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TOKYO, Japan ― Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced the RA8M2 and RA8D2 microcontroller (MCU) groups. Based on a 1 GHz Arm^® Cortex^®-M85 processor with an optional 250 MHz Arm^® Cortex^®-M33 processor, the new MCUs are the latest Renesas offerings to deliver an unmatched 7300 Coremarks of raw compute performance, the industry benchmark for MCUs. The optional Cortex-M33 processor enables efficient system partitioning and task segregation.

Both RA8D2 and RA8M2 devices are ultra-high performance MCUs as part of the second generation of the RA8 Series – the RA8M2 are general-purpose devices, and the RA8D2 MCUs are packed with a variety of high-end graphics peripherals. They are built on the same high-speed, low-power 22-nm ULL process used for the RA8P1 and RA8T2 devices introduced earlier this year. The devices include single and dual core options, and a specialized feature set to address the needs of a broad base of compute intensive applications. They take advantage of the high performance of the Arm Cortex-M85 processor and Arm’s Helium™ technology to offer a significant performance boost for digital signal processor (DSP) and machine learning (ML) implementations.

The RA8M2 and RA8D2 devices offer embedded MRAM that has several advantages over Flash technology – high endurance & data retention, faster writes, no erase needed, and byte addressable with lower leakage and manufacturing costs. SIP options with 4 or 8 MB of external flash in a single package are also available for more demanding applications. Both the RA8M2 and RA8D2 MCUs include Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and a 2-port TSN switch to address industrial networking use cases.

Both of the MCU Groups provide a combination of the high performance of the Cortex-M85 core, together with large memory and a rich peripheral set, making them particularly suitable for a wide range of IoT and industrial use cases. The lower power CM33 core can act as a housekeeping MCU, executing system tasks while the high performance CM85 core stays in sleep mode, to be woken up only as needed for high compute tasks, thus lowering the system power consumption.

“The RA8M2 and RA8D2 complete Renesas’ new generation of RA8 MCUs, purpose-built for the high-performance microcontroller market,” said Daryl Khoo, Vice President of the Embedded Processing Marketing Division at Renesas. “This portfolio empowers Renesas to deliver scalable, secure and AI-enabled embedded processing solutions that accelerate customer innovation and time-to-market across a broad spectrum of industrial, IoT and select automotive applications. Renesas’ commitment to innovation is reflected in the RA8 Series’ ability to address complex processing requirements while maintaining lower power consumption and minimizing total cost of ownership to future-proof customers’ designs.”

RA8D2 Feature Set Optimized for Graphics and HMI Applications

The RA8D2 MCUs provide a plethora of features and functions for graphics and HMI applications:

• High resolution Graphics LCD Controller supports up to 1280×800 displays with both parallel RGB and 2-lane MIPI DSI interfaces
• Two-Dimensional Drawing Engine offloads the graphics rendering tasks from the CPU and supports graphics primitives
• Multiple camera interface options enable camera and vision AI applications,
  • 16-bit camera interface (CEU) with support for image data fetch, processing and format conversion
  • MIPI CSI-2 interface offers a low pin-count interface with 2 lanes, each up to 720Mbps
  • A VIN module performs vertical and horizontal scaling and format and color space conversions of YUV and RGB data inputs received from the MIPI CSI-2 interface
• Audio interfaces such as I2S and PDM support digital microphone inputs for audio and voice AI applications
• Comprehensive graphics solution with industry-leading embedded graphics GUI packages from SEGGER emWin and Microsoft GUIX, integrated into Renesas’ FSP
• Software JPEG decoder optimized for Helium, available with both emWin and GUIX solutions, allows decode of JPEG images with up to 27fps end-to-end graphics performance with Helium acceleration
• Multiple graphics ecosystem partners such as Embedded Wizard, Envox, LVGL and SquareLine Studio are offering solutions that employ RA8D2 using Helium to accelerate graphics functions and JPEG decoding

Key Features of the RA8M2 and RA8D2 Group MCUs

• Core: 1 GHz Arm Cortex-M85 with Helium; Optional 250 MHz Arm Cortex-M33
• Memory: Integrated 1MB high-speed MRAM and 2MB SRAM (including 256KB TCM for the Cortex-M85 and 128KB TCM for the M33). 4MB and 8MB SIP devices coming soon.
• Analog Peripherals: Two 16-bit ADC with 23 analog channels, two 3-channel S/H, 2-channel 12-bit DAC, 4-channel high-speed comparators
• Communications Peripherals: Dual Gigabit Ethernet MAC with DMA, USB2.0 FS Host/Device/OTG, CAN2.0 (1Mbps)/CAN FD (8Mbps), I3C (12.5Mbps), I²C (1Mbps), SPI, SCI, Octal serial peripheral I/F
• Advanced Security: RSIP-E50D Cryptographic engine, robust secure boot with FSBL in immutable storage on-chip, secure debug, secure factory programming, DLM support, tamper protection, DPA/SPA protection,

The new RA8M2 and RA8D2 Group MCUs are supported by Renesas’ Flexible Software Package (FSP). The FSP enables faster application development by providing all the infrastructure software needed, including multiple RTOS, BSP, peripheral drivers, middleware, connectivity, networking, and security stacks as well as reference software to build complex AI, motor control and cloud solutions. It allows customers to integrate their own legacy code and choice of RTOS (FreeRTOS and Azure RTOS) with FSP, thus providing full flexibility in application development. In addition, Zephyr support is now included. Using the FSP will ease migration of existing designs to the new RA8 Series devices.

Winning Combinations

Renesas has combined the new RA8 Group MCUs with numerous compatible devices from its portfolio to offer a wide array of Winning Combinations, including the Smart Glasses and Pet Camera Robot for the RA8M2, and both Ki Wireless Power Transceiver System (Tx) and Ki Wireless Power Receiver System (Rx) for the RA8D2. Winning Combinations are technically vetted system architectures from mutually compatible devices that work together seamlessly to bring an optimized, low-risk design for faster time to market. Renesas offers more than 400 Winning Combinations with a wide range of products from the Renesas portfolio to enable customers to speed up the design process and bring their products to market more quickly. They can be found at renesas.com/win.

Availability

The RA8M2 and RA8D2 Group MCUs are available now, along with the FSP software. The RA8M2 devices are available in 176-pin LQFP, 224-pin and 289-pin BGA packages. The RTK7EKA8M2S00001BE Evaluation Kit is also available. The RA8D2 MCUs are offered in 224-pin and 289-pin BGA packages. The RTK7EKA8D2S01001BE Evaluation Kit supports the RA8D2 devices. Information on all these offerings is available at www.renesas.com/RA8M2 and www.renesas.com/RA8D2.

Renesas MCU Leadership

The world leader in MCUs, Renesas ships more than 3.5 billion units per year, with approximately 50% of shipments serving the automotive industry, and the remainder supporting industrial and Internet of Things applications as well as data center and communications infrastructure. Renesas has the broadest portfolio of 8-, 16- and 32-bit devices, delivering unmatched quality and efficiency with exceptional performance. As a trusted supplier, Renesas has decades of experience designing smart, secure MCUs, backed by a dual-source production model, the industry’s most advanced MCU process technology and a vast network of more than 250 ecosystem partners. For more information about Renesas MCUs, visit renesas.com/MCUs.

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) empowers a safer, smarter and more sustainable future where technology helps make our lives easier. A leading global provider of microcontrollers, Renesas combines our expertise in embedded processing, analog, power and connectivity to deliver complete semiconductor solutions. These Winning Combinations accelerate time to market for automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT applications, enabling billions of connected, intelligent devices that enhance the way people work and live. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

(Remarks). All names of products or services mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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The content in the press release, including, but not limited to, product prices and specifications, is based on the information as of the date indicated on the document, but may be subject to change without prior notice.

 

Mexico City, Mexico, October 22, 2025 – ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, recently kicked off its 2025 Broadband User Conference in Mexico City, Mexico.

 

This year’s congress themed “AI Boosting Broadband Benefits”, brought together over 400 global ICT industry leaders, top telecom operators, enterprise innovation pioneers, and strategic partners to exchange insights on broadband innovations in the intelligent era.

 

The conference highlighted a series of AI-driven innovations, showcasing how AI is accelerating the evolution of next-generation broadband solutions and driving network intelligent transformation to new heights.

 

In the opening keynote, Xiao Ming, President of ZTE Overseas, emphasized that broadband is evolving from mere connectivity to intelligence, serving as the digital neurons system of modern society. He noted that today’s users expect networks that are faster, smarter, and more caring. Guided by this vision, ZTE is accelerating the shift toward intelligent broadband, empowering operators to enhance user experience, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new growth opportunities.

 

Xiao Ming further outlined ZTE’s strategic roadmap, positioning enhanced network experience as the foundation, optimized user interaction as the catalyst, and expanded scenario value as the vision. Through integrating AI-powered smart home solutions, advanced networking, and intelligent operations, ZTE aims to help global partners achieve new levels of business excellence and sustainable growth.

 

“On the journey from ‘Connectivity Provider’ to ‘Intelligence Creator’, ZTE will continue to collaborate with global partners to co-build a sustainable, intelligent world driven by openness, collaboration, and shared success,” Xiao Ming concluded.

 

A key highlight of the conference was the panel discussion session “Winning the Fiber Race: Are Operators Truly Capturing the Rewards?”, which gathered senior leaders from telecoms, enterprises, and digital ecosystems to explore how Fibre drives growth.

 

Meanwhile, three dedicated exhibition zones showcased ZTE’s latest innovations in AI×Optical Network, AI Ecosystem, and Sports Innovation, offering visitors a comprehensive view of ZTE’s cutting-edge technologies and real-world applications.

 

AI×Optical Network

In the FTTx field, ZTE’s Light PON and Light ODN solutions support smooth evolution, enabling faster and low-cost network deployment with compact and outdoor OLTs and simplified network architecture, meeting the network construction demands of ISP and MSO. AI technologies bring in higher quality and efficiency. For example, the iintelligent ODN network planning tool enables one-click network planning and design, effectively reducing the time and labor, and fiber fingerprint technology provides full visibility and management, achieving fault location accuracy within one meter and cutting fault location time by over 90%.

 

In terms of optical transport networks, focusing on “OTN for AI” and “AI for OTN”, ZTE proposes the HI-OTN solution for high performance high intelligence. With single-wavelength 1.6T and 12THz full-band technologies that enable single-fiber 100T transmission, it provides an ultra-broadband and ultra-fast optical network foundation for AI services. Moreover, the AI-powered optical network health assessment and precise optical module failure warning functions shorten the fault maintenance time by 30%. By integrating AI-powered root-cause analysis for alarms, ZTE has boosted troubleshooting efficiency by 20%, significantly accelerating optical network O&M.

 

For IP networks, the AI HI-IPNet solution accelerates the monetization of IP networks. With AI-Native 400GE/800GE high-performance routers, it helps operators build networks with optimal TCO. The end-to-end millisecond-level low-latency slicing supports the development of high-value services such as private lines, cloud gaming, and real-time interaction, boosting revenue growth for operators. Furthermore, AIOps enables proactive O&M and minute-level precise fault diagnosis, ensuring highly efficient and stable network operation.

 

Regarding AI home, ZTE leads a new era of smart life. For home connectivity, ZTE AI Wi-Fi 7 and Gigabit FTTR are equipped with innovations such as AI-powered intelligent antenna, seamless roaming, and acceleration engine. This enables operators to deliver tailored experience by providing scenario-based packages based on thriving ecosystem. As to smartness, the AI media terminals have transformed a single TV box to a full-scenario integrated terminal. It reduces the cost by 30% and increases the ARPU by 20%, redefining the new large screen ecosystem. At the same time, the triple value engine of “smart viewing, smart storage, and smart connectivity” creates a new carrier-class paradigm of “security as a service”. Furthermore, ZTE’s AI Smart View won the “Most Innovative Smart Home Experience” award at Network X 2025.

 

Focusing on “experience as a service”, ZTE AI home provides every family with ultimate full-scenario smart experience through AI innovations and scenario-based services.

 

AI Ecosystem

As AI applications demand scalable, high-performance computing, ZTE presented its end-to-end intelligent computing data center solutions, featuring modular, prefabricated intelligent computing containers with liquid cooling, cutting delivery time by 40%. In power distribution field, intelligent bus bar pooling is adopted to support a wide range of cabinet power densities. In response to the uncertainty of future businesses, it provides a compatible and co-construction solution. 

 

Meanwhile, by combining AI-enabled intelligent management system perception and autonomous learning, it achieves optimal energy efficiency during the operation, meeting the requirements for efficient and flexible deployment.

 

ZTE also showcased its full-stack intelligent computing solution, featuring a comprehensive range of general and AI servers, including the industry-focused AiCube all-in-one appliance, to build a high-performance computing foundation. On the software side, it offers a navigational low-code AI platform and Co-Sight Agent Factory, which lower the barrier for AI model training and inference, enable pipeline-based, minute-level AI app development，allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to build their own AI capabilities amid the wave of digitalization.

 

The ultimate enabler of intelligent computing is energy. ZTE Digital Energy provides the energy foundation for AI computing and communication networks. The renewable energy business exhibition area showcases solutions for PV, energy storage, and the integration of PV with storage, offering smart and clean energy to global operators and enterprise clients. It provides full-scenario, end-to-end EPC capabilities and qualifications for renewable energy projects. The energy storage system features triple-layer protection for ultimate safety. The newly launched “Energy Matrix” integrates storage and generation, supports intelligent hybrid use and multi-energy convergence, and includes intelligent modular power units with over 98% efficiency and a high power density of 70.2W/in³. It supports single-circuit load power-off and metering. Combined with the “One Site, One Strategy” energy operation solution, it reduces solar energy waste by 20%, saves 50% in fuel consumption, and cuts electricity usage by 25%, leading the way in energy digitalization.

 

Sports Innovation

In anticipation of the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to the Americas, ZTE unveiled the “One Day for Football Fans” experience zone, demonstrating how its technologies elevate fan engagement—from ultra-fast live streaming and immersive multi-screen viewing to seamless connectivity across stadiums and fan zones.

 

ZTE’s FTTR solutions extend ultra-gigabit optical connectivity to hotels and retail stores, enhancing both operational efficiency and user experience. AI-powered cameras and monitoring systems further improve safety and service quality.

 

For large venues, the AI-Optical Stadium solution deliver all-optical 10 Gbps FTTR-B networks, significantly shortening the service provisioning time while increasing the bandwidth.

 

The AI All-Scenario Live Broadcast solution, based on the Cloud Premium Video Platform and hybrid cloud architecture, serving over 150 operators in more than 40 countries, supports 4K/8K ultra-HD playback, cross-device continuity, and AI-enhanced operations, redefining the viewing experience.

 

Throughout the conference, ZTE and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to digital intelligence co-construction across Latin America.