Renesas Extends RZ/A MPU Line-up with RZ/A3M for Cost-Sensitive, Advanced HMI Solutions
Built-in 128MB DDR3L SDRAM for System Cost Reduction with 30fps Video/Animation and Camera Display up to 1280x800 Resolution.
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Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced a new high-performance microprocessor (MPU) in the RTOS-based RZ/A series that meets the growing demands of advanced human-machine interface (HMI) systems. The new RZ/A3M MPU comes with large SDRAM, SRAM and RTOS support to facilitate the seamless execution of complex tasks and real-time graphical displays. The RZ/A3M drives video and camera output on large LCD panels with resolutions up to 1280x800, addressing the display requirements in next-generation home appliances, industrial and office automation, healthcare devices and building control systems.
Similar to its existing RZ/A3UL, the RZ/A3M features a 64-bit Arm® Cortex®-A55 core with a maximum operating frequency of 1 GHz and 128 KB (kilobytes) of on-chip SRAM. By integrating high-speed 128MB DDR3L-SDRAM in a single System-in-Package (SiP), the device eliminates the complex task of designing a high-speed signal interface for connecting external memory.
Reducing System Cost with Built-in Memory and Simplified PCB Design
The RZ/A3M is designed to reduce system costs and accelerate development. It supports both external NAND and NOR flash via QSPI for data and code storage. Paired with a driver, high-capacity NAND flash offers a cost-effective option for memory expansion. Additionally, the RZ/A3M's BGA package has a unique pin layout with two main rows positioned on the outside edge. This layout simplifies PCB routing and enables a low-cost, dual-layer printed wiring board design, providing significant cost and time savings. This memory integration simplifies PCB design by reducing the routing complexity and minimizing layout constraints.
“I’m pleased to launch the RZ/A3M, the first RZ product with large built-in memory targeting high-function video/animation HMI performance while keeping overall system costs low,” said Daryl Khoo, Vice President of the Embedded Processing Marketing Division at Renesas. “In addition, we aim to deliver a highly responsive user experience with high-quality, real-time graphics, and provide the ease of design and cost efficiency to help our customers build advanced HMI solutions quickly.”
Comprehensive Development Environment
Renesas offers a comprehensive HMI development environment that includes the Flexible Software Package (FSP), evaluation kits, development tools, and sample software. Graphical user interface (GUI) solutions from partner companies such as LVGL, Crank, SquareLine Studio, and Envox will be available for the RZ/A3M to facilitate rapid HMI graphics development.
Key Features of RZ/A3M
- Arm Cortex-A55 CPU with a maximum operating frequency of 1GHz
- 128KB SRAM with error correction, Built-in 128MB DDR3L SDRAM
- Graphics capabilities: LCD controller supporting resolutions up to 1280x800 (WXGA), parallel RGB and MIPI-DSI (4-lane) interfaces, 2D graphics drawing engine
- Peripheral functions: QSPI interface for serial NOR/NAND flash memory, SPI, I2C, SDHI, USB2.0, I2S, temperature sensor, timer
- Package: 244-pin LFBGA, 17mm x 17mm, 0.8mm pitch
Renesas’ Comprehensive HMI Solutions
Renesas offers a wide variety of HMI solutions ranging from the 32-bit RX and RA MCU families to the 64-bit RZ family supporting 4K displays. The RZ/A series, built on RTOS-based MPUs with fast startup, includes the new RZ/A3M, which delivers high-performance HMI capabilities with the same ease of use offered by MCUs using large memory capacity.
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