Renesas Electronics Corp., announced Monday its ability to simplify the device-to-cloud experience for IoT developers. Renesas’ extensive secure embedded design experience will be combined with easy and seamless out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Azure RTOS across Renesas’ microcontroller (MCU) and microprocessor (MPU) portfolio.
This collaboration will help deliver a complete chip-to-cloud IoT solution based on Renesas’ intelligent and secure devices and Microsoft Azure IoT building blocks including Azure RTOS, Azure IoT device SDK for C, IoT Plug and Play, IoT Central and IoT Hub.
One of the most deployed RTOS worldwide for MCU-based devices, Azure RTOS (formerly ThreadX RTOS) is currently integrated with the Renesas Synergy Software Package (SSP). This new effort expands Azure RTOS to the broader set of Renesas MCU (RA and RX) and MPU (RZ/A) product lines, starting with out-of-the-box integration into the new Renesas RA Flexible Software Package (FSP).
This announcement advances Microsoft’s decision in April to acquire Express Logic. Express Logic’s ThreadX RTOS has over 6.2 billion deployments, making it one of the most deployed RTOS in the world per VDC Research. This widespread popularity is driven by demand for technology to support resource constrained environments, especially those that require safety and security.
Manufacturers building products across a range of categories – from low capacity sensors like lightbulbs and temperature gauges to air conditioners, medical devices, and network appliances – leverage the size, safety and security benefits of Express Logic solutions to achieve faster time to market.
Express Logic’s ThreadX RTOS joins Microsoft’s growing support for IoT devices and is complementary with Azure Sphere security offering in the microcontroller space. Microsoft’s goal is to make Express Logic’s ThreadX RTOS available as an option for real time processing requirements on an Azure Sphere device and also enable ThreadX-powered devices to connect to Azure IoT Edge devices when the IoT solution calls for edge computing capabilities.
“Renesas Synergy customers have already experienced Microsoft Azure RTOS’ out-of-the-box connectivity to the Azure IoT Hub, making it an ideal choice for the billions of connected endpoints on the horizon,” said Sailesh Chittipeddi, executive vice president, general manager of Renesas’ IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit. “We are excited to bring Azure to customers working with our MCUs and MPUs. This collaboration will enable customers to bring their innovative connected solutions to market quicker with proven, trusted, and secure IoT building blocks.”
“Making Microsoft Azure RTOS offerings broadly available across Renesas’ product families, including Renesas Synergy and RA MCU devices means customers, will be able to deliver new connected solutions quicker,” said Sam George, corporate vice president, Azure IoT, Microsoft. “Our collaboration with Renesas is making enterprise grade IoT development as easy and seamless as possible.”
