Renesas Introduces New Entry-Level RA0 MCU Series with Best-in-Class Power Consumption

Renesas Electronics introduced the RA0 microcontroller (MCU) Series based on the Arm® Cortex®-M23 processor. The new, low-cost RA0 devices offer the industry’s lowest overall power consumption for general purpose 32-bit MCUs.

The RA0 devices consume only 84.3μA/MHz of current in active mode and only 0.82 mA in sleep mode. In addition, Renesas offers a Software Standby mode in the new MCUs that reduces power consumption by a further 99 percent to a miniscule 0.2 µA. Coupled with a fast wake-up High-speed On-Chip Oscillator (HOCO), these ultra-low power MCUs deliver an ideal solution for applications including battery-operated consumer electronics devices, small appliances, industrial system control, and building automation applications.

Renesas is now shipping the first group in the RA0 Series, the RA0E1 Group. These devices have a feature set optimized for cost-sensitive applications. They offer a wide operating voltage range of 1.6V to 5.5V so customers don’t need a level shifter/regulator in 5V systems. The RA0 MCUs also integrate timers, serial communications, analog functions, safety functions and HMI functionality to reduce customer BOM cost. A wide range of packaging options is also available, including a tiny 3mm x 3mm 16-lead QFN (more info).