Renesas Electronics has introduced two 64-bit microprocessors designed to help engineers support different levels of graphics and connectivity without developing a separate hardware platform for each product.
The new RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE are pin-compatible, allowing designers to reuse a common PCB across multiple system configurations. The RZ/G3L targets applications with richer visual interfaces, while the RZ/G3SE addresses connected edge devices with simpler display requirements.
This distinction matters as equipment such as EV chargers, industrial gateways and building controls takes on more local processing. Even a basic status screen now sits alongside Linux software, network connections and security requirements. Other applications, including medical displays and retail terminals, need 3D graphics and video. Supporting both types of system often forces manufacturers to maintain separate board designs.
The RZ/G3L integrates a GPU for 3D graphics rendering and an H.264 video codec. Renesas positions the device for graphics-intensive HMI applications such as smart retail terminals and medical equipment. The RZ/G3SE is intended for systems where the display primarily handles status information, configuration or other basic interactions.
Both processors combine as many as four 1.2GHz Arm Cortex-A55 CPU cores with a 200MHz Cortex-M33 coprocessor. This architecture gives engineers Linux-capable application processing alongside a lower-power core suited to system management and control tasks.
Renesas has also focused on the long idle periods common in connected equipment. The processors reach the 1mW range in deep standby while retaining the Linux system in memory. Fast wakeup lets a device reduce power consumption between events without completing a full Linux boot each time it returns to operation.
Connectivity includes PCIe, USB and TSN-capable Gigabit Ethernet. PCIe provides a path to Wi-Fi 6 and 5G modules or an external AI accelerator. The TSN support addresses industrial systems where predictable timing and reliable Ethernet communication are important.
Additional features include ECC protection for on-chip memory and the external DDR interface, Secure Boot, Arm TrustZone, tamper detection and an operating temperature range of −40°C to 125°C. Renesas also offers a Verified Linux Package aligned with the Civil Infrastructure Platform for long-term software support.
The RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE are available now in dual-core and quad-core configurations. Both are supported by an evaluation kit consisting of a SMARC v2.1 module and carrier board, along with GUI, operating-system and system-on-module resources from Renesas partners.
More information is available on the RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE product pages.
