White Paper

Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the
IoT Landscape with Renesas Wireless Connectivity
Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscapewith Renesas Wireless Connectivity
Mehmet Aras, Netherlands, November 2023

Abstract
Smart home devices, appliances, ear buds, personal medical devices, smart energy meters, POS
machines, asset, and f itness trackers, … Whatever device you can think of that makes our lives moreconvenient, saf er and more enjoyable, in today’s world it’s likely to be connected, of ten wirelessly.
Almost everywhere, connectivity is no longer an extra, it’s expected. And expectations are growing – thatwireless is ubiquitous, that devices interoperate seamlessly, that set-up is simple, that perf ormance isreliable and robust, and that security is there where it’s needed.
The opportunities are huge – by 2028, the volume of the global Internet of Things (IoT) market could be
worth 2,3 trillion USD 1. Yet as IoT expands into every aspect of lif e, so does complexity.

1

https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/internet-of -things/worldwide

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Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscape with Renesas
Wireless Connectivity
The challenge now is to reduce that complexity, including through wireless technology solutions that makelif e easier f or everyone: f rom device manuf acturers and developers to the end user who wants products towork with no f uss straight f rom the box.
In this White Paper, we outline why complexity is a growing issue and how it can be addressed. We also
give an overview of the market leading Renesas portf olio which makes lif e easier f or developers designingf or wireless connectivity f or IoT.

Connecting a world of devices – Growing complexity
For billions of IoT devices Bluetooth® / Bluetooth® Low Energy, Wi-Fi or NFC (Near Field Communication),
Cellular, 802.15.4, UWB will be the wireless technology of choice. Each technology provides specif ic
benef its to support a vast array of use cases and perf ormance requirements .

Figure 1: Wireless connectivity technologies and IoT applications

But the complexity of interconnecting billions of devices seamlessly and securely creates multiple
challenges:
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Interoperability: designing f or a market where multiple standards and protocols are in use.
Performance: delivering, f or example, high processing and data capacity with very low power.
Scalability: maintaining large scale networks with optimal perf ormance as billions of devices getconnected.
Energy efficiency: minimizing energy use and maximizing battery lif e f or battery powered IoT
devices communicating over wireless networks.
Security: protecting privacy and preventing attacks and data breaches f or all types of data andnetwork.

In this complex space, semiconductor solutions clearly need to span a range of ecosystems, standards andprotocols. However, diversity must be balanced with interoperability. Because without interoperability,
end-users lose the promised convenience and ease of IoT connectivity. They end up struggling withincompatible devices or complicated onboarding, and network communication that is f ar f rom seamless androbust. New connectivity solutions need to assure interoperability with each other but also with the installedbase which create f urther challenges. That’s why standards and protocols like Matter, Thread, ZigBee andBluetooth Low Energy are looking f or ways to make interoperability easier.

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Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscape with Renesas
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Performance is equally vital. IoT use cases make tough demands on solutions . Battery operated smart
home devices and wearables typically need to deliver ultra-low power at a highly competitive cost.
Bluetooth or NFC solutions f or electric vehicle battery monitoring need to be automotive qualif ied to f ulf ilperf ormance expectations. Gaming, streaming, smart home and connected health applications call f or highprocessing capacity and better user experience. And end-to-end security is vital f or in-hospital patientmonitoring, … The list of application requirements is long and growing.
Moreover, perf ormance is the key to scalability and energy ef f iciency. In increasingly crowded IoT
networks, solutions must deliver high perf ormance in range, power usage and listen/receive sensitivity tomaintain robust communication and long battery lif e.
Security is of ten seen as weakness in IoT. Weak authentication, unencrypted data, sof tware vulnerability,
insecure protocols and a lack of standardization can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, andmalign attacks. Wireless solutions (and the microcontrollers/microprocessor they attach to) need to of f er
the right level f or each application. This can range f rom basic f or many smart home devices, to end -to-end
security in saf ety critical applications like smart metering and automotive.

Meeting the challenges: infinite possibilities, unmatched performance
Providing solutions to these challenges is part of the Renesas commitment to making lif e easier f or device
developers and manuf acturers. We bring know-how as a world leader in microcontrollers (MCUs) and(MPUs) combined with 27 years of experience in wireless solutions. And over the last decade, we haveenriched our in-house wireless portf olio through acquisitions of specialist market leaders to create acomprehensive product of f ering .
This combined experience enables us to develop solutions with a clear understanding of embedded
systems and how connectivity solutions ‘attach’ and interf ace to IoT applications. Our Bluetooth Low
Energy, Wi-Fi and NFC solutions are designed to work seamlessly with our entire range of MCUs andMPUs, as well as with third-party embedded controllers / processors. We also of f er combined Bluetooth
Low Energy/Wi-Fi solutions (increasingly important in meeting the trend towards Bluetooth onboarding andprovisioning in Wi-Fi based IoT networks).
In addition, our ‘Winning Combinations’ bring together devices f rom across our embedded processing,power, analog, and connectivity portf olios. They provide complete engineering-vetted ref erence designs
that accelerate product development and lower overall risk.

Performance, interoperability, and security
Perf ormance is crucial to meeting IoT challenges. But not every application requires the same kind of
perf ormance. In high volume applications cost-ef f ectiveness may be the key consideration; in others suchin industrial settings, high speed processing or end -to-end security may be critical. For Renesas, thepriority is high perf ormance tailored to diverse needs . In both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi In both Bluetooth and
WiFi we deliver the absolute lowest system power consumption. This creates new opportunities to bringwireless connectivity to battery operated applications like smart door locks and in NFC, best-in-class totalsolutions f or Point of Sale (PoS), access control and wireless charging applications.

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Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscape with Renesas
Wireless Connectivity
To address the industry-wide challenge of interoperability, Renesas is active in the Connectivity Standards
Alliance (CSA) and the development of Matter. Matter is a single unif ied IP-based protocol that enables
smart devices to connect with each other, regardless of brand, and across smart home ecosystems – aground-breaking step towards making lif e easierf or end-users.
Renesas is committed to Matter-complianceacross all our current and f uture Bluetooth and
Wi-Fi products. Our Matter connectivity products
will also f eature industry-leading security
protocols, including the latest hardware
encryption engine and authentication standards.
Figure 2: Matter architecture

As Matter is an application layer solution it can be
implemented over all key wireless technologies including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, ZigBee and Thread.
Plus, as data f rom devices can stay within the home network, Matter can help improve latency, security andresponse times, and ensure continuous operation even if internet connection to the cloud is interrupted.

Time to market
Meeting the challenges of IoT also means
ensuring f ast time to market. Here, Renesas’
strength in MCUs/MPUs enables us to of f er
complete solutions that simplif y integration of
wireless connectivity and networking stacks.
These solutions are backed by a matureecosystem of sof tware and hardware tools
including the Renesas Quick-Connect IoT
Platf orm f or rapid evaluation, design and
Figure 3: Matter in a smart home
production ramp-up. They are also
complemented by a growing library of complete ref erence designs (our Winning Combinations) and support
f rom the Renesas Engineering Community.

Renesas: a portfolio for easier wireless connectivity
Making Bluetooth ubiquitous
Shipments of Bluetooth products are expected to reach 7.6 billion by 2027 2, backed-up by a vibrantstandards body, the Bluetooth SIG, and an ambitious roadmap promising to enable many new applications.
Recent announcements such as Auracast™, enabling audio transmission over Bluetooth Low Energy to
power novel applications such as audio broadcasting and sharing or the Periodic Advertisement with
Response leading to Bluetooth-powered Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) to improve retail operations andcustomer experiences are just some examples of how this low power technology is evolving to reach these

2 Bluetooth SIG - 2023 Bluetooth® Market Update

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Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscape with Renesas
Wireless Connectivity
numbers. Bluetooth will also be part of the Matter standard, in particular f or ease of onboarding andprovisioning Bluetooth devices.

Figure 4: Bluetooth applications

As one of key Bluetooth Low Energy market players, Renesas of f ers mature solutions, a sof tware stackproven in over 600 million shipped devices, and comprehensive engineering support. Today, we arehelping make Bluetooth ubiquitous in all kinds of devices, many of them battery operated. Our low powerhigh-perf ormance solutions provide unrivalled versatility, spanning the widest range of price points andapplications f rom f eature rich SoCs f or high-end products to low-cost simple ones suitable even f or
disposable products.
Plus, with the lowest power, smallest size and lowest cost solutions, the Renesas portf olio is ideally suited
to Bluetooth Low Energy. Our solutions adapt to numerous f orm f ac=tors, including extremely small sizes
f or applications such as styluses, ECG patches and medical devices. Developers can choose f rom a large
variety of MCU conf igurations f or applications f rom simple wireless sensors to complex IoT devices withgraphic interf aces. And where cost and f orm f actor are a consideration, Renesas of f ers high ly integrated
solutions that reduce the system Bill of Material - depending on the SoC selected, a charger, a display
driver or a complete power management unit with Lithium-Ion battery charger has been integrated into asingle chip).

Wi-Fi: delivering outstanding performance
The rapid growth of IoT and increasingly demanding applications is spurring uptake of Wi-Fi 6/6E. Wi-Fi 6
provides higher perf ormance, f aster data rates (f rom gigabits per second to 1 Mbps) and lower latency, andextended communication range indoors. It can also support a large number of coexisting devices in adense environment (even in the 2.4 GHz spectrum).
Additionally, Wi-Fi 6 incorporates numerous f eatures to maximize IoT perf ormance in environments f rom
homes to large-scale enterprises and industrial applications. These include ‘Target Wake Time’ that
improves spectral ef f iciency, reduces connectivity congestion and increases battery lif e, particularly incrowded networks with many sensors and always-connected battery powered devices. Wi-Fi 6 alsoenhances security with the new ‘WPA3 certif ication (stronger encryption, protection against password
guessing, …), and devices can be connected via QR codes f or simpler, saf er end -user set-up.

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Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscape with Renesas
Wireless Connectivity
Hot on the heels of Wi-Fi 6 is Wi-Fi 7. It will enable speeds up to f our times f aster, and deliver advances toreduce latency and network congestion, increase capacity, and boost stability and ef f iciency.
Renesas of f ers an extensive range of Wi-Fi 6/6E solutions. These enable f eature-rich, high-throughput WiFi 6/6E station devices (with integrated dual-mode Bluetooth if required) through to industrial automation
and access points. Right across the portf olio, developers can f ind the best characteristics f or diverse
requirements like high RF perf ormance, robust security, ease of application development , and ultra-low
power to extend battery lif e.
Indeed, Renesas’ portf olio includes the industry’s lowest power Wi-Fi SoC that delivers multi-year battery
lif e while maintaining industry-leading range and security capabilities – perf ormance that makes it aconf irmed market leader. And right across our Wi-Fi portf olio, our f ully integrated SoCs include theprocessor, SRAM, security, ROM, OTP, Wi-Fi (b/g/n) support, and provide industry-leading range (119.5
dBm) as well as end-to-end security f eatures. Plus, our ‘Wi-Fi Ready2go’ solutions reduce development
time and ef f ort, f rom f irst idea through concept and development to production.

Figure 5: Wi-Fi applications

We are also constantly innovating to meet evolving market needs. For instance, our DA16200 Wi-Fi SoC is
Matter compatible and offers dynamic power management, consuming virtually no power in sleep state. All
our upcoming Wi-Fi solutions will support Matter, and we will be ready with solutions as Wi-Fi 7 takes of f .
Moreover, the Renesas Longevity Program ensures that our Wi-Fi solutions receive continuous support
including sof tware updates, security patches, and technical assistance f or an extended period.

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NFC: total solutions with best-in-class performance
NFC is present in a vast array of applications f rom payments, authentication and user identif ication tobuilding access control and smart home devices. And the NFC roadmap is set to bring advances such asincreased power f or wireless charging , greater range (f or f aster, easier contactless transactions) andenhanced device-to-device communication f or PoS in NFC-enabled smartphones. These will take NFC into
new areas such as healthcare and electric vehicles.
Renesas has been developing ground-breaking NFC technology and products since 2014. Our solutions
target the most demanding applications in NFC wireless charging , and PoS, and incorporate advanced
f eatures such as higher sensitivity and output powers. They enable sleek designs, reduce BOM andminimize costs, and simplify integration. For instance, developers can implement NFC f or brand protection,authentication and payment with limited NFC experience required.
We simplif y integration through higher reading distances and smaller antennae, with output power up to 2W
and best-in-class receiver sensitivity, along with Direct Antenna Connection (DiRAC) f or easy antenna
matching and best interoperability. And in sof tware, development is f acilitated through optimized APIs andon-chip handling of time critical protocol operations that f ree up host MCU computation power and memory.

Figure 6: Typical NFC applications

Plus, f or the growing SmartPoS terminal market, the Renesas solution f eatures a unique architecture thatallows placement of the NFC antenna near or behind the display, making it the only NFC controller thatenables EMVCo 3.0/3.1 in a mobile environment.

Renesas Winning Combinations for IoT applications
Renesas of f ers over 400 Winning Combinations f eaturing mutually compatible devices that work together
seamlessly f or optimized low-risk design and f ast time to market – many f or IoT applicaitons, such as:
A Matter-Ready Wi-Fi Sensor Solution f or easy interoperability in applications such as measuring lightlevels, humidity, and temperatures in smart home, building and industrial environments. With abattery/solar-powered design and Matter connectivity, it allows f or independent, stand -alone operation (nowiring) and a f ast/reliable system, as well as user-f riendly IoT development.
A solution f or wearable / portable health monitoring devices, with regular checking of vital bodyindicators f or early warning of health risks. Based on an ultra-low power Bluetooth Low Energy SoC it
incorporates a real-time ECG monitor and can be equipped with f ast battery charging f or high-end
application.

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Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscape with Renesas
Wireless Connectivity
For the growing trend f or smart locks f or home appliances, a f ingerprint based solution enabled by NFC,
capacitive touch, or low power Bluetooth f or communication with mobile or smart home routers. An optional
Narrowband IoT modem can directly support WLAN and send an alarm condition to the cloud.
A solution for smart tracking labels which enable container and device tracking while also providing
environmental data during transit. The solution allows f or reporting of a container’s or device's presence via
Bluetooth, either at a depot or via a tablet or phone app. The Renesas design is optimized with ultra-low
power devices and several standby options f or minimal current draw.
A solution that provides a cost-ef f ective, low-power smart controller for any heat pump. A f eature-rich
MCU and various wireless communication options (including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) enable the end user tochange the thermostat, set temperature schedules, review energy consumption and air quality.
A CO2 detector solution with wireless connectivity. The solution uses Renesas’ RTD120D dual thermopile
to detect the ambient CO2 concentration. It has a Non-Dispersive Inf rared (NDIR) thermopile-based gas
sensing circuit, and the concentration of CO 2 gas is measured based on the intensity of the NDIR radiation.
A battery-operated stand-alone system to detect leakage of flammable gas in industrial and household
applications. The system can detect Liquef ied Petroleum Gas (LPG) / Piped Natural Gas (PNG), and issue
an alarm via a single MCU with built-in low power Wi-Fi. This communicates with the nearest router andsends updates via push notif ication over the user's phone through a dedicated mobile app.
A blood glucose monitor (BGM) that design utilizes the high-perf ormance Renesas RA2 MCU series, acomplete solution in a single chip. Its high-perf ormance ADC provides an optimal f it f or BGM applications
where precision is required and with its Bluetooth module, the system can be easily extended to intelligent
connections and control via mobile devices.
A real-time tire air pressure and temperature monitoring solution based on SmartBond TINY™, theworld’s smallest and lowest power Bluetooth Low Energy SoC. SmartBond TINY and a PCB patternantenna reduce BoM and costs, and no dedicated receiver is required in the vehicle inf otainment system.
A highly integrated low-power mobile POS terminal, supporting NFC-enabled contact and contactless
payments. It implements advanced security f unctions, including anti-tamper, secure boot, and secureauthentication, with USB-C and wireless charging f or f ast charging f or always on-the-go mobile terminals.
A smart NFC access control system that can authenticate access and store user inf ormation through an
NFC card, camera, or manually entered user inf ormation. Capacitive buttons avoid mechanical key f ailure
over extended periods of use and haptics enable active response to user touch. There are options f or
porting a Linux or Android operating system f or f lexibility in meeting user interf ace experiences.

Renesas Wireless Connectivity in action
Carnival cruise ships: Elevating the guest experience
The Carnival Medallion™ device connects passengers on Princess Medallion Class cruise ships into its
Experience Internet of Things (xIoT™) intelligent, shipboard ecosystem to enhance crew-passenger
interactions with unprecedented levels of personalized passenger services. Featuring Renesas’ DA14697
Bluetooth Low Energy SoC f or optimum processing perf ormance and Wireless Ranging (WiRa™)
technology, the medallion enables touchless embarkation and disembarkation, f rictionless commerce, andkeyless stateroom entry, as well as service on demand; dynamic way -f inding; f amily and f riends locator;
f irst-run movies on the go; an interactive events and activities planner; and interactive f un.

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KAIFA: Small size, high performance solution for AMI
KAIFA, a global leader in smart meters and Advanced Metering Inf rastructure (AMI), was looking f or a solution
f or Bluetooth module that would be compatible with its smart electricity, water and gas meters, and handheld
terminals. It chose the Renesas DA14531 SmartBond™ Ultra-Low Power Bluetooth® 5.1 System-on-Chip which,despite its small size and power consumption, delivers excellent performance thanks to its powerful 32-bit Arm®
Cortex®-M0+ processor.

BilliCom: Cheaper and better meters
BilliComm, a subsidiary of GoldCard (China's largest gas meter company), helps customers create high perf ormance, low-cost gas meters, water meters, and gas alarms through reliable, low-power, f eature-richcommunication solutions. Today, meters go beyond simply measuring f low. For example, they use wirelessconnectivity to warn of leakages, cut the gas supply, and alert saf ety authorities and f ire departments.
BilliComm chose the Renesas DA14531 Bluetooth chip f or its low power consumption, microcontroller
resources, ease of adaption to different application scenarios through sof tware modif ications, competitive
price.

Fi: Low power Wi-Fi for smart dog collars
Fi’s GPS tracking collar has empowered millions of dog parents with insights about their dogs’ location andbehavior, saving thousands of dogs' lives through real-time escape notifications and accurate GPS tracking. The
latest version f eatures Renesas DA16200 Wi-Fi SoC and RA9530 Wireless Power Transmitter/Receiver,
solutions rugged enough to be round a dog’s neck, while offering exceptionally low power consumption, small
size, reasonable cost.

Stripe/BBPOS: Rapid NFC implementation for payment terminal
Stripe provides payment technologies used by some of the world’s biggest retailers, as well as smaller
businesses and consumers worldwide. Aiming f or a f ast time to market, it chose a Renesas NFC solution
f or its BBPOS terminal. This solution combines Renesas’s unique hardware and sof tware architecture thatallows f ast integration and EMVCo 3 certif ication with the antenna behind the display.

Prevent Biometrics: Reliable NFC charging of new & smaller impact-sensing mouthguard
Minneapolis, US-based Prevent Biometrics manuf actures the Prevent Impact Monitoring Mouthguard(IMM). Prevent’s head impact monitoring system is the market leading solution f or accurately tracking head
impacts in sports and the military. Worn by athletes in contact sports such as rugby, hockey, lacrosse andf ootball, and by soldiers in training activities, the mouthguard measures the intensity, f requency, location
and angle of impacts to the head. By choosing Renesas NFC of f ering, Prevent Biometrics is able tomaintain optimal charging perf ormance when the coils are misaligned, even if they are as much as 13mm
apart. minimize the charging system’s board f ootprint. In addition, the elimination of the f ilter reduces
losses, enabling the device to provide higher Transmit (output) power, and the listener to harvest up to 1W .

The way ahead: infinite possibilities, unmatched performance
In the coming years, IoT will take convenience, saf ety, security, automation and enjoyment to even higher
levels. The opportunities are exciting and challenging. That’s why our f ocus is unceasingly on perf ormance.
Renesas is committed to delivering solutio ns that combine everything our customers need f or the IoT of
tomorrow. We are constantly strengthening our market-leading MCU and wireless connectivity portf olios,
f or increased intelligence and data processing in IoT end points. And we are expanding our e cosystem tointegrate AI, f or instance with our Reality AI technology f or edge AI sof tware development. In a world of
inf inite possibilities, unmatched perf ormance will be key to unlocking the promise of IoT that’s truly
interoperable, easy to use, and always reliable – making lif e easier f or everyone.

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Simplifying the Connected Future: Navigating Complexity in the IoT Landscape with Renesas
Wireless Connectivity

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