After introducing the 1 GHz RA8T2 MCU earlier this month, Renesas has recently expanded its RA8 lineup with the RA8D2 and RA8M2 groups of MCUs, where the RA8D2 is designed for graphics, HMI, and AI applications with support for display, camera, and audio interfaces, while the RA8M2 targets general-purpose, high-performance IoT and industrial control systems with networking and compute capabilities.
Both MCU groups deliver a performance of up to 7,300 Coremarks, offer up to 1MB of MRAM and 2MB of SRAM, and support SiP options with up to 8MB flash. The RA8D2 adds HMI capabilities, including a 1280×800 graphics LCD controller, a 2D drawing engine, MIPI DSI and CSI-2 interfaces, and audio input support for voice and vision AI. Common features include dual Gigabit Ethernet with TSN, USB 2.0, CAN FD, I3C, and various analog peripherals. Integrated RSIP-E50D security, Helium acceleration for DSP/ML with various software support.
Renesas RA8D2 and RA8M2 specifications:
- CPU cores and features
- Arm Cortex-M85 clocked at 1 GHz with Helium MVE (M-Profile Vector Extension) with 32KB I/D caches; 7,300+ CoreMarks
- Arm Cortex-M33 clocked at 250 MHz with 32KB I/D caches
- Armv8-M Security and DSP Extensions, TrustZone support
- FPU (single and double precision)
- CoreSight ETM trace support(ETM-M85/M33)
- GPU (RA8D2 only) – 2D Drawing Engine (DRW) with anti-aliasing, alpha blending, and texture operations for GUI rendering
- Memory
- Up to 2 MB SRAM with ECC including
- 256 KB TCM for the Cortex-M85 core
- 128 KB TCM for the Cortex-M33 core
- Remaining ~1.6 MB as general-purpose SRAM
- Up to 2 MB SRAM with ECC including
- Storage
- 1 MB code MRAM (non-volatile memory for code)
- Up to 8 MB serial Flash (SiP variant) via OSPI
- Secure bootloader in OTP (RA8M2)
- 96-byte OTP memory for user data and secure configuration
- 2x SD/MMC Host Interface, supporting SDHC, SDXC, and eMMC 4.51
- Display (RA8D2 only)
- Graphics LCD Controller (GLCDC) with RGB888 output and 3-layer overlay (background + 2 graphic planes)
- MIPI DSI interface supporting DSI-2 display output (up to 2 data lanes + 1 clock lane)
- Video output support for WXGA resolution digital panels
- ARGB8888 internal color format with conversion support for 8-/16-/32-bit pixel data
- Camera (RA8D2 only)
- Capture Engine Unit (CEU) for external image data capture and transfer to memory
- MIPI CSI-2 interface for connecting image sensors or camera modules
- Video Input Module (VIN) for image processing and buffering (with FIFO)
- Supports real-time image acquisition for vision or AI-enabled HMI applications
- Audio
- 2x Serial Sound Interface Enhanced (SSIE) support I²S, monaural, and TDM audio formats
- Supports DMA-driven audio data transfer for reduced CPU load
- Pulse Density Modulation Interface (PDMIF) for up to 3 external digital microphones
- Optional 2x 12-bit DAC for analog audio output
- Compatible with voice capture, audio playback, and speech recognition front-end processing (RA8D2 optimized)
- Communication peripherals
- Up to 10x Serial (SCI/UART), up to 60 Mbps
- 3x I²C, 1x I3C
- 2x SPI (up to 166 Mbps)
- 2x CAN FD (ISO 11898-1 compliant)
- USB 2.0 FS and HS (host/device/OTG)
- Layer 3 Ethernet Switch Module (ESWM) with dual Gigabit MACs and RGMII/GMII/MII sup
- Analog
- 2x 16-bit ADC (ADC16H), up to 23 channels
- 2x 12-bit DAC
- 4-channel high-speed analog comparators
- Temperature sensor
- Timers
- 14x 32-bit General PWM Timers (GPT32) (4 high-resolution @ 52 ps)
- 4x PWM Delay Generator (PDG)
- 2x Low-Power Asynchronous Timer (AGT)
- 2x Ultra-Low-Power Timer (ULPT)
- Real-Time Clock (RTC) with calendar
- Dual Watchdog Timers + Independent WDT
- System
- Low power modes
- Battery backup function (VBATT)
- 16-ch DMAC + 2 DTC controllers
- Event Link Controller (ELC)
- Power-on reset
- Capture Engine Unit (CEU) and Video Input Module (VIN)
- Programmable Voltage Detection (PVD)
- Low-power modes and battery backup (RTC/VBATT)
- Main clock (8–48 MHz), Sub clock (32.768 kHz), HOCO/MOCO/LOCO, PLL1/PLL2
- Clock Accuracy Circuit (CAC) and output clock support
- Security
- Renesas Security IP (RSIP-E50D):
- AES, ChaCha20-Poly1305, RSA, ECC, HASH/HMAC
- 128-bit TRNG, 256-bit Hardware Unique Key (HUK)
- Decryption-on-the-Fly (DOTF)
- Secure boot, tamper pins, zeroization
- Arm TrustZone, secure debug, three tamper-resistant pins, secure pin muxing, and life-cycle management
- Renesas Security IP (RSIP-E50D):
- Supply Voltage
- MCU (without flash) – 1.62 – 3.63 V
- SiP – 1.70 – 2.00 V (VCC2 on SiP)
- Packages
- 303-pin BGA (15×15 mm, 0.8 mm pitch, SiP)
- 289-pin BGA (12×12 mm, 0.65 mm pitch)
- 224-pin BGA (11×11 mm, 0.65 mm pitch)
- 176-pin HLQFP (24×24 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) (RA8M2 only)
- Temperature Range
- 0 °C to +95 °C (Consumer)
- –40 °C to +105 °C (Industrial)
- –40 °C to +125 °C (Extended Industrial, RA8M2)
- Manufacturing process – TSMC 22nm ultra-low leakage (ULL) process node
From the specification and block diagram, it’s clear that the RA8D2 MCU adds graphics (GLCDC + DRW), camera (MIPI CSI-2 + VIN), and audio enhancements for HMI, display, and vision-based AI, while the RA8M2 MCU is designed for headless industrial control, networking, compute, and high-temperature operation with the same CPU performance.
Renesas provides the EK-RA8D2 evaluation kit for the RA8D2 MCU, which includes 1 MB MRAM, 2 MB SRAM, 64 MB external flash, and 64 MB SDRAM. The board supports a 7-inch 1024×600 LCD with capacitive touch and a 5 MP Arducam camera module, for running display and vision AI demos. It also includes Ethernet (RGMII), USB High-Speed, CAN-FD, audio codec, and MEMS microphones, and multiple expansion connectors (Arduino Uno, mikroBUS, Qwiic, Grove, Pmod) for quick prototyping. There’s also an on-board SEGGER J-Link debugging, user LEDs/buttons, and easy power measurement points, making it ideal for development and testing. applications.
Additionally, the company also designed the EK-RA8M2 evaluation board for the RA8M2 dual-core MCU group. Onboard peripherals include Gigabit Ethernet (RGMII), USB High-Speed and Full-Speed, CAN-FD, RS485/MODBUS, and multiple power input options, including current-measurement points for profileing power. Other features like the J-Link debugger and expansion options stay the same.
Like other Renesas MCUs, these RA8D2 and RA8M2 MCUs and evaluation boards are also supported by the Flexible Software Package (FSP) and the e² studio IDE, which comes with built-in drivers, middleware, and example projects. It also supports SEGGER J-Link debugging, Renesas Flash Programmer, and ready-to-use sample codes for peripherals like display, camera, and audio. Renesas also offers the RA8D2 and RA8M2 as part of its “winning solution” with pre-verified systems, including Smart Glasses and a Pet Camera Robot for the RA8M2, and Ki Wireless Power Transmitter and Receiver Systems for the RA8D2, with over 400 tested combinations.
In our last post, about the RA8T2 MCU (linked above), we discussed how the RA series of Cortex-M85 MCUs has evolved over the past few years, bringing the total number of RA8 MCU groups to seven. With the latest introduction of the RA8D2 and RA8M2 MCUs, the total has now increased to nine as of October 2025.
From the ordering page, I can see that the RA8D2 group includes the R7KA8D2KFLCAB#UC0 and R7KA8D2KFLCAC#UC0 MCUs available on Digikey for $24.46 and $26.55 for single-unit orders, with volume discounts reducing the unit price to around $16–$18 for higher quantities. For the RA8M2 group, the R7KA8M2JFLCAB#UC0 is priced at $22.49 for single-unit orders, while the R7KA8M2JFLCAC#UC0 is sold for $24.59 with volume discounts reducing the unit price to around $14–$16 for higher quantities. More information is available on the RA8 series page, and some additional information can be found on the press release.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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.
