Renesas Electronics Corp. has introduced the RL78/G21, a 16-bit microcontroller (MCU) designed for low-power system control in home appliances, including air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and microwave ovens. The new device extends the company’s RL78 MCU family, combining low operating power with integrated peripherals intended to reduce component count and system costs. Renesas also expanded its RL78/G23 lineup with additional capacitive-touch channels for applications requiring more advanced human-machine interfaces (HMIs). The RL78/G21 achieves an operating current of 34 μA/MHz, nearly half that of the RL78/G13, according to Renesas. It integrates a high-speed on-chip oscillator (HOCO) with ±1.0% accuracy and 4kB of data flash, eliminating the need for an external oscillator and EEPROM in supported designs. The MCU is available with 128kB or 256kB of code flash. Its UARTA communication interface, an addition over the RL78/G13, supports system expansion, including the connection of additional sensors. The RL78/G21 also provides ±4kV human body model (HBM) electrostatic discharge tolerance, intended to improve reliability during manufacturing, assembly and product operation. It is pin- and function-compatible with existing RL78/G13 and RL78/G23 devices, allowing customers to migrate designs with limited hardware changes. Renesas has also strengthened security features across the new devices to address physical and cyber threats, including counterfeiting, cloning, unauthorized access and data tampering. Raji Mukhopadhyay, business division manager of Renesas’ EP Mainstream MCU Business Division, said, “The RL78/G21 and RL78/G23 are built on the proven strengths of the RL78 family, delivering significant advances in low-power performance, reliability and security,” said Raji Mukhopadhyay, Business Division Manager, EP Mainstream MCU Business Division at Renesas. “The RL78/G21’s ±4 kV HBM ESD tolerance is a key differentiator. It further strengthens reliability, while its enhanced security capabilities address the growing need for more secure smart appliances.” The RL78/G23 expansion introduces the R7F104G series, which increases capacitive-touch channels compared with the existing R7F100G devices. The new 44-pin version supports 24 touch channels, up from 14, while the 48-pin version provides 25 channels, compared with 16 previously. Renesas supports touch-interface development across its RL78, RX and RA MCU families through common peripheral functionality and its QE for Capacitive Touch development tool. Additional features across the new devices include an IEC 60730-compliant self-test library, flash read protection, a flash shield window, Unique ID and Customer ID functions. The MCUs support operating voltages from 1.6V to 5.5V and are supported by Renesas’ Smart Configurator and Fast Prototyping Board. The post Renesas Adds Low-power RL78 MCU for Smart Appliance Control appeared first on EE Times Asia .