MCUs based on Arm Cortex-M33 core offer advanced security features for industrial and IoT applications

Renesas

RA4M2 Group microcontrollers from Renesas extend the security features of the Arm® Cortex®-M33 core, including TrustZone® secure partitioning, adding a cryptography engine, key management, tamper detection and more.

 

Renesas has introduced 12 new products in the Renesas RA Family of microcontrollers, offering a combination of very low power consumption, high performance, and enhanced security capabilities. The new RA4M2 MCUs’ features make them ideal solutions for industrial systems and IoT edge devices.

 

The highly power-efficient RA4M2 Group MCUs draw an operating current of only 80 µA/MHz in active mode, and a low standby current of 0.7 mA. Low-power operation does not prevent these new devices from providing a fast response: wake-up time from standby is just 30 µs, and maximum operating frequency is 100 MHz.

 

The RA4M2 MCUs take advantage of the specialized security capabilities of the Arm Cortex-M33 core, including the TrustZone technology for secure partitioning of operations involving trusted hardware peripherals. This technology is augmented in the RA4M2 MCUs by the Renesas Secure Crypto Engine, which incorporates multiple symmetric and asymmetric cryptography accelerators, advanced key management, security lifecycle management, resistance to power analysis, and tamper detection.

 

This rich suite of advanced security features enables developers to realize the functionality of a secure element, providing an integrated solution for the requirements of IoT edge devices.

 

The RA4M2 Group is supported by the easy-to-use Flexible Software Package (FSP), which includes a best-in-class driver for hardware abstraction layers. The FSP uses a GUI to simplify and accelerate the development process, while also making it easy for developers to make the transition from an 8- or 16-bit MCU design.

Features

  • Scalable package options:
    • LQFP packages, 48 to 100 pins
    • 48-pin QFN
  • Up to 512 kbytes of Flash memory
  • 128 kbytes of SRAM
  • Capacitive touch-sensing unit
  • USB 2.0 Full Speed interface
  • 12-bit ADC
  • Two 12-bit DACs
  • Serial communications interface

Applications

  • IoT edge devices
  • Fire detection systems
  • Intruder detection systems
  • Alarm panel controls
  • Metering
  • Robotics
  • Door openers
  • Sewing machines
  • Vending machines
  • Uninterruptible power supplies
  • Heating, air conditioning and boiler controls

Evaluation Kit

Part Number: R7FA4M2AD3CFP

The EK-RA4M2 evaluation kit enables users to evaluate the features of the RA4M2 Group microcontrollers, and to develop embedded applications using the Renesas Flexible Software Package (FSP) and e2 studio integrated development environment.


A rich set of on-board features can be combined with a choice of popular add-ons from the microcontroller ecosystem to realize new application ideas. The EK-RA4M2 board comes pre-programmed with a Quick Start example project, with source code provided in the EK-RA4M2 example project bundle.

The kit’s contents are the EK-RA4M2 board, and a microUSB device cable, Type-A male to Micro-B male.

The board features a USB Full-Speed host and device interface. The 5 V input source is either from USB or an external power supply.


User interface options include:

  • Three user LEDs in red, blue and green
  • White power LED indicating availability of regulated power
  • Yellow debug LED indicating the debug connection
  • Two user buttons
  • One reset button

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Renesas — RA4M2 Series Microcontrollers

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