Highlights:
- Integrated single board with 6-axis motion sensing, processing, and the latest USB Type-C
- Optimized hardware and software for seamless low-power product development
- Smart device makers can speed their time to market using this innovative solution
TDK Corporation announces the expansion of collaboration with Renesas and will present a demonstration of its new ultra-low-power sensing and processing reference design. The solution combines Renesas’ RA2L2 microcontroller (MCU) with the InvenSense SmartMotion ICM-42688-P 6-axis MEMS MotionTracking device. This collaboration delivers a powerful platform for industrial, home electronics, and IoT applications, offering advanced sensing and processing in a compact, energy-efficient solution.
The new board of reference design combines the Renesas RA2L2 MCU—the industry’s first MCU to support the USB Type-C Release 2.4 standard, featuring ultra-low power consumption and a 48-MHz Arm Cortex-M23 processor—with the InvenSense ICM-42688-P, a high-performance 6-axis MEMS MotionTracking device that integrates a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer with a noise floor respectively of 2.8 mdps/√Hz, accelerometer noise of 70 µg/√Hz. This innovative solution delivers precise motion sensing, making it ideal for a broad range of applications, including portable devices, PC peripherals, industrial systems, white goods, AR/VR controllers, head-mounted displays, wearables, sports equipment, robotics, and IoT solutions.
“We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Renesas by combining our advanced MEMS sensing technology with their ultra-low-power MCUs to deliver cutting-edge solutions for the rapidly growing IoT and portable device markets,” said Fabio Pasolini, Vice President and General Manager Emerging Sensors Business InvenSense, a TDK Group Company.
“Our new reference board with TDK sensors exemplifies our commitment to providing customers with the tools they need to innovate quickly and efficiently,” said Daryl Khoo, Vice President of Embedded Processing Marketing Division at Renesas. “By combining TDK’s high-performance IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) with our RA2L2 MCUs, we are enabling a new class of smart, connected solutions.”
The new ultra-low-power board can be utilized for evaluation and development. It will be presented as one of the key products featured at CEATEC 2025 in Japan from October 14th to 17th in booth #6 / 6H180, where visitors will have the opportunity to explore its performance and capabilities firsthand.
Key Features
- Ultra-low power, high performance solution for portable smart devices
- Highly precise 6-axis sensing combining a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer
- Arm Cortex-based microcontroller with support for USB Type-C Release 2.4
- Out-of-the box integrated software for rapid prototyping and development
RA2L2 Key Features
- 48MHz Arm Coretex-M23 Core
- USB Type-C with CC detection and USB-FS
- Ultra-low power (87.5 µA/MHz active mode and software standby current of just 250nA)
- Rich communication interfaces (SCI, I3C, SPI, LPUART, I2S, CAN)
Glossary
- 6-axis: 3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer
- IMU: inertial measurement unit
- MCU: Microcontroller Unit
- MEMS: micro-electro-mechanical systems
Applications
- Portable smart devices
- PC, gaming, and AR/VR peripherals and controllers
- Wearables
- AI smart glasses
- Augmented / extended reality glasses
- Sports equipment
- Industrial devices
- Robotics
- IoT solutions
For more information about the featured TDK product, please visit https://invensense.tdk.com/products/motion-tracking/6-axis/icm-42688-p/.
For Renesas featured product, please visit https://www.renesas.com/en/design-resources/reference-designs/rtk7a2l2ucd00000bj.
