Renesas Extends Support for Microsoft Azure RTOS Across 32-bit MCU Families With Simple Licensing

Azure RTOS Components Integrated into Renesas RA Flexible Software Package, Renesas Synergy Software Platform, and Easily Accessible via Renesas RX’s Smart Configurator

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced that customers designing with all mainstream Renesas 32-bit MCU families now have access to Microsoft Azure Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) embedded development suite, including its powerful Azure IoT middleware. Azure RTOS is integrated and available out-of-box in the recently released Flexible Software Package (FSP) version 3.0 for the Renesas’ RA Family MCUs, and the Synergy Software Package (SSP) version 2.0 for Synergy MCUs. Azure RTOS support for Renesas’ RX Family is provided through the e² studio integrated development environment.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure this integration enables a seamless developer experience with access to pre-integrated project templates and smart configurators. This integration leverages unique capabilities of our Secure Crypto Engine, enabling a highly robust security foundation.”

Microsoft Azure RTOS includes Azure RTOS ThreadX, an advanced real-time operating system designed specifically for deeply embedded applications. Among the multiple benefits it provides are real-time multithreading, inter-thread communication and synchronization, and memory management. Azure RTOS ThreadX offers advanced features, including picokernel architecture, preemption-threshold, event chaining, and a rich set of system services.

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“We have reached a critical milestone in our collaboration with Microsoft and are excited to be able to offer our customers access to this industry-leading RTOS platform across our 32-bit MCU lines,” said Roger Wendelken, Senior Vice President in the IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas. “We’ve worked hard to ensure this integration enables a seamless developer experience with access to pre-integrated project templates and smart configurators. This integration leverages unique capabilities of our Secure Crypto Engine, enabling a highly robust security foundation.”

“Empowering developers is one of the most effective ways for organizations to unlock innovation and increase time to value” said Sam George, Corporate Vice President, Azure IoT at Microsoft Corp. “This is the ambition of the integration of Azure RTOS with Renesas’ FSP and SSP software packages—this step forward marries Renesas’ leading development experience with the secure, scalable, and open edge-to-cloud IoT capabilities of our Azure IoT platform. There’s never been a better time to build on Renesas’ 32-bit family of MCUs.”

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In addition to Azure RTOS ThreadX, designers of RA, RX and Synergy applications will have access to the following middleware stacks:

• Azure RTOS FileX high-performance File Allocation Table (FAT)-compatible file system
• Azure RTOS GUIX embedded graphical user interface (GUI) application design environment
• Azure RTOS TraceX Windows-based analysis tool
• Azure RTOS NetX Duo industrial-grade dual IPv4 and IPv6 TCP/IP network stack
• Azure RTOS USBX high performance USB host and embedded stack

Later in 2021, Renesas will release cloud development platforms providing developers with a comprehensive framework to securely connect to and leverage the power of Azure IoT. These cloud platforms with feature a host of different connectivity options out-of-box, including Bluetooth, Cellular, Ultra-wideband, and Wi-Fi 6/6e. These Azure Certified kits will be available through the Azure Device Catalog.