Renesas launches RZ/G3S 64-bit microprocessor with enhanced peripherals for IoT edge and gateway devices

Renesas Electronics recently launched its latest G3S processor, designed to provide higher performance and lower power consumption for various embedded applications. The launch of the G3S processor marks another technological breakthrough for Renesas in the field of microcontrollers, especially in the wide range of application scenarios such as automotive, industrial and smart home.

Figure 1 Renesas G series

1. Main features of G3S processor

1.1 Extremely high power consumption performance ratio

RZ/G3S uses an Arm Cortex-A55 core with a maximum operating frequency of 1.1GHz as the main CPU, and two Cortex-M33 cores with an operating frequency of 250MHz as the secondary CPU. Users can distribute the workload of the MPU to the sub-CPU, allowing the device to efficiently handle tasks such as sensor data reception, system function control, and power system management, thereby reducing the workload of the main CPU, thereby reducing the number of components, achieving lower costs and smaller system size.

1.2 Enhanced peripherals

A new PCIE interface has been added, which can achieve 5G connection through PCI Express, which is very suitable for 5G gateway applications. Equipped with rich peripheral functions, including Gigabit Ethernet, CAN, USB and PCI Express interfaces. By connecting a 5G communication module, the product can achieve high-speed communication at the gigahertz (GHz) level.

1.3 Low-power design

Low-power standby mode, the product's new power management system is designed to reduce power consumption to an extremely low level of less than 10µW. This MPU also supports DDR self-refresh function, allowing DRAM data to be retained, and supports Linux fast startup. The fast startup function helps IoT devices that often run intermittently save power and significantly extend the operating time of battery-powered devices. In addition, the product also provides a standby mode that can maintain the sub-CPU operation at a power consumption level as low as 40mW, so as to flexibly optimize power consumption according to the specific operating requirements of each application.

1.4 High reliability and powerful security features

Similar to other RZ/G series products, the internal memory and external DDR interface of RZ/G3S have ECC (error correction code) function to maintain data integrity.

Figure 2 Chip block diagram

2. Application scenarios

The G3S processor is suitable for a variety of application scenarios, including but not limited to:

● Industrial automation: used for industrial control, robotics and smart sensors, local edge computing, improving production efficiency and safety.

● Smart home: used for smart home device gateways, providing wireless communication and control, and improving user experience.

3. Long-term support and software security

RZ/G3S can use the Verified Linux Package (VLP) with the industrial-grade Civil Infrastructure Platform (CIP) Linux kernel. With VLP, developers will receive more than 10 years of maintenance support to ensure long-term protection from security threats. The product also provides a variety of functions such as tamper detection, secure boot, and secure debugging. The RZ/G series has passed the Arm PSA Level 2 certification, and Renesas also plans to promote RZ/G3S products to obtain this certification in the future. (From Renesas News)