Renesas Electronics Corporation, a supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, has broadened its 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) series with a new device designed for high-end industrial sensor systems. Known as the RX23E-B, the latest addition features a high-precision analog front end (AFE), pursuing systems that require swift and accurate analog signal measurements.
The RX23E-B is well suited for high-end sensor devices, measurement instruments, and testing equipment. Notably, it offers enough performance to drive force sensors employed in industrial robots. These often demand measurements as quick as 10 seconds (equivalent to 100,000 samples per second).
The newly introduced MCU incorporates a 24-bit Delta-Sigma A/D converter capable of achieving a conversion speed of up to 125,000 samples per second. This speed is eight times faster than the existing RX23E-A.
The RX23E-B enables faster and more precise measurements of essential parameters such as strain, temperature, pressure, flow rate, current, and voltage. By bringing the AFE and the MCU onto a single chip, the component count and overall system size can be reduced.
"With the addition of the RX23E-B, which comes with an AFE sensor interface, we can now cater to a broad range of sensing applications from mid- to high-end systems," stated Sakae Ito, Vice President of the IoT Platform Business Division at Renesas.
Takatsugu Nemoto, President at Meiko Electronics, expressed faith in the new RX23E-B saying that the introduction of the RX23E-B, complete with a high-speed delta-sigma A/D converter, would allow many customers to benefit from its enhanced conversion performance, compact design, and fewer components.
Similar to the RX23E-A, the RX23E-B integrates a 32-MHz RXv2-based CPU with digital signal processing (DSP) instructions and a floating point unit (FPU). It offers new peripheral functions such as a 16-bit D/A converter, which enables measurement adjustments, self-diagnosis, and the output of analog signals.
It can operate on a +/-10V measurement with a 5V power supply, removing the need for external components or extra power sources. The device also includes an LCD controller and a real-time clock (RTC) function.
The RX23E-B proposes a version supporting an A/D conversion data rate of up to 125 kSPS and another version permitting up to 31.25 kSPS. These versions, along with flexible data rate settings, give users the liberty to choose the optimal balance between data rate and noise, based on their specific system needs.
Renesas Electronics Corporation ships more than 3.5 billion units per year, approximately half of which serve the automotive industry. The remainder branches out to industries such as industrial and Internet of Things applications, data centres, and communications infrastructures.
The RX23E-B is currently available, alongside a Renesas Solution Starter Kit for the RX23E-B. The kit allows engineers to examine the operation and functionality of the AFE and signal conversion without any need for software development.