32-Bit MCUs for −40°C to +105°C Motor Control Applications
Renesas Electronics Corporation announced the expansion of its RX24T and RX24U Groups of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) to include new high-temperature-tolerant models for motor-control applications that require an extended operating temperature range. The new RX24T G Version and RX24U G Version support operating temperatures ranging from −40°C to +105°C, while maintaining the high speed, high functionality, and energy efficiency of the RX24T and RX24U MCUs.
Notably, as device form factors shrink, the heat issue is growing for motor-control applications. Renesas points out that in industrial machinery, office equipment, and home appliances that handle hot air and heated water, circuit boards are more frequently being mounted in high-temperature locations.
In home appliances such as dishwashers or induction hotplates, demand for designs with larger interior capacity or heating areas is increasing, which inherently restricts the space available for circuit boards. The resulting designs with smaller area circuit boards reduces the board's capacity to disperse heat, causing the circuit board itself to become very hot.
To address these application requirements, Renesas is adding new high-temperature-tolerant products to its MCU lineup. The new devices will offer increased flexibility for designs of products that operate in high-temperature environments, enabling the trend toward more compact devices to continue.
Software can be developed using the RX24T and RX24U CPU cards combined with the 24V Motor Control Evaluation Kit that lets developers create motor control applications in less time.
The 32-bit RX24T and RX24U has a maximum operating frequency of 80MHz. Peripheral functions for motor control such as timers, A/D converter, and analog circuits enable efficient control of two brushless dc motors by a single chip.
With the addition of the G versions, all 32-bit RX MCU family products for motor-control applications now support operating temperatures from −40°C to +105°C, extending the scalability of the RX Family and providing system manufacturers a rich and scalable lineup to choose from.
"Through the IoT, home appliances and industrial machinery are attaining greater functionality based on network connectivity and user interface enhancements and effective use of the limited interior space as well as the higher temperature environments are becoming major issues," said Akira Denda, Vice President of Renesas' Industrial Automation Business Division, Industrial Solution Business Unit. "The newest members of the RX24T and RX24U Groups provide the excellent function and performance that RX users have come to expect from their MCUs while addressing the heat tolerance requirements to support safe and flexible equipment design."
The RX24T G Version and RX24U G Version are both available and in mass production. The RX24T includes 11 models with pin counts ranging from 64 to 100 pins and memory sizes from 128KB to 512KB. The RX24U covers six models with pin counts ranging from 100 to 144 pins and memory sizes from 256KB to 512KB.
