Renesas Electronics Corp. has launched its RA8T2 microcontroller (MCU) group for high-end motor control in industrial applications. These motor control MCUs address real-time control in high-end motors in industrial equipment, robots, and other systems where high-speed precision operation is required.
(Source: Renesas Electronics Corp.)
The RA8T2 MCUs are based on a 1-GHz Arm Cortex-M85 processor with an optional 250-MHz Arm Cortex-M33 processor. The optional Cortex-M33 processor enables customers to combine real-time control with communication functions and non-real-time operations on a single chip, saving cost, power, and board space, Renesas said.
The RA8T2 MCUs also leverage the Cortex-M85 processor and Arm’s Helium technology to deliver higher performance digital signal processor (DSP) and machine learning (ML) implementations. This enables AI functions that can predict maintenance requirements for motors.
With high-speed communication critical in factory automation where each device is linked to a network in the factory with continuous synchronization, these motor control MCUs support high-speed networking with multiple communications interfaces, including two Gigabit Ethernet MACs with DMA and a two-port EtherCAT slave. Additional communications peripherals include USB2.0 FS host/device/OTG, CAN2.0 (1 Mbits/s)/CAN FD (8 Mbit/s), I3C (12.5 Mbits/s), I2C (1 Mbits/s), SPI, SCI, and Octal serial peripheral I/F.
Key features include up to 1 MB of high-speed MRAM non-volatile memory with 100 MHz access and tightly coupled memory with 256 KB for the Cortex-M85 and 128 KB for the Cortex-M33, providing high-precision real-time performance with less jitter. Analog peripherals include two 16-bit ADCs with 30 analog channels, two three-channel sample/hold circuits, a two-channel 12-bit DAC, and four-channel high-speed comparators.
In addition, a timer function supports pulse-width-modulation (PWM) functionality up to 300 MHz and enables easy handling by control software and efficient waveform generation for driving inverters, Renesas said.
The complementary PWM function of the GPT timer, optimized for inverter drive, also makes it easy to implement control algorithms, such as the output of complementary PWM for multiple phases (including single-phase and three-phase), automatic insertion of dead time, generation of asymmetric PWM, and linkage with AD and comparators. It also comes with a phase-counting function to control AC servos that require axis position information using a two-phase pulse encoder.
Security features include a RSIP-E50D cryptographic engine, immutable storage for FSBL, secure debug, secure factory programming, DLM support, tamper protection, and DPA/SPA protection.
Available now with the Flexible Software Package (FSP), package options for the RA8T2 include the 289-pin BGA, 224-pin BGA, 303-pin BGA, and 176-pin HLQFP. These MCUs are supported in Renesas’ Flexible Motor Control development kit that enables evaluation of motor control using permanent magnet synchronous motors (brushless DC motors), and the Renesas Motor Workbench development tool. The dev kit provides a common design platform with many of Renesas’ motor control RA and RX MCUs.
The RA8T2 Group MCUs also are available in a range of Winning Combinations application designs, including the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), using compatible Renesas devices.
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