On March 24, Renesas Electronics Corporation, the world's leading semiconductor solution provider, announced the launch of the new Renesas Solutions Starter Kit (RSSK) for engineers using 32-bit RX23E-A microcontrollers (MCUs). The MCU has an industry-leading level of high-precision analog front end (AFE). The RX23E-ARSSK integrates optimized hardware, software, and tools that can be used to evaluate the MCU's built-in high-precision 24-bit delta-sigma (ΔΣ) A / D converter. Even if customers do not have professional AFE development experience, they can accurately evaluate nanovolt (nV) level analog performance through RSSK, thereby reducing development workload and shortening the time required for product launch.
"The RX23E-A for industrial IoT sensors is a single-chip solution that integrates high-precision AFE, and can achieve an accuracy of less than 0.1% without calibration," said DarylKhoo, vice president of marketing for Renesas' IoT Platform Business Unit. The new solution suite provides a convenient way for users who need to evaluate and calibrate a wide range of sensors, reducing the time required to develop high-precision sensing equipment. "
From evaluation board design to software development, the evaluation of high-precision analog performance requires strong analog development and design expertise. In addition, when the required functions cannot be achieved, fault debugging and analysis will be very time-consuming, making it difficult to bring the product to market in a timely manner.
The new RSSK evaluation board is designed to optimize the evaluation of the RX23E-AAFE. It can accurately evaluate the characteristics of the 24-bit ΔΣA / D converter regardless of the user's level of analog development. The evaluation board is equipped with pluggable terminal blocks to connect a variety of sensors without soldering. It is equipped with a thermocouple (temperature sensor) connector and a reference junction compensation circuit required to measure the thermocouple. Users can begin the evaluation immediately by referring to the thermocouple and weight measurement application notes (both can be downloaded from the Renesas website), thereby reducing the time required to develop IoT sensor devices.
Users can enter and change various parameter settings of AFE and A / D converter through the graphical user interface (GUI) tools of the kit, and display the results of A / D conversion in the form of charts and histograms, simplifying the system Evaluation tasks related to simulation characteristics. With the help of the GUI, users can view A / D conversion results in real time, just like using an oscilloscope.
The evaluation board can also be connected to an emulator to develop user applications. Powered via a USB connection, PCs can be used for evaluation and software development. The evaluation board includes RS485 and CAN driver ICs, which are widely used in industrial equipment, and can be used to develop applications that support industrial network standards.
About the RX23E-A product group
RX23E-A product group is equipped with 32-bit MCU, supports DSP / FPU, working frequency is 32MHz, built-in AFE which can reach 0.1% measurement accuracy without calibration. The integrated ΔΣ A / D converter has a maximum effective resolution of 23.6 bits, and a single chip can realize the analog performance that can only be achieved by using an MCU, a dedicated A / D converter, or a high-precision operational amplifier in the past. The RX23E-AMCU product group was launched in May 2019 and has been widely used in industrial instrumentation applications such as temperature controllers, load cells and strain gauge sensor modules.
About Renesas Industrial Sensor Solutions
Renesas offers several MCUs with enhanced analog functions for different sensing systems. The RA2A1MCU product group is based on a 32-bit Arm core; the Renesas SynergyTMS1JAMCU product group has advanced analog functions and integrated security functions, which is ideally suited for low-power, cost-sensitive industrial IoT sensor applications. Renesas also offers the RL78 / I1E 16-bit MCU product group with integrated 24-bit ΔΣA / D converters. Its small size 4mm square package is ideal for compact pressure sensors and compact flow sensors. In addition to MCUs, Renesas also offers a variety of sensor products, including temperature sensors and flow sensors, and communication ICs supporting standards such as IO-Link, RS485, and AS-i. These sensor system solutions will help accelerate the embedding of industrial equipment into the IoT framework.