In the fields of industry, automotive, and home appliances, high-performance and highly integrated HMI solutions are becoming the focus of the industry to meet the growing demand for intelligent interaction. In devices, modern Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) need to drive multiple displays, support flexible resolutions, and connect to a variety of peripherals. Traditional single-chip or low-power solutions can no longer meet the comprehensive processing requirements of managing multiple display outputs, flexible resolutions, real-time responses, and rich peripheral connections in complex scenarios.
In response to this challenge, Renesas Electronics has launched a fully functional high-end HMI platform solution.This platform has two technical paths: one is based on a microcontroller (MCU) architecture, leveraging the powerful performance of the Arm® Cortex®-M85 core to provide efficient 2D graphics support for single WXGA display applications; the other is based on a microprocessor (MPU) system, relying on a quad-core Arm® Cortex®-A55 and a dedicated NPU, easily driving dual Full HD (FHD) displays while integrating 3D graphics and advanced video codec capabilities.
Both platform solutions are equipped with microphone input circuits and natively integrate key communication interfaces such as Ethernet and CAN FD on the MCU/MPU side, supporting flexible display resolutions, providing unprecedented flexibility and powerful multimedia integration capabilities for diverse terminal applications.
MCU-Based WXGA Single Display HMI Platform
This platform adopts a modular design, consisting of a core MCU board and functional carrier board.
Block diagram of the MCU-based WXGA single display HMI platform
Based on the Arm® Cortex®-M85 processor, the RA8D1 achieves breakthrough performance of over 6.39 CoreMark/MHz, combined with ample memory and optimized graphics and peripheral functions, meeting the various graphical display and voice/visual multimodal AI requirements for applications in building automation, home appliances, smart homes, consumer electronics, and medical fields.
At the same time, the RA8D1 is equipped with Helium and TrustZone technology, featuring parallel RGB and MIPI-DSI interfaces, a 2D drawing engine, a 16-bit CEU camera interface, and a 32-bit external SDRAM interface, optimized for graphics and visual AI applications, perfectly supporting WXGA-level display requirements.
The Renesas RAA808013 synchronous buck regulator provides stable power supply for the high-performance MCU. This SOT23-6 packaged regulator can deliver up to 3A output current within an input range of 2.7-5.5V, utilizing COT architecture and PFM technology to achieve fast transient response and high efficiency under light load, effectively reducing the number of external components.
Program storage is realized through the Renesas AT25SF128A SPI NOR flash memory. This 128Mbit flash supports dual I/O operations and is an ideal choice for 3V system code and data storage, ensuring efficient loading of programs into RAM and stable execution.
On the functional carrier board, audio processing capabilities are provided by the DA7414 high-fidelity codec. It integrates high-performance audio processing and hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) technology, endowing the entire platform with clear and pure audio input and output capabilities at ultra-low power, helping to build a fully functional and efficient WXGA single display HMI solution.
MPU-Based FHD Dual Display HMI Platform
For applications requiring higher computing power and multi-screen display, this platform adopts a combination of MPU board and carrier board.
Block diagram of the MPU-based FHD dual display HMI platform
The Renesas RZ/G3E microprocessor is the core of this MPU board. The RZ/G3E includes a quad-core Arm® Cortex®-A55, a Cortex®-M33 core, and an Ethos™-U55 NPU for AI tasks. This architecture can efficiently run AI applications such as image classification, object recognition, speech recognition, and anomaly detection while minimizing CPU load. At the same time, the RZ/G3E supports dual Full HD output, MIPI-DSI/dual-link LVDS/parallel RGB, 3D graphics processing, and H.264/H.265 codec, making it extremely feature-rich.
Power management on the MPU board is jointly handled by the Renesas RAA211320 synchronous buck regulator, SLG46585 power management chip, and RAA215300, providing precise and efficient power distribution to the system’s various units. Program storage also relies on the reliable AT25SF128A SPI NOR flash memory.
The audio subsystem on the carrier board is even more powerful, with the DA7212 audio codec processing audio signals with its 650µW “always on” ultra-low power and enhanced automatic level control (ALC), and then driving speakers with up to 8W output (the device itself supports up to 10W/4Ω) through the DA7202 class D audio power amplifier, providing an impressive audio experience.
Additionally, key components such as the Renesas 5P35023 programmable clock generator, RAA211320 regulator, and iW7038 LED backlight driver work together to build a high-performance, highly integrated, and multimedia-capable FHD dual display HMI system.
Conclusion
With its highly integrated and flexible high-end HMI platform, Renesas Electronics not only accurately addresses the urgent market demand for complex displays and multi-peripheral support but also provides precise and efficient solutions for applications at different performance levels through a dual-track strategy of MCU and MPU, effectively promoting the upgrade and innovation of the next generation of human-machine interaction experiences.
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Renesas Electronics (TSE: 6723)
Technology makes life easier, committed to creating a safer, smarter, and sustainable future. As a global supplier of microcontrollers, Renesas Electronics integrates expertise in embedded processing, analog, power, and connectivity to provide complete semiconductor solutions. Successful product portfolios accelerate the market launch of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications, empowering billions of connected smart devices to improve people’s work and lifestyle. For more information, please visit renesas.com
