MCUs for single-motor applications including power tools, home appliances and more

Renesas Electronics Corporation has introduced the RA2T1 MCU group, based on the Arm Cortex-M23 processor, optimised for motor control systems. RA2T1 devices are specifically designed for single-motor applications such as fans, power tools, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, printers, hair dryers and many more.

The new devices feature several enhancements designed to improve motor control function, particularly in single-motor systems. One of the outstanding features is a three-channel S&H function that simultaneously detects the three-phase current values of BLDC motors. This method provides superior control accuracy as opposed to sequential measurement methods. The MCUs also offer a complementary PWM function of the timer, which allows for the automatic insertion of dead time and the generation of an asymmetric PWM. This function is optimised for inverter drive, which facilitates the implementation of control algorithms.

The devices offer critical safety features for motor control applications. They provide a Port Output Enable function and a high-speed comparator that work together to quickly shut off the PWM output when an overcurrent is detected. The shutdown state can be selected according to the inverter specifications.

“Customers have trusted Renesas motor control solutions for many years across thousands of systems,” said Daryl Khoo, vice president of Embedded Processing Marketing Division at Renesas. “The RA2T1 MCUs enhance our leadership in this area with market-leading technology, low-power operation, and legendary Renesas quality and safety standards for single-motor systems.”

Key Features of the RA2T1 Group MCUs:

• Core: 64MHz Arm Cortex-M23
• Memory: 64KB Flash, 8KB SRAM, 2KB Data Flash
• Analogue Peripherals: 12-bit ADC with three-channel Sample and Hold, temperature sensor, internal reference voltage, two-channel high-speed comparators
• System: High-, mid- and low-speed On-chip Oscillators; clock output; power-on reset; voltage detection; data transfer, event link and interrupt controllers; low-power modes
• Safety: PWM forced shutdown, SRAM parity error check, ADC self-diagnosis, clock frequency accuracy measurement, illegal memory access detection
• Operating Temperature Range: Ta = -40C to 125C
• Operating Voltage: 1.6V to 5.5V
• Packages: 48-LQFP, 32-LQFP, 48-QFN, 32-QFN, 24-QFN (4mm x 4mm)

The new RA2T1 Group MCUs are supported by Renesas’ Flexible Software Package (FSP). The FSP enables faster application development by providing all the necessary infrastructure software, including multiple RTOS, BSPs, peripheral drivers, middleware, connectivity, networking, and security stacks, as well as reference software to build complex AI, motor control, and cloud solutions. It enables customers to integrate their own legacy code and choice of RTOS with FSP, therefore, providing full flexibility in application development. Using the FSP will ease migration of motor control designs to other RA Series devices.