compatible devices from Renesas’ portfolio.
• Sampling available to select customers, with full market launch expected in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The new MCU is currently being sampled to select customers, with a full market launch expected in the fourth quarter of 2023. Customers interested in sampling the groundbreaking device can reach out to their local Renesas sales office. Additional information about the Bluetooth 5.3 LE Specification is available in a detailed blog post on Renesas’ official website.