Renesas has recently introduced the new RA8T2, an AI-powered motor control Cortex-M85 MCU that can be considered a direct upgrade to the RA8T1, which launched last year. The RA8T2 offers higher performance along with networking options for industrial, robotics, and other motor control systems.

The RA8T2 features a 1GHz Arm Cortex-M85 core, an optional 250MHz Cortex-M33 core, up to 1MB MRAM and 2MB SRAM, a 300MHz PWM timer, dual 16-bit ADCs with simultaneous sampling, high-speed comparators, fast PWM shutdown, and more. Connectivity options include dual Gigabit Ethernet, EtherCAT slave, USB, CAN FD, I3C, and SPI, while security features include TrustZone and a cryptographic engine.

Renesas RA8T2 key features and specifications:

• MCU core
• Arm Cortex-M85 up to 1 GHz (Armv8.1-M, TrustZone, FPU, MVE, ETM)
• Arm Cortex-M33 up to 250 MHz (Armv8-M, DSP, TrustZone, ETM)
• Memory & Storage
• Up to 1 MB MRAM
• 2 MB SRAM (with ECC)
• 256 KB TCM for M85
• 128 KB TCM for M33
• Up to 8 MB external Flash in SiP
• OTP with First Stage Bootloader
• 2x SDHI (SD/eMMC interface)
• Communication interfaces
• Up to 215x GPIOs
• 10x SCI (UART, LIN, smart card, etc.) up to 60 Mbps
• 3x I2C, 1x I3C
• 2x SPI (166 Mbps), 2x OSPI (333 MB/s)
• 2x CAN FD
• 1x USB 2.0 Full-Speed (host/device/OTG)
• Layer 3 Ethernet Switch Module (2x Gigabit MAC, routing)
• 2x EtherCAT slave controllers
• Analog
• 2x 16-bit ADCs, up to 23 channels
• 2x 12-bit DAC
• 4x high-speed comparators
• 2x DSMIF (delta-sigma modulator interface)
• Temperature sensor
• System
• Multiple low-power modes
• Battery backup function for RTC and security
• Power-on reset, programmable voltage detection
• Data Transfer Controller (DTC)
• 16-channel DMA Controller (DMAC)
• Event Link Controller (ELC)
• Timers
• 14x 32-bit GPT (4 high-resolution, 52 ps @300 MHz)
• 2x AGT (low-power 16-bit)
• 2x ULPT (32-bit ultra-low power)
• PWM Delay Generator (PDG × 4)
• RTC with battery backup
• WDT × 2 + IWDT
• Clocks
• Main osc – 8–48 MHz
• Sub-clock – 32.768 kHz
• HOCO (16–48 MHz), MOCO (8 MHz), LOCO (32.768 kHz)
• PLL1/PLL2
• Clock Accuracy Circuit (CAC)
• Security
• Renesas RSIP-E50D security engine
• Hardware crypto – AES, RSA, ECC, ChaCha20-Poly1305, HASH/HMAC
• Arm TrustZone
• Decryption-on-the-fly (DOTF)
• Secure boot (immutable 1st stage bootloader in OTP)
• HUK zeroization, tamper detection pins
• SPA/DPA protection
• Power
• Voltage – 1.62–3.63V (standard), +1.7–2.0V extra for SiP
• 5V tolerant, open drain, pull-ups, configurable drive strength
• Packages
• 224-pin BGA (11×11 mm, 0.65 mm pitch)
• 289-pin BGA (12×12 mm, 0.65 mm pitch)
• 303-pin BGA (15×15 mm, 0.8 mm pitch)
• 176-pin HLQFP (24×24 mm, 0.5 mm pitch)
• Temperature ranges
• 0°C to +95°C (Commercial) – 224-BGA, 289-BGA, 303-BGA
• -40°C to +105°C (Industrial) – 224-BGA, 289-BGA, 303-BGA
• -40°C to +125°C (Extended/Automotive) – 224-BGA, 289-BGA, 176-HLQFP RA8T2 MCU Block Diagram In terms of software support, the RA8T2 MCU is supported by Renesas’ Flexible Software Package (FSP), which provides RTOS support, BSP, peripheral drivers, middleware, connectivity, networking, and security stacks, as well as reference software for AI, motor control, and cloud applications. There is also an option for integrating custom RTOS code with FSP, which ensures easy migration from other RA devices. Renesas also offers the RA8T2 as part of its “winning solution” with designs for applications like UAVs with AI vision, precision motor control, and smart battery management.

MCK-RA8T2 Motor Control Kit Renesas also offers the MCK-RA8T2 Motor Control Kit, which includes an RA8T2 CPU board, a 3-phase inverter board (48V/10A), a BLDC motor, and accessories for quick evaluation. The kit supports 1-shunt/3-shunt current sensing, overcurrent protection, and works with Hall sensors, encoders, and inductive position sensors, while integrating Renesas Motor Workbench for debugging, tuning, and motor control development.

Back in 2023, Renesas introduced the world’s first Arm Cortex-M85 microcontroller with the RA8M1, but it had limited multimedia capabilities with only a 16-bit Capture Engine Unit (CEU) for camera input. To solve this issue, the RA8D1 was launched just two months later, adding LCD interfaces and a 2D graphics accelerator. This was followed by the RA8T1, a motor control MCU, but less powerful compared to this one. In mid-2024, we reviewed the RA8D1 development board, and later that year, Renesas released theRA8E1 and RA8E2 MCUs targeting low-cost applications. Now, the company has introduced the RA8T2 with AI-enabled motor control features, higher performance, and improved efficiency for various industrial and automotive applications. This brings the total number of RA8 Cortex-M85 MCU groups to seven as of October 2025.

The RA8T2 AI motor control MCUs are available on Digi-Key, where the R7KA8T2LFLCAB#UC0 comes in an 11×11 mm, 224-LFBGA package and is priced at $24.59 for single units, with volume pricing as low as $16.80. The R7KA8T2LFLCAC#UC0 comes in a 12×12 mm, 289-LFBGA package and is sold for $26.55 per unit, with bulk pricing down to about $18.18. Both versions are RoHS3-compliant and currently in stock.

Thanks to TLS for the tip.

Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication

Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.

Post navigation