Renesas teams up with Applus+ Labs to achieve PSA Certified Level 1 with CRA extension

Renesas has announced that it has successfully obtained PSA Certified Level 1 certification with the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) compliance extension for three of its latest microcontroller Groups (MCUs). This certification, evaluated by Applus+ Laboratories, marks a significant step in Renesas’ commitment to cybersecurity and compliance with upcoming European regulations.

The certified RA4L1 MCU Group features low power, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) based on the Arm Cortex-M33 (CM33) core with Arm TrustZone® technology, delivering an ideal balance of low voltage operation, low power consumption and high performance. The integrated low power features, advanced security engine, and communication interfaces make these devices ideal for many Industrial Automation, Home Appliances, Smart Home, Consumer, Building/Home Automation and Medical/Healthcare applications.

The certified RA8E1 and RA8E2 MCU Groups, both based on the Arm Cortex-M85 (CM85) architecture, are designed for a wide range of applications including industrial automation, home appliances, smart home systems, and medical devices. The RA8E1 MCU Group features Arm Helium technology for Vision and Voice AI applications, while the RA8E2 MCU Group incorporates a Graphics LCD for advanced Human-Machine Interface (HMI) solutions.

PSA Certified, a leading global security framework established by Arm and industry partners in 2019, has introduced an extension to its Level 1 certification that addresses the compliance requirements of the upcoming European Cyber Resilience Act. This new regulation, set to become mandatory in December 2027, will apply to a broad spectrum of digital products.

“We’re proud to be at the forefront of IoT security,” said Daryl Khoo, Vice President of the Embedded Processing Marketing Division at Renesas. “Achieving PSA Certified Level 1 with the CRA compliance extension demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with secure, future-proof solutions.”

“With the continued adoption of edge AI devices across all markets and new government regulations coming into effect, security must be prioritised to ensure trusted AI deployment, protecting both businesses and consumers,” said David Maidment, senior director, market strategy at Arm. “Initiatives like PSA Certified are fundamental to driving robust device security and we congratulate Renesas on these new certifications which showcase security leadership in the age of AI.”

Jose Ruiz, Cybersecurity BU Director at Applus+ Laboratories, added, “We are committed to providing cybersecurity evaluation solutions that boost market trust and help vendors comply with regulatory requirements. Reducing fragmentation in cybersecurity certification is key, and we welcome PSA Certified’s efforts to align with other private schemes as well as governmental requirements.”

PSA Certified Level 1 also offers additional extensions to comply with the European RED directive and the UK PSTI regulation, both applicable to connected and IoT products, further enhancing its value to manufacturers in meeting global security standards. In addition, Renesas has achieved PSA Certified Level 3 RoT Component certification for the RA8D1, RA8M1 and RA8T1 MCU Groups, further demonstrating Renesas’ long-term commitment to security, including physical protections for the Root of Trust. Visit the Renesas IoT security page for more information.

https://www.renesas.com/MCUs

> Read More

Infineon sensor technology enables integration of industry-first 5-axis robot arm

Infineon provides sensor technology to Roborock for its state-of-the-art Saros Z70 robotic vacuum. The standout feature of the smart robot is its industry-first 5-axis robot arm that can move obstacles out of its way and clean in areas that were previously blocked. This innovation is made possible by the small form factor of Infineon’s REAL3 Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology. Unveiled at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, today, Roborock launched the new Saros series in Germany.

Infineon’s REAL3 Time-of-Flight, jointly developed with pmdtechnologies, enables a next level of navigation and object recognition of robot cleaners with best-in-class performance and space efficiency. The technology is 100 times smaller compared to conventional laser distance scanner freeing up space for the integration of the retractable robot arm while maintaining a sleek and slim design, marking a significant advancement in the robotics industry. Furthermore, the integration of an additional Time-of-Flight camera from Infineon guarantees the precise and smooth operation of the robot arm, significantly enhancing the capabilities of the Saros Z70. For customers, this translates into increased benefits when using the robotic vacuum for home cleaning, as the robot arm can now move blocking objects and clean areas that used to be inaccessible.

“It’s a major breakthrough that Roborock, a market leader for robot vacuum cleaners, has recognised the full potential of Infineon’s sensor technology and transformed it into an innovative product that consumers have never seen before”, said Andreas Kopetz, Vice President of Ambient Sensing at Infineon. “The collaboration is a great example for Infineon reinforcing its position as a leading player in the field of sensors and its goal to make life easier, safer, and greener. Together with customers and partners.”

Enabling the industry-first 5-axis robot arm for a robot vacuum underlines Infineon’s ambitions to further strengthen the competitiveness and go-to-market approach in the area of sensors. To accelerate innovation and value to customers further, Infineon has combined its sensor and RF expertise in a new business unit (SURF, sensor unit and radio frequency) to drive the company’s growth in the sensors market. This strategic move will capitalise on the vast potential of the sensor and RF markets, projected to exceed 20 billion US-Dollars by 2027.

https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/product/sensor/

> Read More

Mouser now shipping Nordic’s Thingy:91 X prototyping platform for wireless IoT applications

Mouser is now shipping the new Thingy:91 X Prototyping Platform from Nordic Semiconductor. The Thingy:91 X is an easy-to-use, battery-operated prototyping platform for cellular Internet of Things (IoT) proof-of-concept (PoC) demos and initial cellular IoT device development for logistics, asset tracking, smart city, predictive maintenance, industrial and wearable applications.

The Nordic Semiconductor Thingy:91 X is designed to address the needs of emerging low-power cellular IoT applications utilising Nordic’s nRF9151 cellular IoT system-in-package (SiP) with an integrated Arm Cortex-M33 CPU and Arm TrustZone and CryptoCell security technology, which supports LTE-M, NB-IoT, GNSS, and NR+ certified for global operation. The Thingy:91 X platform comes preloaded with an asset-tracking application and a comprehensive set of sensors that monitor environmental conditions and movement, enhancing its utility in various IoT applications. The Thingy:91 X includes multiple digital and analog interfaces and peripherals for many design possibilities, including expansion options through a debug board connector and an expansion board connector compatible with Qwiic, STEMMA QT, and Grove systems.

The Thingy:91 X Prototyping Platform comes with all necessary modem firmware, RTOS, application software examples, and hardware reference designs to implement a full cellular IoT design. The Thingy:91 X features two user-programmable buttons for user input, with user-programmable RGB LEDs for output, along with a Nano/4FF SIM card slot, supporting (e)SIM, and bundled Onomondo and Wireless Logic SIM cards preloaded with data to connect to nRF Cloud out-of-the-box. The package also includes a 1350mAh rechargeable Li-Po battery to facilitate prototype field testing.

https://eu.mouser.com

> Read More

Flexible 1A buck converter from ST powers low-voltage loads in smart meters, home appliances and industrial converters

ST’ DCP3601 miniature monolithic buck converter combines extensive feature integration and flexibility, enabling simple, low-BOM designs to achieve high conversion efficiency. The power switches and compensation are built-in, requiring only six components to complete the circuit, including the inductor, bootstrap and filter capacitors, and feedback resistors for setting the output voltage.

With its 3.3V-to-36V input voltage range and 1A output capability, the DCP3601 can power low-voltage loads in applications such as smart meters, domestic appliances, and industrial 24V conversion. Synchronous rectification and a fixed switching frequency of 1MHz ensure high efficiency across the load range and under all operating conditions, reaching 91% at 600mA with 12V input and 5V output.

Flexibility comes from the selection of different variants, offering the choice of forced-PWM operation for noise-sensitive applications or pulse-skipping at light load for minimal power consumption. Additionally, both the low-noise and low-consumption variants are available with frequency dithering to reduce noise power at the 1MHz switching frequency. All variants have extremely low quiescent current of 110µA and an Enable pin that allows turning off the converter with a dedicated signal to maximize power savings.

Designers can quickly start new projects with the DCP3601 using the dedicated evaluation board, STEVAL-3601CV1. The board comes with screw terminals and headers and is ready to power-up out of the box, demonstrating an efficient circuit design with a compact footprint.

First in the new buck-converter product family that will expand throughout the year, the DCP3601 is included in ST’s 10-year longevity program that ensures long-term access to components and support. Packaged as a 3mm x 1.6mm SOT23 6-lead device, the single-chip buck converter is priced from $0.48 for orders of 1000 pieces.

https://www.st.com/dcp360

> Read More

About Smart Cities

This news story is brought to you by smartcitieselectronics.com, the specialist site dedicated to delivering information about what’s new in the Smart City Electronics industry, with daily news updates, new products and industry news. To stay up-to-date, register to receive our weekly newsletters and keep yourself informed on the latest technology news and new products from around the globe. Simply click this link to register here: Smart Cities Registration