Renesas has officially leveled up its MCU lineup with the launch of the RX74M and RX74N. Hitting up to 600 MHz, these new flagship 32-bit microcontrollers deliver more than double the processing power of their predecessors (the RX72M and RX72N). More importantly, they are the first in the RX family built on a 22nm process featuring embedded MRAM.
The RX74M is purpose-built for heavy-duty factory automation, targeting AC drives, robotics, and PLCs. Meanwhile, the RX74N is engineered for broader industrial equipment like smart meters, power conditioners, and HVAC systems.
Here is a look at what makes this new generation stand out:
The MRAM Advantage for Real-Time Processing
Under the hood, both chips pair a 600 MHz RXv3e core with 1 MB of MRAM, 256 KB of zero-wait-state TCM, and 1.5 MB of SRAM.
In practice, this means incredibly fast, low-jitter processing that won’t bottleneck during complex workloads with frequent branches and interrupts.
The switch to embedded MRAM is a major upgrade for speed, unlike traditional flash, MRAM writes data without needing a slow erase cycle first. That translates directly to faster code updates, shorter programming times, and improved system uptime for applications that constantly log data or update parameters.
A Single-Chip Foundation for Industrial Networks
Supporting diverse industrial Ethernet protocols usually requires a complicated, multi-chip setup. The RX74M streamlines this by integrating an EtherCAT slave controller, a TSN-capable Gigabit Ethernet switch, and CAN FD entirely onto one chip.
It supports the major industrial networks natively including EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP, while adding TSN for deterministic communication and EtherNet/IP DLR for robust network redundancy.
It essentially serves as a ready-to-go IIoT bridge between field devices and higher-level networks.
Forward-Looking Hardware Security
With mandates like the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) pushing for lifecycle device security, Renesas engineered these MCUs to stay ahead of the curve. The RX74M and RX74N introduce ProtectZone, a hardware-level feature that strictly isolates secure and non-secure regions within the CPU.
Renesas also upgraded to its next-generation Secure IP (RSIP), which significantly expands on legacy cryptography.
With broader hash algorithms, advanced authenticated encryption, and readiness for post-quantum cryptography (PQC), these chips are built to lock down IoT hardware against both current and future threats.
Improved Development Efficiency Through a Comprehensive Partner Ecosystem
Renesas collaborates with ecosystem partners to provide solutions for the RX74M and RX74N, helping customers shorten development time.
- Software: Codewerk, RT-Labs
- Development Tools: IAR
- Real-Time OS: eForce, Zephyr RTOS
For other partners, please see the Renesas Partner Program.
Additional Features
- In addition to the high-performance 600 MHz products, 300 MHz products with more than 20% lower power consumption are also available.
- A broad package lineup, including 176/224/320-pin LFBGA and 100/144/176-pin LFQFP
- A wide supply voltage range of 1.62 V to 3.6 V and an operating temperature range of ?40°C to +125°C (Tj)
- Support for XiP (eXecute-in-Place) from external Octa Flash and on-the-fly decryption
- A scalable development environment through the FSP (Flexible Software Package) common to the RX, RA and RZ families
Winning Combinations
Renesas has combined the new MCUs with numerous compatible devices from its portfolio to offer a wide range of solutions such as Maglev Conveyor System and Smart HVAC Control with Integrated Slave Actuator.
For other Winning Combinations, visit renesas.com/win.
Leadership Comment
“Industrial equipment development requires three key elements: advanced real-time performance, diverse industrial networking and robust security,” said Yoshi Ishikawa, Senior Director of the EP Advanced MCU Business Division at Renesas. “By integrating these requirements into a single chip, the new products simplify the design of increasingly complex industrial equipment and support the evolution of industrial automation.”
Availability
The RX74M and RX74N are available today.
For details on the RX74M, RX74N, and evaluation boards, please visit https://www.renesas.com/products/rx74m and https://www.renesas.com/products/rx74n.
