Microcontroller giant Renesas has just released it's latest MCU series with integrated I3C peripherals. The new devices are additions to the popular RA series Cortext-M MCU portfolio Entry Line: RA4E2 and RA6E2. As you will find out in just a moment, the features of these MCUs would make use in smart home devices, wearable technology, and even voice-activated features in an automotive environment. Both device groups are 32-bit, run on the Arm Cortex-M33 core with Arm TrustZone SoC technology, and come in small packages for space savings.
The RA4E2 runs at 100MHz while the RA6E2 runs at 200 MHz. Renesas says that both are optimized to provide best-in-class power efficiency without compromising performance. Depending on selection, the device offerings also include on-chip CAN FD, USB 2.0 Full-Speed, QSPI, SSI and I3C interfaces.
These new MCUs are a significant advancement from their previous MCU with I3C support: The RA2E2.
In contrast with the RA2E2, these new devices are not limited to 4.6MHz max I3C Clock Frequencies and thankfully can achieve the max 12.5MHz clock frequency as defined in the MIPI I3C Specification. The I3C peripheral support is limited to SDR mode, but can operate as an I3C Controller or I3C Target.
Both devices run on the existing Renesas Flexible Software Package (FSP) which includes a GUI for easy access and easy backwards compatibility with legacy code. Best of all, RA4E2 and RA6E2 MCUs are available today. If you’re excited to get started, then hop on over to Renesas and grab either the EK-RA4E2 or the EK-RA6E2 evaluation kits.
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