Renesas Electronics announced that its RL78/G1H-based sub-gigahertz (sub-GHZ) wireless solution has received certification under the Wireless Smart Ubiquitous Network for Field Area Network profile (Wi-SUN FAN) which is one of the communication standards established by the Wi-SUN Alliance.
This is an addition to Renesas’ existing high-end dual-chip solution comprising RX651 microcontroller (MCU) and RAA604S00 wireless communications IC, expanding the company’s Wi-SUN FAN-compliant portfolio.
The newly certified solution comprises Tessera Technology’s TK-RLG1H+SB2 evaluation board, which incorporates the Renesas 16-bit RL78/G1H MCU with integrated wireless functionality and a Wi-SUN FAN communication control software stack. The wireless solution enables customers to develop Wi-SUN FAN-compliant devices, reducing the time required for certification in the development process by approximately one year.
In addition to the newly certified RL78 wireless solution, Renesas offers a high-end, dual-chip solution combining the 32-bit RX651 MCU and the RAA604S00 wireless communications IC. This solution was Wi-SUN FAN certified in 2019.
Wi-SUN FAN is expected overseas as a wireless network not only smart meters but also smart cities/smart grids represented by infrastructure management such as logistics / building automation, smart street lights, parking systems, traffic management, etc. Among LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), Wi-SUN FAN is a communication system with multi-hop (multi-stage relay) and mesh function, and realizes stable and robust communication connection covering long distance communication and dead zone.
If using a Wi-SUN FAN stack, it must pass the certification test for interconnectivity established by the Wi-SUN Alliance, and this can take a long time after development for certification. Renesas’ Wi-SUN FAN stack has already passed the Wi-SUN Alliance interconnection test and is Wi-SUN FAN certified. Also, Tessera Technology’s evaluation board and Renesas’ Wi-SUN FAN stack can also be used as Wi-SUN Alliance certification standard parts (TBU: Test Bed Unit), so that users can design wireless network system with confidence.
Renesas’ Wi-SUN FAN stack supports IP-based features such as 6LoWPAN, IPv6, ICMPv6, RPL, and UDP which are required for Wi-SUN FAN. Also, the security authentication supports IEEE802.1X authentication and EAP-TLS-based access control which are used in wireless LANs.
Customers can develop products ranging from gateway applications such as border routers between FAN and wide area network (WAN) to terminal applications such as routers by choosing Renesas’ solutions according to required specifications, such as MCU processing performance, memory capacity, or power efficiency.
By facilitating the implementation of FAN wide-area mesh networks, these solutions allow customers to develop new added-value products in a wide range of applications, including smart meter power usage visualization, smart illumination, sensor management in factories or office buildings, and equipment operation monitoring.
“Wireless frequencies in the sub-GHz band are relatively unaffected by obstacles such as walls and buildings, which makes it possible to transmit data over longer distances in urban settings, and Wi-SUN FAN is gaining popularity as a wide-area wireless network standard with mesh network support,” said Toru Moriya, vice president, Emerging Market Business Division at Renesas. “Our certified RL78-based wireless solution will alleviate the development burden associated with sensor network applications such as logistics and infrastructure management, and accelerate the widespread adoption of Wi-SUN FAN to realize smart cities and smart grids.”
A communication control software for the Wi-SUN certified RL78/G1H solution will be available by September this year.
