Farnell, the Development Distributor, announces the availability of the RA Family of 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M based MCUs from Renesas Electronics Corporation. This major product introduction will offer design engineers the flexibility to leverage Renesas’ ready to use partner solutions and Arm ecosystem whilst developing their own hardware and software solutions.

The RA MCUs include the advanced high-quality feature set that customers have come to expect from Renesas, with a special focus on security, connectivity and low power. They enable customers to deliver advanced solutions for a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including industrial automation, cloud computing and IoT, building automation, smart environment, energy and metering, and home appliances.

All RA MCUs have been designed with a common DNA, making them feature-, software- and pin-compatible for easy scalability and code reuse from one device to another. It is now easy to develop IoT edge and endpoint devices, using the new Flexible Software Package (FSP), fast-start software for security and connectivity, and development tools from Renesas and the Arm partner ecosystem.

The RA MCUs deliver key advantages for design engineers such as market-leading embedded security, superior CoreMark® performance, and ultra-low power operation. Arm PSA security certification provides customers with the confidence and assurance to quickly deploy secure IoT endpoint and edge devices, and smart factory equipment for Industry 4.0.

Products now available from Farnell include:

• The RA2 Series: This is the RA Family’s entry-level 32-bit MCU, offering excellent cost performance and ultra-low power consumption whilst delivering up to 48MHz of CPU performance. With cutting-edge peripherals such as capacitive touch, the RA2 is ideal for system control or user interface applications including healthcare devices, home appliances, office equipment and measuring equipment.

• The RA4 Series: Satisfying the need for reasonable low power and the demand for connectivity and performance, this series offers a wide set of peripherals, including USB, CAN, ADC, capacitive touch, a segment LCD controller, and additional security IP integration. Suitable for a broad range of applications including industrial equipment, home appliances, office equipment, healthcare products and meters.

• The RA6 Series: Offering the widest integration of communication interfaces as well as the best performance level - delivering up to 120MHz of CPU performance using an Arm Cortex-M4 core and a memory range from 512KB to 2MB Flash. This Series offers Ethernet, USB Full Speed and USB High Speed, QSPI, CAN, and TFT display driver integration. Its embedded Secure Crypto Engine is full of features that can be leveraged in higher-level solutions.

Lee Turner, Global Head of Semiconductors and SBC for Farnell says, “This is a significant new launch from Renesas, which provides our customers with greater options in the development of their IoT hardware and software, without compromising on key features such as security. This addition to our range means that customers can access our widest range of embedded solutions, whilst continuing to rely on Farnell for the latest in-stock products, alongside fast shipping and 24/5 technical support.”

The Renesas RA Family of 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M based MCUs are in stock for same day dispatch from Farnell in EMEA, element14 in APAC, and Newark in North America.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, is now shipping a range of Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors designed to meet the changing needs of design engineers and address demand for 3D information and extended range created by new use cases. Today’s ToF devices support applications such as gesture sensing, distance measurement, robotics, industrial automation and process control, enabling practical solutions such as monitoring the position of an object in production as it is transported through a plant on a conveyor belt.

Devices from leading suppliers, available for next day delivery from Premier Farnell, increase distance capabilities irrespective of colour and surface of the item tracked, maximise use potential within both indoor and outdoor environments and satisfy high-speed, small size and low power demands, driven by Industrial IoT application needs.

Time of Flight sensing products available from Premier Farnell include:

• New to Premier Farnell, the ISL29501 ToF IC from Renesas is designed for detecting objects at distances up to 2m providing a cost effective and efficient solution for distance measurement. The ISL29501 is an innovative time of flight signal processing IC that provides a complete object detection and distance measurement solution when combined with an external emitter (LED or laser) and photodiode. Its one-of-a-kind functionality, including ultra-small size, low power consumption and superior performance, makes it ideal for use with connected devices in Internet of Things (IoT) applications, as well as for consumer mobile devices, home automation and the emerging commercial drone market.

• The VL53L1X ToF Nucleo pack from ST Microelectronics is a complete evaluation kit allowing anyone to learn, evaluate and develop their application using the VL53L1X ToF, the latest product based on ST's patented FlightSense™ technology. The VL53L1X is the fastest miniature ToF sensor on the market with accuracy ranging up to 4m and fast-ranging frequency up to 50 Hz. This ground-breaking technology allows absolute long-distance to be measured independently of target reflectance as instead of estimating the distance by measuring the amount of light reflected back from an object the VL53L1X precisely measures the time the light takes to travel to the nearest object and reflect back to the sensor.

• The newly launched AFBR-S50MV85G evaluation kit, from Broadcom, comprises an NXP FRDM-KL46Z evaluation board and the AFBR-S50MV85G adapter board delivering out-of-the-box connectivity between the sensor and a microcontroller board without the need for soldering. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use and optimised for distances of up to 10m, this sensor has been developed with a special focus on industrial sensing and gesture sensing applications that require high speed, small size and very low power consumption, such as human machine interfaces, robotics, and augmented reality.

Lee Turner, Global Head of Semiconductors and SBC at Premier Farnell said: “Premier Farnell's strong supplier relationships with ST and Broadcom, and now including new addition Renesas, give access to the latest technologies in Time-of-Flight sensing options. For design engineers seeking the right devices for their application, our technical support team are available 24/5 to help identify the most suitable device for their application, no matter how complex the design or requirement of the application.”

View the full range of Time of Flight devices by visiting Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, has expanded its product offering in the embedded systems field with the addition of the Renesas Electronics range to its product portfolio. Engineers can now access Premier Farnell’s widest range of analogue and embedded products, all in stock and available for same day dispatch, and delivery next day in many parts of Europe.

Renesas is a leading provider of embedded solutions with advanced microcontroller (MCU), analogue, mixed-signal, power, and system-on chip (SoC) solutions for markets such as automotive, industrial, cloud computing and IoT – from smart factory to smart infrastructure. Premier Farnell will stock over 1,500 products from Renesas.

Core Renesas products now stocked by Premier Farnell include:

• Renesas Synergy™ MCUs - Synergy MCUs integrate multiple series of software and pin-compatible ARM^®-based 32-bit MCUs that share a common set of Renesas peripherals to deliver the design scalability, power consumption, code-reusability, and performance needs for the embedded market.

• ISL9241 USB-C™ Combo Buck-Boost Battery Charger - The ISL9241 enables engineers to optimise mobile computing system performance and is ideal for products with USB-C power delivery functionality. It supports both narrow voltage direct charging (NVDC) and hybrid power buck-boost (HPBB) charging, and switches between the modes using firmware control.

• RAA210xxxx Digital Power Modules - The simple digital power modules eliminate power-supply design complexity. The RAA210825 for instance, is a pin-strap configurable 25 A step-down PMBus-compliant DC/DC power supply module that integrates a digital PWM controller, synchronous MOSFETs, power inductor, and passive components.

Premier Farnell will also offer a wide range of complementary support devices including precision analogue, power management and mixed-signal interface products from Renesas; and continue to supply industry leading RF, high performance timing, memory interface, real-time interconnect, optical interconnect, wireless power, and sensor solutions from IDT, a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics. This winning combination of brands provides a unique and comprehensive range to customers developing their next generation Industrial IoT, Infrastructure and Automotive applications.

“The addition of Renesas to our product portfolio means that customers can now access a wider than ever range of analogue and embedded products, all with a high level of service and support that they have come to rely upon. We aim to support our customers at every stage of their journey from the initial design concept through to large-scale production,” says Chris Breslin, President of Farnell global businesses. “By increasing the breadth of our product portfolio with products from Renesas, we believe that customers no longer need to go anywhere else for their embedded solutions.

Premier Farnell is part of Avnet, a global technology solutions company, and customers also benefit from the Avnet eco-system of support meaning that they no longer need to identify, review and take on board a new partner at every phase of their product production. Instead, they can have one partner throughout their product development cycle, saving them time and money.

The new Renesas range is now available from Farnell in Europe, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.