This update provides extensive support for the cutting-edge Arm Cortex-M85-based RA8 devices.
The Renesas RA8 Series MCUs are the first to feature Arm Cortex-M85 processor and Arm's Helium technology for enhanced DSP and AI/ML capabilities, with the first devices, the RA8M1 Group, now having begun volume shipments.
The RA8 MCUs offer extensive support for low voltage and include various low-power modes. They also offer remarkable efficiency, with current consumption dropping as low as 0.5µA in RTC mode with battery backup functionality.
The MCU’s have a performance rating of 6.39 Coremark/MHz, expanding potential use cases into applications that previously required microprocessors (MPUs). The RA8 Series incorporates top-tier hardware and software-based security features, including Advanced Cryptographic Acceleration, TrustZone, and Tamper Protection.
The IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm serves as a comprehensive development toolchain that will help to accelerate embedded development while ensuring security. It compasses the highly optimising IAR C/C++ Compiler and advanced debugging functionalities, facilitated by the code analysis tools IAR C-STAT and IAR C-RUN.
The latest release of the tool suite introduces a PACBTI extension, providing a robust defence against Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) and Jump-Oriented Programming (JOP), thereby eliminating exploitable software vulnerabilities.
“Developers aiming to harness the high performance and reliable security features of the Renesas RA8 require an equally powerful development tool suite, such as the IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm,” said Andy Beeson, Product Manager Renesas Electronics. “IAR stands as a trusted partner within the Renesas tools ecosystem, enabling our customers to commence RA8 MCU-based designs promptly.”
“We are excited to be the industry’s first to offer complete tools support for the new Renesas RA8 series,” said Anders Holmberg, CTO at IAR. “With the RA8 MCUs delivering remarkable performance and security, our tools ensure that embedded developers can fully leverage these capabilities for their AI and ML applications.”
