OREANDA-NEWS. Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the RL78/F15 Group of low-power 16-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) for vehicle control systems such as body control modules (BCMs), air conditioners, and power seats, where functionality is advancing rapidly. Part of the RL78 Family of MCUs, the RL78/F15 Group is a high-functionality group that combines industry-leading low-power consumption with high processing performance and CAN communication that can be used independently for control and diagnostics. They are also fully compatible with the RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 Groups.

The RL78/F15 product lineup includes a newly added 144-pin package; packages with pin counts of 48-pins and above come with up to 512 kilobytes (KB) of on-chip flash memory. When combined with the current RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 Groups, the resulting lineup includes a total of 127 product versions with pin counts ranging from 20- to 144-pins, enabling system manufacturers to select an MCU that is optimal for their system requirements. The RL78/F15 Group is software compatible with the RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 Groups, thereby system manufactures can select these products with future functional extension in mind. The added specifications simplify dealing with cases where memory capacity or pin count eventually becomes inadequate.

Notable advances in automotive multi-functionality and performance in recent years have been accompanied by the increasing utilization of electronics in vehicles. Today's vehicles are equipped with numerous electronic control units (ECUs) associated with all sorts of functions, such as power windows, airbags, lamps, doors, and seats. As a result, the burden of developing software for these ECUs is increasing, and the ability to use common software for multiple ECUs is growing in importance as a way to improve development efficiency.

The 36 product versions of the new RL78/F15 Group extend the RL78 Family 16-bit MCUs for vehicle control, making it among the most extensive lineup in the industry. By adopting the RL78 Family of MCUs in multiple ECUs, system manufactures can utilize common software resources and thereby boost development efficiency.

Key features of the new RL78/F15 Group:

  • (1) Expanded lineup that offers system manufacturers 127 product versions of 16-bit MCUs for vehicle control systems to choose from

    The RL78/F15 Group includes package pin counts up to 144-pins and extends the maximum memory capacity to 512 KB. When combined with the existing RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 Groups, Renesas' lineup of 16-bit MCUs for vehicle control systems is among the most extensive in the industry, with pin counts from 20- to 144-pins, enabling system manufacturers to choose an MCU that precisely matches the requirements of each vehicle control system.

  • (2) Complete compatibility with the RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 simplifies software porting, contributing to reduced development and certification time

    The RL78/F15 Group contains the same CPU core as the RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 Groups. This provides full compatibility and simplifies software portability. Therefore, when upgrades to the ECU or the sudden software additions or changes due to system development result in insufficient ROM or RAM capacity, or pin count, the possibilities for accommodating such changes are expanded. Additionally, the RL78/F15 Group employs fabrication process technology with which Renesas already has an established mass production track record, which makes it possible to shorten the certification procedures.

  • (3) Improved communication functionality, including two CAN channels; ideal for vehicle control systems such as BCMs

    Two CAN channels are provided, allowing CAN communication to be used independently for control and diagnostics. In addition, there are up to three hardware LIN channels, which is ideal for applications requiring centralized control of communication, such as body control modules (BCMs). Finally, support for IEBus (Inter Equipment Bus) makes it possible to accommodate car audio applications in the vehicle information field.

The development environment for the RL78/F15 consists of Renesas' CS+ integrated development environment, the IAR EWRL78 Embedded Workbench®, the Renesas E1 on-chip debugging emulator as well as Renesas' IECUBE full-functional in-circuit emulator.

Pricing and Availability

Samples of the RL78/F15 Group are now available in 36 product versions. Pricing varies depending on the package. For example, the RL78/F15 with 48-pin package and 512 KB of on-chip flash memory is priced at US$7.00 per unit. Mass production of the RL78/F15 Group is scheduled to begin in July 2016 and is expected to reach a volume of 1,000,000 units per month for all product versions combined in July 2017. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)

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About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world's number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad range of analog and power devices. Business operations began as Renesas Electronics in April 2010 through the integration of NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) and Renesas Technology Corp., with operations spanning research, development, design and manufacturing for a wide range of applications. Headquartered in Japan, Renesas Electronics has subsidiaries in approximately 20 countries worldwide. 

(Remarks) the IAR EWRL78 Embedded Workbench® is a registered trademarks of IAR Systems. All registered trademarks or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The content in the press release, including, but not limited to, product prices and specifications, is based on the information as of the date indicated on the document, but may be subject to change without prior notice.