Renesas RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE 64-bit Microprocessor Units Target HMI and IoT Edge Devices

Renesas RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE 64-bit microprocessor units

Renesas has extended its RZ/G Series with the RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE, two new 64-bit microprocessor units (MPUs), tailored for human machine interface (HMI) and IoT edge devices. The devices incorporate up to four cores of Arm Cortex-A55 application processors with a clock speed of up to 1.2 GHz and a 200 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 real-time coprocessor. Both devices offer pin-to-pin compatibility but are designed for different applications.  

RZ/G3L chip incorporates an Arm Mali-G31 3D GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that renders 3D graphics and H.264 video codec for HMI applications such as point of sale (POS) and medical equipment. On the other hand, RZ/G3SE chip replaces the GPU and video codec with a simpler set of display functions for IoT devices with minimal displays such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers and industrial gateway devices. Both devices can lower the standby power to approximately 1 mW and resume operations from deep standby mode almost instantaneously. The devices feature an extensive set of security technologies, including Renesas Secure IP, Secure Boot, Arm TrustZone, and tamper detection. 

We’ve previously covered the Renesas RZ/A3M Arm Cortex-A55 microprocessor, the Renesas RZ/G3E 64-bit MPU designed for high-performance HMI applications, and the VEGA AS2161 DHRUV64, India’s indigenous RISC-V dual-core microprocessor. Feel free to check out these articles if you’re interested in exploring them.

Renesas RZ/G Series Lineup

Renesas RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE – Technical Specifications:

• Processor and computing:
  • CPU: Dual-core or quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor operating at up to 1.2 GHz
  • System management processor: Arm Cortex-M33 running at 200 MHz
  • GPU (RZ/G3L only): Arm Mali-G31 @ 600 MHz, supporting Vulkan 1.2, OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, and OpenCL 2.0
  • Video processing (RZ/G3L only): H.264 hardware encoding and decoding, supporting resolutions up to 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps
  • Image processing: Image Scaling Unit 2 (ISU2) for hardware-based scaling and color format conversion, handling images up to 2048 × 2048 pixels
• Memory and external interfaces:
  • On-chip RAM: 512 KB system RAM with ECC
  • External memory: 16-bit DDR interface supporting up to 4 GB DDR4-2133 or 2 GB LPDDR4-2133, with ECC
  • External bus: External Bus State Controller (EBSC) with 16-bit SRAM support
• Storage and memory cards:
  • Flash interface: One xSPI controller with 1-, 4-, or 8-pin configurations
  • SD/MMC interfaces: Three host interfaces supporting SDHI and eMMC 5.1
• Display capabilities:
  • MIPI DSI: One interface with 1-, 2-, or 4-lane configurations, supporting up to 1920 × 1200 at 60 fps
  • LVDS: One interface supporting resolutions up to 1280 × 800 at 60 fps
  • Parallel display output: One interface supporting up to 1280 × 800 at 60 fps
  • Display limitation: Only one display interface can operate at a time
• Camera interface:
  • MIPI CSI-2: One interface with 1- or 2-lane operation and data rates of up to 1.5 Gbps per lane
• Audio interfaces:
  • Four Serial Sound Interfaces (SSIF)
  • One SPDIF input/output interface
  • Three Pulse-Density Modulation (PDM) audio inputs
• Networking and connectivity:
  • Ethernet: Two Gigabit Ethernet ports supporting 10/100/1000 Mbps with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)
  • USB: Two USB 2.0 Host/Function interfaces
  • PCIe: One PCI Express 2.0 Gen2 interface with a single lane, operating in Root Complex mode only
• Security features:
  • Renesas Secure IP with Secure Boot, Secure Update, and Secure Debug
  • Hardware cryptographic engine and True Random Number Generator (TRNG)
  • Arm TrustZone security technology
  • Tamper detection functionality
• General-purpose I/O and peripheral interfaces:
  • Configurable I/O: 113 pins managed by the Pin Function Controller (PFC)
  • Industrial networking and control: Three CAN FD interfaces
  • Serial interfaces: One I3C, four I²C (RIIC), three SPI (RSPI), four RSCI, and six SCIF interfaces
• Timers and system management:
  • Eight-channel, 32-bit general-purpose PWM timer
  • Multi-Function Timer Pulse Unit (MTU): Eight 16-bit channels and one 32-bit channel
  • Watchdog timer
  • Real-Time Clock (RTC)
• Power supply requirements:
  • Core logic: 1.0 V
  • Memory: 1.1 V for LPDDR4 or 1.2 V for DDR4
  • I/O supply: 1.8 V, 2.5 V, or 3.3 V
  • Battery backup (VBATT): 1.5–1.95 V
• Package options:
  • 368-pin LFBGA, measuring 17 × 17 mm with 0.65 mm pitch
  • 400-pin LFBGA, measuring 14 × 14 mm with 0.5 mm pitch
• Industrial temperature range: −40°C to +125°C

RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE 64-bit microprocessor units Block Diagram

In terms of software, both RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE 64-bit microprocessor units are supported by Renesas’ Yocto-based Linux stack, including Linux BSP Plus for the current Long-Term-Support (LTS) kernels and Verified Linux Package (VLP). The Cortex-A55 cores run Linux while the Cortex-M33 was used for real-time operations, with Zephyr RTOS named as one of the launch partners. Atmark Techno’s Armadillo Base OS is also available for the RZ/G MPUS. For the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) development, the MPUS are supported by the RZ/G HMI SDK and GUI frameworks, such as LVGL graphics library, Embedded Wizard, Slint and Candera, Spyrosoft and Qt. Both processors can enter deep standby with Linux retained in-memory for fast wake-up. Both the RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE are available with a RZ/G3L Evaluation Board Kit which includes a single RZ/G3L SMARC 2.1.1 module board, common carrier board, and necessary adapter boards and cables. Another option is to take advantage of a pre-installed Linux image along with the HMI SDK that can be booted up and start testing the platform in no time. The RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE processors each come in four different variants, and although Renesas stated that both families were available for sale, the stocks at distributors were low a day after the launch.

Evaluation Board Kit for RZ/G3L MPU

DigiKey currently lists four of the eight-part numbers, all of which are ‘no stock’ with a 14-week factory lead time, with the first incoming stock expected to arrive on December 18, 2026. On the pricing front, DigiKey lists the RZ/G3SE starting from $34.48 for the RZ/G3L and $31.65, while Renesas lists the prices for the RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE from $15.92 to $21.65 and $14.28 to $20.03 respectively for 1,000 units. Additional information can be found on the respective product pages and from the press release.