Renesas introduced the RA0 MCU series in 2024. With the addition of capacitive touch functionality, the RA0L1 devices offer designers the ability to create responsive, attractive, and low-power user interfaces at a very low cost.
The RA0L1 MCUs offer a current consumption of only 2.9 mA in active mode and 0.92 mA in sleep mode. Furthermore, an integrated high-speed on-chip oscillator (HOCO) enables the fastest wake-up time for this class of microcontrollers. This rapid wake-up allows the RA0L1 MCUs to remain in software standby mode most of the time, where power consumption drops to a minuscule 0.25 µA. With this feature, current consumption can be reduced by up to 90% compared to other solutions.
The RA0L1 devices have a feature set optimized for cost-sensitive applications. They offer a wide operating voltage range of 1.6 V to 5.5 V, so customers don't need a level shifter/regulator in 5 V systems.
A wide range of package options is also available, including a small 4 mm x 4 mm 24-pin QFN.
Furthermore, the new MCU's high-precision HOCO (±1.0%) improves baud rate accuracy and allows designers to forgo a separate oscillator. Unlike other HOCOs in the industry, it maintains this accuracy in environments ranging from -40 °C to 125 °C.
Renesas' multi-frequency measurement complies with IEC 61000 4-3 Level 4 standards, making it ideal for medical applications requiring robust protection against electromagnetic interference. Renesas also offers specialized development resources for capacitive touch technology, including the QE for Capacitive Touch Technology, which streamlines sensitivity adjustments for capacitive touch buttons, accelerating development.
Main features of the RA0L1 group MCUs
: Core: Arm Cortex-M23 at 32 MHz;
Memory: Up to 64 KB of embedded Flash code memory and 16 KB of SRAM;
Extended temperature range: Ta from -40 °C to 125 °C
; Timers: Timer array unit (16b x 8 channels), 32-bit interval timer (8b x 4 channels), RTC;
Communication peripherals: 3 UARTs, 2 asynchronous UARTs, 6 simplified SPIs, 2 I2Cs, 6 simplified I2Cs;
Analog peripherals: 12-bit ADC, temperature sensor, internal reference voltage;
HMI: Capacitive touch (up to 24 channels), current control port (up to 8);
Safety: SRAM parity check, invalid memory access detection, frequency detection, A/D test, output level detection, CRC calculator, register write protection
Security: Unique ID, TRNG, Flash access window, Flash read protection.
Packages: 24, 32, and 48-pin QFN, 32 and 48-pin LQFP, 20-pin LSSOP
The new RA0L1 group MCUs are compatible with Renesas' Flexible Software Package (FSP). The FSP enables faster application development by providing all the necessary infrastructure software, including multiple RTOSs, BSPs, peripheral drivers, middleware, connectivity, networking, and security stacks, as well as reference software for building complex AI, motor control, and cloud solutions. It allows customers to integrate their own legacy code and choice of RTOSs with the FSP, providing complete flexibility in application development. Using the FSP will facilitate migration to and from other devices in the RA family.
