The Renesas Synergy™ Platform is a complete and qualified embedded hardware and software platform that accelerates development, inspiring innovation and enabling differentiation. The Synergy Platform features fully integrated software tested to commercial standards, a scalable family of ARM® microcontrollers and unified development tools and kits simplifying and reducing the initial cost of development.
The concept behind the Renesas Synergy Platform is simple, give back time and resources to the developer allowing them to concentrate on what they do best, innovate and differentiate.
Synergy allows microcontroller software development to begin immediately at the API level meaning no wasted time spent doing repetitive non-differentiating work at the lower levels. Instead, focus is on innovating and differentiating your own end-product above the API. All support comes from one vendor, Renesas, no finger-pointing and no wasting time.
The Synergy Platform integrates a wide range of scalable ARM Cortex-M based microcontrollers fully accessible through the software APIs. Operating from 32MHz to 240MHz, and flash memory sizes from 64KB to 4MB, your embedded system or IoT device design is covered. There are four Synergy MCU series of microcontroller devices designed to meet a wide range of application needs.
The S1 series of Ultra-Low Power MCU’s are architected from the ground up to be power-efficient, the Renesas Synergy™ S1 Series MCUs leverage an ultra-low power silicon process with a smart mix of analog and digital peripherals surrounding an efficient Arm® Cortex®-M0+ CPU core to enable long battery life in portable sensor and control applications.
The low voltage operation down to 1.6 V with extremely low power operation modes and fast wake-up times of the CPU core and the analog/digital peripherals make S1 Series MCUs uniquely suited for battery-operated sensing and control applications. Hardware acceleration through peripherals helps optimize CPU bandwidth and lower power consumption giving more flexibility to manage events and data transfers. This series includes security functions such as a true random number generator and AES cryptography, safety self-test functions, a capacitive touch interface, and a real-time clock. Reliable and trusted portable applications are a must for IoT applications and the S1 Series MCUs enable just that.
Typical end applications include Data capture and environment sensing such as smoke, carbon monoxide, chemical/gas, pressure, humidity, light; small kitchen appliances; portable/hand-held products such as Point Of Sale terminals, scanners, activity monitors and fitness trackers.
The S3 series of High Efficiency MCU’s apply the processing power of the Arm® Cortex®-M4 CPU core with a Floating Point Unit to a lower-speed MCU line which is built on an ultra-low power silicon process is the recipe for extremely efficient embedded system control. The Renesas Synergy™ S3 Series of MCUs does all this and much more.
The super-efficient CPU processing power on an ultra-low power silicon process with Flash memory sizes up to 1 MB and SRAM up to 192 KB set the stage for the S3 Series MCUs to meet the needs of many portable end-products. Battery life is stretched while operating all the way down to 1.6V including the option to operate analog and digital peripherals in special low power modes. Floating point computations and even DSP operations are executed with minimal CPU clock cycles for efficient pre-processing of acquired data before the data is stored or securely transmitted. A built-in segment LCD controller with capacitive touch interface enables the use of low cost display glass to address many mid-range HMI applications. All of these attributes along with security features, such as a True Random Number Generator and AES, make S3 Series MCUs uniquely the right fit for many connected portable applications.
Typical end applications include Portable medical and fitness devices, smart connected sensors, building control, fire and security control, thermostats and appliances.
The S5 series has a perfect blend of performance and integration in a mid-range line of MCUs making the Renesas Synergy™ S5 Series MCUs a selection that covers many embedded system requirements leaving room to grow as needed. Processing performance is balanced with large memory, connectivity, extensive built-in security and safety features, analog acquisition, and economical control of low-cost colour TFT LCD panels for tackling many IoT applications. With a full connectivity suite, graphics engine, high precision data acquisition analog interfaces and an extensive number of packages, the S5 Series is targeted for use in advanced HMI and industrial applications.
Compact power and efficiency with very large memory and a strong emphasis on security make the S5 Series a go-to choice for cost-sensitive IoT applications that must deliver in function and security. Users can leverage the MCUs’ large 640 KB SRAM to eliminate expensive external SRAM components for buffering graphic frames while driving a colour TFTLCD panel, the single-precision floating point unit for intense but efficient algorithm processing, and the robust security functions such as RSA encryption/decryption for handling secure keys.
Typical end applications include Motion/position control, communication gateways, metering, closed-loop feedback control, economical Human Machine Interface, appliances, optical networking and precision fluid pumps.
The Renesas Synergy™ S7 Series sets a new standard in performance, connectivity and superior security features. S7 Series MCUs give IoT and embedded developers new design options, particularly when their product requires large on-chip SRAM and Flash memories, needs to handle multiple high-speed secure connectivity channels simultaneously, drives a stunning colour display, performs precision control operations, or senses analog signals with high accuracy.
Having the largest on-chip Flash memory size in the industry for general purpose microcontrollers at 4 MB, S7 Series MCUs have ample space for complex application code or for complete memory redundancy to enable fail-safe in-field updates of the firmware. Memory benefits continue with zero wait-state fast SRAM that can be used for on-chip graphic display buffers and for high-speed communication packets, or for intense high-speed calculations to put lots of performance where needed in embedded designs. It does not stop there. Extensive hardware acceleration for symmetric and asymmetric cryptography and HASH algorithms plus secure key generation and storage makes the S7 a leader in the industry for enabling the design of secure IoT devices. Finally, multiple high-speed connectivity channels with multi-layer internal busses can operate simultaneously with the graphics engine that drives a variety of vibrant colour TFTLCD panels up to WVGA resolution.
Typical end applications include Human Machine Interface (HMI), power conversion, security surveillance, communication infrastructure, industrial automation, consumer electronics, PLC and data concentrators.
Comprehensive Starter Kit
Supporting the Synergy™ Platform of microcontrollers Renesas have made available a low-cost development kits based on the Synergy S1, S3, S5 and S7 MCU’s. The development kits offer a very low-cost way to access the entire Synergy Platform, enabling full development using the vast majority of all Synergy Software Package (SSP) functions. Within minutes you can experience the capabilities of the Synergy MCU’s plus all the ingredients of the Synergy Platform.
The development kits allow expansion via Arduino™ and Pmod™ connection points enabling you to add your own functionality to the baseline. The Renesas Synergy kit gives access to the e² studio Integrated Solution Development Environment (ISDE) for Synergy MCU device and software configuration plus extensive code development and debugging using the Renesas Synergy Software Package (SSP) which is included. In addition the complete IAR IDE Embedded Workbench for Synergy is included as well. All Renesas Synergy development kits come with an industry standard high speed SEGGER J-Link OB debugger as well as an integrated Bluetooth® low energy (BLE) module.
