Microcontrollers control factory machines, process data, connect equipment to networks, update stored data, and protect systems.
Renesas Electronics Corporation has launched two 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), the RX74M and RX74N, with operating speeds of up to 600 MHz. The MCUs use a 22nm manufacturing process and embedded magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM). They deliver more than twice the performance of their predecessors, the RX72M and RX72N, which operate at 240 MHz.
The RX74M is designed for industrial and factory automation equipment, including AC drives, industrial robots and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The RX74N targets industrial equipment such as smart meters, power conditioners and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Both MCUs use a 600 MHz RXv3e core, 1 MB of MRAM, 256 KB of zero-wait-state tightly coupled memory (TCM) and 1.5 MB of static random-access memory (SRAM). This configuration supports real-time processing with consistent timing, including workloads involving frequent interrupts and branching.
Unlike conventional embedded flash memory, MRAM allows data to be written without an erase operation beforehand. This reduces programming time and speeds up code and data updates, helping reduce system downtime. The feature is useful in industrial equipment that frequently updates operating parameters or stores logs.
The RX74M integrates an EtherCAT slave controller, a time-sensitive networking (TSN)-capable Gigabit Ethernet switch and Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate (CAN FD) support on a single chip. It supports industrial communication protocols such as EtherCAT, PROFINET and EtherNet/IP, along with deterministic communication through TSN. The MCU also supports redundant network configurations, including EtherNet/IP device-level ring (DLR), which were not supported by previous generations. These capabilities allow industrial equipment to connect with higher-level systems used in industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications.
Both MCUs include hardware-based security features to address requirements such as those under the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). ProtectZone technology in the RX CPU separates secure and non-secure regions on the same chip. Renesas Secure IP (RSIP) extends public-key cryptography capabilities beyond the previous Trusted Secure IP (TSIP) and supports authenticated encryption and additional hash algorithms. These features also support security implementations involving post-quantum cryptography (PQC) within a single MCU.
Click here for the original announcement.
