Renesas MCU Tests RISC-V Demand

The RISCV CPU architecture has stimulated incredible buzz, but the number shipping as principal CPUs is unclear. Renesas is testing demand for RISCV-based embedded microcontrollers (MCUs) with its R9A02G021 (G021), opening a line of processors alongside its Arm-based and proprietary models.

The G021 is a simple general-purpose 32bit processor with a single CPU that Renesas designed in-house. Clocked at only 48 MHz and built on a 110nm process, it’s a modest model that aims for a low price. Application examples include sensors, remote controls, and trackers. The company says it has other models waiting in the wings but will watch response to the first one before following up with more.

Renesas already has two main lines of MCUs: those based on its proprietary CPU architecture and more recent ones employing Arm CPUs. RISCV, if successful, would constitute a third family. It wouldn’t replace the older lines since the company has customers on both with established code and doesn’t want to force them to port to a new architecture.

The company has also integrated RISCV cores into microprocessors and application-specific chips, but it obtained those CPUs from Andes. The new MCU is the first to employ the homegrown RISCV design. Available now, pricing is in the upper-$2.00 range for single units, with prices dropping by roughly half in higher volumes.