Renesas Electronics Introduces SuperH Microcontrollers that Combine Connectivity Functions Such as USB and System Control Capabilities on a Single Chip

TOKYO, Japan, September 8, 2011 — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the availability of the company's 6 new 32-bit microcontroller (MCU), the SH726A and SH726B, designed to lower the system cost of products, such as car and home audio systems and industrial equipment, while achieving a smaller mounting area. The SH726A and SH726B devices are new members in the SH7260 Series of MCUs with large-capacity on-chip SRAM.

The SH726A and SH726B offers all the benefits of previous generations such as large internal SRAM, support for serial flash memory—including code fetching from quad serial memories and a proven Media SDK that improves dramatically time to market when implementing audio codecs (MP3, AAC, WMA)—including a production ready media player, FAT file system and Bluetooth profiles .

Renesas is committed to help customers and partners deliver high quality functionality with the fastest development cycle and reduced system cost in the industry and the SH2A and its MediaSDK is a true example of how Renesas delivers to this promise.

Key features of the SH726A and SH726B MCUs:

• (1) Smaller package with lower pin count for reduced system cost

  The SH726A and SH726B MCUs are equipped with a new bus controller that enables connection of quad-SPI flash ROM (serial type), which uses fewer connection pins, as external flash memory supporting direct data access. This reduces substantially the number of pins required for connection while maintaining access speeds equivalent to conventional parallel NOR flash (Note). In addition, on-chip functions optimized for system control and data processing enable the lowest pin count (SH726A: 120-pins) in the entire SH7260 Series. The SH726A is also available in a version with a package size of 14 × 14 millimeter (mm) and 0.4 mm pin pitch, thereby helping to reduce the board mounting area and overall cost of the system.

• (2) Improved system expandability through high-speed operation

  The maximum CPU operating frequency of the SH726A and SH726B MCUs is 216 megahertz (MHz, 1.5 times that of the existing SH7266 MCUs), the industry's highest level for audio products, in order to realize operations such as digital audio signal processing at high speed. This makes them suitable for use in products subject to a heavy processing load for sound stage processing, noise cancellation (echo canceling/noise suppression) for hands-free calls over Bluetooth, in addition to audio playback (decoding of compressed audio). The SH726B MCUs also implement two USB (Full-Speed) channels on-chip, providing support for connection of multiple USB devices of various types, including portable audio players and USB storage.

• (3) Reduction in development man-hours

  The SH7260 Series supports the following middleware for digital audio, which has a proven track record in mass production applications. This helps to reduce the development time required to develop new products.

  • Data decoder middleware for MP3, WMA, AAC, etc.
  • Device middleware for USB, SD, etc.
  • ISO 9660 file system middleware for CD-ROM applications, FAT file system middleware for USB/SD memory, etc.

  Software development kits (SDKs) incorporating such drivers and middleware for digital audio applications are also available to further reduce the time and resources required for system development.

Renesas plans to continue adding new products to the SH7260 Series of MCUs with large-capacity on-chip RAM in a timely manner in response to the evolving market.

Refer to the separate sheet for the main specifications of the SH726A and SH726B MCUs.

(Note) A new bus controller has been added that allows programs stored in external quad-SPI flash ROM (six connection signal lines) to be executed directly, without the need to first transfer them to on-chip SRAM. Access speeds equivalent to conventional parallel NOR flash ROM (32 MB, 16-bit bus and 43 connection lines) are achieved through the use of a read cache, enabling the number of pins used to be reduced substantially.

Pricing and Availability

The SH726A and SH726B MCUs will be available in a total of six product versions, depending on the presence or absence of an on-chip CAN interface, four versions for the SH726A and two for the SH726B. Each of these is additionally available either for industrial or automobile accessory applications, for a total of 12 product numbers. Customers can choose the version with the specifications that best meet their needs. The operating temperature range of all versions is −40 to +85℃. The SH726A is available in a 120-pin QFP (0.5 mm or 0.4 mm pin pitch) and the SH726B in a 144-pin QFP (0.5 mm pin pitch) lead-free package.

Samples of Renesas Electronics' new SH726A and SH726B MCUs are scheduled to start in September 2011. Pricing varies depending on package, application and support for CAN. For example, the SH726A MCU for use in industrial equipment with 0.5mm pitch package, which does not incorporate an on-chip CAN interface is priced at US$13 per unit. The SH726B MCU for use in industrial equipment with 0.5mm pitch package, which also does not incorporate an on-chip CAN interface is priced at US$15 per unit. Mass production is scheduled to begin in May 2012 and is expected to reach a combined volume of 1,000,000 units per month. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)