Renesas, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, has introduced a new Renesas Solution Starter Kit (RSSK) for developers working with the 32-bit RX23E-A microcontroller (MCU) Group, which features one of the most highly accurate analog front ends (AFE) in the industry boasting less than 0.1% precision without calibration. Evaluating analog characteristics with high precision requires strong analog design and development expertise, from evaluation board design to software development. In addition, identifying and analysing problems when the desired characteristics cannot be obtained is time-consuming, making it difficult to bring products to market in a timely manner.
The RX23E-A RSSK brings together hardware, software, and tools optimized for evaluating the MCU’s high-precision 24-bit delta-sigma (ΔΣ) A/D converter with industry-leading accuracy. The RSSK enables users without any AFE development expertise to accurately evaluate analog characteristics to the nanovolt (nV) level, thereby reducing development workload and time-to-market.
Designed to optimize evaluation of the RX23E-A AFE, the new RSSK evaluation board allows users to check characteristics of the 24-bit ΔΣ A/D converter with high accuracy, regardless of analog development expertise levels. The evaluation board is equipped with a plug-in terminal block to connect a variety of sensors without soldering, a thermocouple (temperature sensor) connector, and the reference junction compensation circuit required for thermocouple measurement applications. By referencing thermocouple and weight measurement application software, both available for download on the Renesas website here, users can immediately start their evaluation, thereby shortening the time to market for developing IoT sensor devices.
The Renesas Solution Starter Kit consists of an evaluation board with the RX23E-A and peripheral circuits for sensor measurement, a K-type thermocouple, and is provided with the GUI and sample programs. These ready-to-use tools enable users to start evaluation of the A/D converter without hardware modification or software development. The kit can be utilized to evaluate the measurements of thermocouples, RTD, and strain gauges, which are typical sensors in industrial equipment. Renesas evaluation of K-type thermocouples using the RSSK shows that the measured temperature error is within ±0.6°C under environments between -40°C and 85°C and the effective resolution is 19.4 bit, which means temperature deviation is equivalent to 0.0015°C at rms value. The measured temperature error, which is within the sensor error, validates the evaluation board as a reference design.
RX23E-A RSSK Contents
With the kit’s graphical user interface (GUI) tool, users can enter and change settings for a variety of AFE and A/D converter parameters, as well as display graphs and histograms of A/D conversion results. This simplifies the task of evaluating characteristics matched to the user’s system. With the GUI, users can check A/D conversion results in real-time in the same manner as using an oscilloscope.
The evaluation board can also be connected to an emulator to develop user applications. Power is supplied via the USB connection, so both evaluation and software development can be accomplished using a PC. Driver ICs for RS485 and CAN, which are widely used in industrial devices, are also mounted on the evaluation board, allowing the development of applications with industrial networking standards support.
Click below for a brief overview of the RX23E-A MCU Starter Kit
About the RX23E-A Microcontrollers
The RX23E-A Group of 32-bit MCU with DSP/FPU support operate at 32 MHz and feature an AFE that achieves less than 0.1 percent measurement precision without calibration. The integrated ΔΣ A/D converter has a maximum effective resolution of 23.6 bits, enabling this single chip to deliver analog functionality that was previously only possible when using an MCU in combination with a dedicated A/D converter or a high-precision op-amp IC. The RX23E-A Group MCUs are already widely used in a wide range of applications including industrial meters, temperature controllers, load cells, and strain gauge sensor modules.
Anglia are offering customers a FREE Renesas Solution Starter Kit (RSSK) and samples of the 32-bit RX23E-A MCU Group from Renesas, please fill in the form below to register your interest now.
FREE samples for UK and Ireland customers only, subject to availability.
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