On November 11, 2024, Beijing, China - Renesas Electronics (TSE: 6723), a global semiconductor solutions provider, announced today that it is the first to launch an "8-in-1" Proof of Concept (PoC) solution for electric vehicle (EV) drive motor systems (E-Axle) worldwide - controlling eight functions through a single microcontroller (MCU). This PoC is developed in collaboration with Nidec and integrates motors, gears (reducers), inverters, DC/DC converters, and on-board battery chargers (OBCs). In addition, system level testing has been successfully completed to ensure its performance. Renesas will showcase its new 8-in-1 E-Axle design at the Munich Electronics Show (Hall B4, Booth 179) from November 12th to 15th, 2024.

Renesas and Nidec collaborate to develop a highly integrated "8-in-1" concept validation for EV drive motor systems. jpg

E-Axle, as a unit in electric vehicles, integrates drive motors, gears, and inverters. By integrating multiple functions, the E-Axle system can reduce system size and weight, simplifying electric vehicle design. Renesas provided key components including semiconductors and reference designs for the development of this new 8-in-1 E-Axle system. Renesas also plans to bring a one-stop semiconductor chip and solution for various "all-in-one" systems based on the reference design of this PoC. With these solutions, developers can immediately implement and evaluate the "all-in-one" system, thereby accelerating the development of electric vehicles.

In addition to Nidec's motors and gears, the features in this PoC also include Renesas' inverters (output power of 70 to 100kW, with a maximum efficiency of 99% or higher), a 1.5kW DC/DC converter, a 6.6kW OBC, a power distribution unit (PDU), a battery management system (BMS), and a positive temperature co efficiency (PTC) heating controller for automobiles. Generally speaking, each function of the E-Axle requires a dedicated MCU and power management IC (PMIC) to control the "all-in-one" system. The new E-Axle system successfully developed by Renesas only requires one MCU and one PMIC to control the entire 8-in-1 system. By integrating these functions into a single MCU through system integration, this PoC can significantly reduce the number of components, system costs, and size.

The new PoC has undergone optimal performance testing and includes numerous Renesas products: automotive grade 32-bit MCU RH850/U2B, PMIC for MCU power supply, isolated gate driver RAJ2930004AGM, IGBT module for inverters, power devices for OBC and DC/DC converters. Thanks to these innovative technologies, Renesas can provide customers with comprehensive system and software support, as well as key components for "all-in-one" solutions. Renesas is committed to creating comprehensive system solutions, including reference designs and software, to accelerate the development of electric vehicles.

Chris Allexandre, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Power at Renesas, said, "We are honored to partner with Nidec to launch an innovative 8-in-1 E-Axle solution and have successfully validated its outstanding performance. We promise to provide a wide range of power semiconductor devices and combine them with Renesas' digital products to accelerate customer product development and shorten time to market with a complete ready to use system level solution

Ryuji Omura, Senior Vice President, Deputy Chief Technology Officer and Head of Nidec Semiconductor Solutions Center at Nidec In the rapidly changing electric vehicle market, the demand for smaller and lower cost E-Axle systems is increasing day by day. Using a single ECU to manage the electric vehicle powertrain control unit will help reduce the weight and cost of the system, and reduce the number of components. We were the first to successfully develop this innovative PoC that controls an 8-in-1 system through a single MCU. Here, we would like to express our special thanks to the Renesas team for their enthusiasm and excellent spirit of cooperation in this project. In addition, due to the different integration levels of multi in-1 systems in different segmented markets, this project has also made us realize the importance of developing scalable design methods. By modifying the software configuration of multi-core MCUs, we hope to lay the foundation for a multi in-1 platform that can flexibly adapt to various combinations. ''

(Note) Based on research by Renesas Electronics.

About Renesas Electronics

Renesas Electronics (TSE: 6723), with technology making life easier, is committed to creating a safer, smarter, and more sustainable future. As a global microcontroller supplier, Renesas Electronics integrates expertise in embedded processing, simulation, power supply, and connectivity to provide complete semiconductor solutions. The successful product portfolio accelerates the launch of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications, empowering billions of connected smart devices to improve people's work and lifestyle.

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