Renesas RA2L2 – The first low-power MCU with USB-C Revision 2.4 support

Renesas RA2L2 is the world’s first low-power MCU to support the USB-C Revision 2.4 standard with 15W CC detection, USB FS support. It also offers support for CAN Bus, I3C, and low-power UART. The announcement follows other devices from the Renesas RA series, such as the RA2A2 Arm Cortex-M23 MCU introduced in 2024, and the RA4L1 ultra-low-power MCU unveiled earlier this year with just 168 µA/MHz operation, dual-bank flash, and capacitive touch.

The RA2L2 Cortex-M23 microcontroller also embeds up to 128KB of code flash, 16KB SRAM, and 4KB data flash for EEPROM-like storage. It supports a wide 1.6V to 5.5V supply voltage and an industrial-grade -40°C to +125°C temperature range. The MCU also integrates a ±1% high-accuracy on-chip oscillator, multiple timers including 16-bit and 32-bit PWM and low-power asynchronous timers, a 12-bit ADC, a real-time clock, and an internal temperature sensor. It’s available in 32- to 64-pin packages and offers pin and peripheral compatibility with RA2L1, RA2E1, and RA2A1 families, amd mainly targets battery-powered and compact embedded designs.

Renesas RA2L2 USB-C MCU

Renesas RA2L2 specifications:

• CPU – Arm Cortex-M23 core @ up to 48 MHz with Armv8-M architecture and Memory Protection Unit (MPU)
• Memory – 16 KB SRAM with parity
• Storage
  • 128KB code flash
  • 4 KB data flash (100,000 P/E cycles)
• USB
  • 1x USB 2.0 Full-Speed device controller (USB FS)
  • 1x USB Type-C interface with 15W CC detection (Rev 2.4 Sink/UFP)
• Other Peripherals
  • Up to 54x 5V-tolerant GPIOs with pull-up, open-drain support
  • 4x Serial Communication Interfaces (SCI) – UART, Simple SPI, Simple I2C, Smart Card Interface
  • 2x UARTA (full-duplex async)
  • 1x SPI
  • 1x I3C
  • 1x CAN 2.0A/B
  • Timers
    • 1x 32-bit General PWM Timer (GPT32)
    • 6x 16-bit General PWM Timers (GPT16)
    • 2x 32-bit Low Power Asynchronous General Purpose Timers (AGTW)
  • Analog – 12-bit ADC with up to 17 channels
  • Audio – 1x Serial Sound Interface Enhanced (SSIE) – I2S/TDM/Monaural audio with 32-stage FIFO
• Debug – Arm CoreSight debug interface with
  • Serial Wire Debug Port (SW-DP)
  • Debug Watchpoint and Trace (DWT)
  • Flash Patch and Breakpoint (FPB)
  • CoreSight Micro Trace Buffer (MTB-M23) for instruction trace
• Security & Safety
  • True Random Number Generator (TRNG)
  • Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)
  • Data Operation Circuit (DOC)
  • SRAM parity check, illegal access detection, clock accuracy monitor, and voltage detection
•  Misc
  • Real-Time Clock (RTC) with calendar and binary modes
  • Watchdog Timer (WDT) and Independent WDT (IWDT)
  • On-chip temperature sensor
  • Event Link Controller (ELC)
  • Data Transfer Controller (DTC)
  • Key Interrupt Function (KINT)
  • Power-on Reset, Low Voltage Detection (LVD)
  • on-chip oscillators, clock trim, and output support
• Supply Voltage – 1.6V to 5.5V
• Package
  • 64-pin LQFP (10×10 mm, 0.5 mm pitch)
  • 48-pin LQFP (7×7 mm, 0.5 mm pitch)
  • 48-pin HWQFN (7×7 mm, 0.5 mm pitch)
  • 32-pin LQFP (7×7 mm, 0.8 mm pitch)
  • 32-pin HWQFN (5×5 mm, 0.5 mm pitch)
• Operating Temperature – -40°C to +105°C / +125°C (depending on part number)

The company provides various software tools, sample code, and ECAD models for the Renesas RA2L2 low-power MCUs. Developers can get started with the EK-RA2L2 Example Project Bundle, which includes ready-to-use sample code. These MCUs are also supported by the Renesas Flexible Software Package (FSP), which includes a full set of drivers, middleware, board support packages (BSP), and support for multiple RTOS options. There is also support for RA Smart Configurator and the Eclipse-based e² studio IDE, simplifying the setup and coding process. You also have support for emulators, debuggers, and GUI libraries like SEGGER’s emWin. For hardware design, schematic symbols, PCB footprints, and 3D models, you have SamacSys to speed up the design and layout process.

Renesas RA2L2 evaluation kits

Renesas has also launched the EK-RA2L2 Evaluation Kit for the RA2L2 MCU Group to help developers quickly test USB-C, CAN, and low-power applications. The board features a 48MHz RA2L2 (R7FA2L2094CFM) MCU with 128KB flash and 16KB RAM, and comes with an on-board SEGGER J-Link debugger, USB Type-C sik screw terminal, VBUS monitor, and CAN transceiver.

For expansion, it supports Arduino Uno, Pmod, Qwiic, and optional mikroBUS and Grove interfaces, along with through-hole headers for native pin access. The kit also includes MCU current measurement points, multiple debug modes, and comes bundled with USB cables. You can find a quick start guide, user manual, and other documents on its products page.

Renesas also launched RTK7A2L2UCD00000BJ, a USB Type-C reference design board for the RA2L2 MCU, designed for compact, battery-powered applications like TWS charging cases, USB data loggers, and PC peripherals. The board features a 64-pin RA2L2 (R7FA2L2093CFM) MCU with 128KB Flash, 16KB RAM, and 4KB Data Flash, with a small color LCD, USB-C detection, USB 2.0 Full-Speed communication, and low-power operation.

The board supports two power sources (1-cell Li-ion battery and USB bus power), along with a DA9168 charger IC. Renesas provides PCB files and sample code for developers, but the board itself is not available for purchase.

Availability and price

There are a total of 60 MCUs in this lineup and can be purchased from Digikey, Avnet, and other distributors. R7FA2L2094CFM#BA0 – The most powerful and feature-rich MCU in the lineup costs $1.72 on DigiKey for a 1,280-piece order. The EK-RA2L2 Evaluation Kit is also available for purchase for $41.82 on DigiKey. More information about the product can be found on the product page and the press release.

Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.