Chip Talk > Unveiling the Future of Automotive Control with Renesas RL78/F25 Microcontroller
Published September 24, 2025
The drive towards smarter, more capable electronic and electrical (E/E) architectures in vehicles is an ongoing shift that has captured the interest of the automotive industry. With vehicles evolving into more complex ecosystems, the transition from distributed to domain and zone electronic control units (ECUs) is paving the way for integrated control systems. This transition necessitates advancements in microcontroller technology to support enhanced speed, data capacity, and security imperatives.
Enter the Renesas RL78/F25 microcontroller, a pivotal innovation designed to drive the next phase of automotive E/E architecture.
The RL78/F25 microcontroller is tailored to meet the demands of high-speed and secure data transfer in modern vehicles. Featuring CAN FD support with speeds of up to 5Mbps and 20 buffers capable of storing 64-byte payloads, this microcontroller ensures that communications between integrated control systems are both swift and reliable. Security features such as AES encryption and TRNG further enhance the MCU’s appeal, allowing for secure booting and message authentication.
The significance of these capabilities is underscored by compliance with international standards—ISO/SAE 21434 for cybersecurity and ISO 26262 for functional safety—both of which signify robustness and reduced risk in application environments.
Boasting 512KB of code flash memory, the RL78/F25 is well-equipped to handle complex software applications such as AUTOSAR and functional safety (FuSa). With the addition of ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity measures, this microcontroller supports a variety of low-power sensors and actuators, a key requirement in current automotive trends.
Renesas has upgraded the Capacitive Touch Sensing Unit (CTSU) with the CTSU2SLa, which now offers improved noise immunity, water resistance, and lower power consumption. Notable enhancements include multi-frequency scanning, active shielding, and automatic judgement for hardware-based button detection. Such improvements ensure reliability in varied environmental conditions, vital for automotive applications.
Renesas equips developers with the Smart Configurator, a user-friendly GUI tool that automates initial setup processes, enhancing efficiency in software development. Alongside the Smart Configurator, RL78/F25-specific evaluation boards, including a targeted evaluation board and a capacitive touch evaluation system, simplify the development and prototyping stages.
These tools further empower engineers to quickly bring innovative applications from concept to product.
The RL78/F25 microcontroller's broad array of features addresses the evolving demands of next-generation automotive E/E architecture. With enhanced data handling, improved security measures, and robust functional capabilities, it stands as a promising solution for the industry's shift towards integrated vehicle control. As the automotive electronics landscape continues to evolve, microcontrollers like the RL78/F25 will undoubtedly play critical roles in shaping future developments. To explore this innovation further, visit Renesas' official blog for detailed insights on the RL78/F25.
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