Renesas unveils next generation Automotive SoC and MCU processor product roadmap

Renesas has pre-announced information about the fifth-generation R-Car SoC for high-performance applications, which uses advanced Chiplet small chip package integration technology to bring greater design flexibility to vehicle engineers. For example, if advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) need to accommodate more prominent AI performance, engineers can integrate AI accelerators into a single chip.

Renesas also shared plans for two MCUS in its upcoming next-generation R-Car product family: a new family of crossover MCUS designed to deliver the required high performance for domain and area electronic control units (ECUs) in next-generation automotive E/E architectures, which will bridge the performance gap between traditional MCUS and advanced R-Car SoCs; Renesas will also release a standalone MCU platform tailored for vehicle control applications. Both MCUS will be based on Arm® architecture and will be an important member of the outstanding R-Car product family, offering vehicle engineers complete scalability options and software reusability.

As part of its product roadmap, Renesas plans to provide a virtual software development environment that matches the "shift left" model widely known in the automotive industry. These software tools will allow customers to design and test software much earlier in the development process.

Vivek Bhan, Senior Vice President, Co-General Manager of High Performance Computing, Analog and Power Solutions Group at Renesas said: "Renesas has developed this roadmap based on years of collaboration and discussions with Tier 1 suppliers and OEM customers. The most common feedback we receive from customers is the need to speed up development without compromising quality. This means that software design and validation must be started before the hardware is in hand. That's why we will continue to invest in the 'move left' model and software-first innovation, deploy new scalable embedded processors, and strengthen Renesas' already extensive network of development tools to help customers achieve their goals."

The fifth generation R-Car SoC platform

Until the launch of the fourth generation, R-Car SoCs were designed for specific cases, such as ADAS/ autonomous driving requiring advanced AI performance, and gateway solutions with enhanced communication capabilities. Renesas' fifth-generation R-Car SoC will use Chiplet technology to build a flexible platform that can be customized to the requirements of different cases. The new platform will offer multiple processor sets, from entry-level to high-end models, and integrate various ips such as AI accelerators, as well as those of partners and customers, into a single package. As a result, users will have the option to customize the design according to their own needs.

Two new ARM-based MCU platforms for vehicle control applications

With the continuous development of automotive E/E architecture, the high-performance computing and real-time processing capabilities of domain control units (DCU) and area control units have become increasingly important. Renesas has responded to this challenge by developing an ARM-based 32-bit crossover R-Car MCU platform with built-in NVM (non-volatile memory) that delivers higher performance than today's traditional MCUS.

Building on the success of the RH850 product family of MCUS, Renesas is expanding its vehicle control product lineup with the introduction of a new R-Car MCUS family, also based on Arm technology. This means that for the first time, vehicle system developers will be able to leverage Arm's software and vast ecosystem to build powertrain, body control, chassis and dashboard systems using these new MCUS. The expansion will enable Renesas to standardize IP between MCUS and SOCs, improving software availability and reducing customer development expenses.