Renesas Electronics Corp. has unveiled a new microprocessor for embedded artificial intelligence (e-AI) image processing for applications such as smart appliances, service robots and industrial machinery. The RZ/A2M microprocessor implements Renesas’ proprietary Dynamically Reconfigurable Processor (DRP) to deliver real-time image processing while significantly reducing power consumption compared with its predecessors.

The RZ/A2M makes external DRAM unnecessary by being outfitted with large-capacity (4 MB) on-chip RAM and supports the MIPI camera interface commonly found in smartphones and other mobile devices.  The RZ/A2M also boasts increased network functionality through the incorporation of two-channel Ethernet support and greater network security by implementing an on-chip hardware encryption accelerator.

The RZ/A2M with DRP enables image-based AI functionality involving large amounts of data and more powerful processing performance than achievable with conventional waveform measurement and analysis. By reducing the amount of power consumed during real-time image processing, the RZ/A2M will allow battery-powered devices to allocate power to perform other operations such as biometric authentication via fingerprint or retinal scans.