Renesas Electronics recently released a new design environment for its RZ/A1 microprocessors, developed to streamline the development of rich human-machine interface (HMI) and camera- and GUI-based applications. The increase in popularity for HMI-based systems and markets in which HMI and streaming converge prompted the need for the high-end MPU implementations that can manage the demands of these systems, according to the company. Applications include industrial equipment, building controls, medical devices, smart home gadgets, white goods, video surveillance, and video/fingerprint access devices.

Transitioning to a complex MPU environment can be challenging for designers who are accustomed to a simpler and more streamlined MCU design environment, according to Mark Rootz, senior director of Renesas’ Industrial Marketing Division, Industrial Solutions Business Unit. “To help them navigate this journey, Renesas created a design environment with the RZ/A1 Software Package, where designers can leverage the best of both worlds — combining the elevated capabilities of MPUs with the ease of use of MCUs, which builds confidence for making the leap to MPU-based solutions,” he said.

The RZ/A1 software package employs many of the same characteristics as the MCU design environment, providing for a simpler transition for designers to a more complex MPU design environment. The high-performance RZ/A1 MPUs provide up to 10 MB of on-chip SRAM, built-in memory management, and an Arm Cortex-A9 core, which the company said contributes to the simplicity and speed of the application design process.