Next-gen SoCs and MCUs target all major applications across the automotive digital domain

Renesas Electronics provides advanced information about its fifth-generation R-Car SoC for high-performance applications with advanced in-package chiplet integration technology, which will give automotive engineers greater flexibility to customise their designs. For example, if more AI performance is needed in ADAS, engineers will have the capability to integrate AI accelerators into a single chip.

The company also shared its plans for two upcoming MCU product advancements in the next-generation R-Car family. One is a new crossover MCU series developed to deliver the high performance required for domain and zone ECUs in next-generation E/E architectures in automobiles. These MCUs are expected to close the performance gap between traditional MCUs and the advanced R-Car SoCs. Secondly, the company plans to introduce a separate MCU platform tailored to the vehicle control market. Both MCUs will be powered by Arm architectures and are set to become an integral part of the industry-leading R-Car family, delivering complete, scalable options and software reusability for automotive engineers.

As part of its roadmap, the company plans to supply a virtual software development environment that aligns with the auto industry's move toward shift left approach, as this practice is widely known. These software tools will enable customers to design and test software earlier in the development process.

"This roadmap comes after years of collaboration and discussions with Tier 1 and OEM customers," said Vivek Bhan, senior vice president, co-general manager of High Performance Computing, Analog and Power Solutions Group at Renesas. "What our customers have been telling us is that they need to be able to accelerate development without compromising quality. This means they must design and verify their software even before hardware arrives. We will help them realise this goal by continuing to invest in shift left and software-first innovations, deploying new scalable embedded processors, and bolstering our vast network of development tools."