Renesas Electronics has expanded its Renesas 365 platform to make electronics development easier for engineers. For the first time, developers can access low-cost RA microcontroller (MCU) development boards, starting at $12, along with expansion modules, application software and development tools from Renesas and its partners through the platform. The cloud-based Xplore Developer Hub also provides guided tutorials and practical development exercises, helping engineers build and test low-cost prototypes more quickly.
Xplore Developer Hub is designed for engineers who want to test new ideas, develop low-cost applications and complete projects within shorter timelines. It brings hardware, software and development tools together on the Renesas 365 platform. Engineers can select development boards, connect expansion modules, use ready-made software components to build applications and test their designs, all within a single environment.
Renesas 365, Powered by Altium, is an open and intelligent electronics system development platform that enables engineers to move from solution discovery to system development and lifecycle management in a single environment. Users can access the hub through Renesas 365 via a web browser.
“One of the biggest challenges in embedded system development is bridging the gap between system exploration and implementation,” said Gaurang Shah, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Embedded Processing Product Group at Renesas. “Xplore Developer Hub brings the Renesas 365 vision to life. Hardware, application-oriented software building blocks, documentation and development tools are all available in a unified and intelligently connected platform, so engineers can now go from idea to working prototype in hours instead of weeks.”
Software Building Blocks Designed for End Applications
Software building blocks are application-focused software modules derived from real-world embedded use cases and optimized for Renesas hardware and peripherals. Rather than requiring developers to start with low-level device software and navigate new tools, SDKs and frameworks, software building blocks provide validated functionality aligned with common application and subsystem requirements. By packaging Renesas technology into usable, application-oriented building blocks, developers can onboard more quickly, reduce software rework and accelerate development. This allows engineering teams to spend less time learning infrastructure and more time creating the differentiated application features that add value to their products.
Xplore Developer Hub offers more than 100 software building blocks that are natively integrated into Renesas 365. They are easy to discover and deploy in the same environment where developers design and build their application. Each software building block delivers validated functionality that can be used across multiple products and applications. Code written for NFC or BLE connectivity functions, for example, can carry over to products ranging from asset tracking devices and smart locks to home appliances. This reuse significantly reduces engineering rework and helps customers get to market faster.
Solution Discovery and Application-Driven Development
Xplore Developer Hub is the first hands-on prototype experience built on Renesas 365, bringing the platform to broad market developers through low-cost RA MCU boards. Engineers can explore solutions built on real use cases and applications instead of searching through individual components and features. They can select an RA MCU board, add analog, power and connectivity expansion modules and evaluate their idea without leaving their design environment. Demonstrations, tutorials and hands-on labs are built around specific applications, including smart home, industrial, consumer and IoT systems and guide users to quickly move from evaluation to a working prototype.
Collaborative Embedded Development Environment Enabled by Renesas 365
Because Xplore Developer Hub runs inside and is natively integrated with Renesas 365, developers can work directly within its cloud-connected workspace, where stakeholders across the organization can collaborate in real time. Engineers can access development boards, software resources, an IDE and design workflows from a single environment without any installation, while sharing progress across teams. This connected experience lets teams build on each other’s work and speed up development.
