Renesas RA8T1 Cortex-M85 MCU targets motor control applications

It took a while before Renesas released its first Arm Cortex-M85 microcontroller (RA8M1) in October 2023, but the company has now launched the RA8T1 Cortex-M85 MCU for motor control just a few weeks after announcing the RA8D1 for HMI applications.

The RA8T1 group is the third Cortex-M85 microcontroller family from Renesas with a feature set optimized for motor control and leveraging machine learning through Arm Helium technology and a DSP for predictive maintenance requirements for motors.

Renesas RA8T1 key features and specifications:

• MCU core – Arm Cortex-M85 clocked at 480 MHz with Helium MVE (M-Profile Vector Extension) with 32KB I/D caches, 12KB data flash
• Memory & Storage
  • 1MB SRAM including 128KB TCM
  • 1MB to 2MB Flash memory
  • 2x SD/MMC host interfaces (SDHI)
• Communication interfaces
  • Ethernet MAC with DMA
  • USB – 1x USB 2.0 Full Speed interface
  • 2x CAN-FD
  • Up to 6x SCI (UART, Simple SPI, Simple I2C)
  • 2x SPI up to 60 Mbps, 2x I2C, 1x I3C
• Analog
  • 2x 12-bit ADC, 2x 12-bit DAC
  • 2x high-speed analog comparator
  • Temperature sensor
• System
  • Low power modes
  • Battery backup function (VBATT)
  • Event Link Controller (ELC)
  • Data Transfer Controller (DTC)
  • 8-channel DMA Controller (DMAC)
  • Power-on reset
  • Programmable Voltage Detection (PVD) with voltage settings
• Timers
  • 8x 32-bit PWM timers, 6x 16-bit PWM timers
  • 2x low-power asynchronous general-purpose timers
  • 1x Ultra-low-power timers
• Security
  • ARMv8-M TrustZone Security
  • Renesas Secure IP (RSIP-E51A) with AES, RSA, ECC, HASH, 128-unique ID
  • Privileged control
  • Device lifecycle management
  • Secure boot
  • Secure factory programming
  • Tamper protection
• Packages – 100-pin (LQFP100 14x14mm ), 144-pin (LQFP144 20x20mm ), 176-pin (LQFP176 24x24mm) and 224-pin (BGA224 13x13mm) packages

Renesas also provides the MCB-RA8T1 CPU board equipped with the R7FA8T1AHECBD microcontroller (224-pin package) and the MCK-RA8T1 development kit comprised of the CPU board, an inverter board (MCI-LV-1), a communication board (MC-COM), permanent magnet synchronous motors, and accessories such as cables and standoffs.

The RA8T1 group MCUs are supported by Renesas Flexible Software Package (FSP) with support for multiple RTOS, a BSP, peripheral drivers, middleware, connectivity, networking, and security stacks. Reference software to build AI, motor control, and cloud solutions are also provided including a “winning solution” that implements a 20KW 3-phase PFC (Full Power Converter) Inverter with an RA6M3 MCU that works as a middle communication controller and an RA8T1 MCU acting as a digital controller for high-power PFC inverters with up to 20KW capacities.

The RA8T1 Group MCUs and the development kit are said to be available now. While I could not find pricing for the microcontrollers at the time of writing, the MCK-RA8T1 development kit is sold for $604.49. Additional information, including documentation and links to software development tools, can be found on the product page, and a few more details may also be available in the press release.

Thanks to TLS for the tip.

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