Enhanced security and privacy for Bluetooth 5 connections

Renesas Electronics Corporation has introduced the RX23W – a 32-bit MCU featuring Bluetooth 5.0 for IoT endpoint devices including home appliances and healthcare equipment. By combining Bluetooth 5.0 with the company’s Trusted Secure IP on its popular high-performance RX MCU family, they provide customers with an optimised single-chip solution for system control and wireless communication, while also offering a more secure way to answer the Bluetooth security risks such as eavesdropping, tampering, and viruses.

"While devices with Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy is not new in the market, Renesas adds value for this ubiquitous wireless technology with a twist: strong emphasis on security and privacy,” said Daryl Khoo, vice president, Product Marketing, IoT Platform Business Unit at Renesas Electronics Corporation. "The recent security concerns clearly shows that the Bluetooth implementations are getting more complex as more core use cases are defined, and there is a strong need to address better, more secure connections. Renesas believes applications deploying Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy capabilities will be complemented with our strength in hardware security, all within one MCU that can handle application, communication and security. I am very pleased that Renesas is well-positioned to offer this with our flagship RX family, which has a proven track record for reliability and safety.”

The new device is based on the company’s RXv2 core, which offers excellent computational performance with improved FPU and DSP functions and operates at a maximum clock frequency of 54MHz. The device offers full Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy support incorporating long-range and mesh networking functions and delivers what is claimed to be the industry’s lowest level reception mode peak power consumption at 3mA.