Renesas RZ/G3L & RZ/G3SE: 64-bit MPUs Transforming Industrial HMI and IoT Edge Systems in India

Renesas RZ/G3L & RZ/G3SE: 64-bit MPUs Transforming Industrial HMI and IoT Edge Systems in India

Key Takeaway

Renesas’s new RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE 64-bit MPUs bring desktop-class processing, 1 mW standby power, and TSN-capable Ethernet to Indian industrial HMI and IoT edge deployments – enabling plants to upgrade from 32-bit embedded controllers without sacrificing real-time determinism.

Renesas RZ/G3 MPU: Industrial HMI & IoT Edge 1. RZ/G3L Quad-core Cortex-A55 @ 1.2 GHz GPU: Integrated 3D H.264 codec 2. RZ/G3SE Dual-core Cortex-A55 @ 1.2 GHz M33 coprocessor Basic display I/O 3. Pin Compatibility Same PCB for both 1 mW standby TSN Ethernet 4. Ecosystem LVGL GUI engines Zephyr RTOS Ten SoM partners Why it matters: An Indian automotive supplier can replace two 32-bit MCUs with one RZ/G3L, reducing BOM cost 25% and power draw 40% while adding camera-based quality inspection.

Figure 1: Renesas RZ/G3L/RZ/G3SE MPU block diagram and key differentiators

1. Renesas RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE: The Announcement

On September 10, 2026, Renesas Electronics expanded its RZ/G Series with two new 64-bit general-purpose microprocessors: the RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE. The announcement targets Human Machine Interface (HMI) and IoT edge system designs that require high processing performance combined with deterministic networking and ultra-low standby power. Both MPUs are pin-compatible, meaning a single PCB can be reused across product variants, a significant advantage for Indian OEMs managing multiple product lines.

The RZ/G3L integrates a GPU for 3D graphics rendering along with an H.264 video codec, making it ideal for smart retail terminals and medical HMI devices that demand rich graphics and video capabilities. The RZ/G3SE is designed for IoT devices with basic display requirements, such as EV chargers and industrial gateway devices that provide status indicators and configuration screens. This division of labor – rich graphics vs. basic status display – gives system designers a clear migration path from smaller MCUs to application-grade processors.

2. Architectural Differences: RZ/G3L vs RZ/G3SE

Feature RZ/G3L RZ/G3SE
CPU Cluster Up to 4× Cortex-A55 @ 1.2 GHz Up to 2× Cortex-A55 @ 1.2 GHz
Coprocessor – 1× Cortex-M33 @ 200 MHz
GPU Integrated 3D GPU –
Video H.264 codec –
Display Rich graphics Basic status I/O
Target Smart retail, medical HMI EV chargers, industrial gateways
Standby Power 1 mW level 1 mW level

The third-generation RZ/G Series adopts a proprietary power management architecture that significantly reduces standby power. As a result, the new products can lower standby power to the 1 mW level in deep standby mode. They can remain in standby mode while retaining the Linux system in memory and resume operation quickly when needed – a critical capability for always-connected industrial devices.

Both MPUs incorporate up to four Arm Cortex-A55 cores running at up to 1.2 GHz, together with a Cortex-M33 coprocessor (on the RZ/G3SE only). This combination delivers the compute density needed for AI-enhanced HMI while maintaining the deterministic real-time response that industrial control loops demand.

3. Indian Industrial Applications: HMI, IoT Edge, and Vision

For Indian manufacturers, the RZ/G3 family addresses several pressing constraints:

  • Machine vision at the edge: The RZ/G3L’s integrated GPU and H.264 codec enable 4K@30fps video processing for quality inspection systems – a capability that previously required a separate GPU card and Linux box, pushing BOM cost from Rs 2-3 lakh to under Rs 1 lakh.
  • Gateway consolidation: The RZ/G3SE can function as a single edge gateway that handles protocol translation (Modbus, ProfiBus), MQTT publishing, and basic HMIs on one silicon, replacing a Raspberry Pi + MCU combo and reducing power consumption from ~3 W to ~0.1 W.
  • Predictive maintenance analytics: With Armv9-A SVE2 support and up to 600 DMIPS per core, the RZ/G3 family can run XGBoost or lightweight LSTM models locally on sensor data streams, eliminating the need to transmit raw data to the cloud for simple anomaly detection – important for plants with limited bandwidth.
  • EV charger modernization: With the Indian EV market targeting 1 million vehicles by 2030, the RZ/G3SE’s combination of CAN, Ethernet TSN, and IEC 61850 support positions it as a cost-effective controller for next-generation AC and DC chargers.

Renesas has combined the new MPUs with numerous compatible devices from its portfolio to offer a wide range of solutions, including the Mode3 AC EV Charger Wallbox with High-Level PLC Communication based on the RZ/G3L, as well as the AI-Enabled Smart Home Security Hub based on the RZ/G3SE, which enables advanced monitoring through integration with cameras, microphones and sensors, along with cloud connectivity.

4. Private 5G and TSN: The Connectivity Story

The RZ/G3 family’s standout feature for industrial networking is TSN-capable Gigabit Ethernet. Both MPUs incorporate high-speed interfaces such as PCIe, TSN-capable Gigabit Ethernet and USB. TSN-capable Gigabit Ethernet enables low-latency and highly reliable communications required in industrial networks, where real-time performance is critical. PCIe supports connectivity to 5G communication modules, Wi-Fi 6 modules and even external AI accelerators.

For Indian plants building private 5G campuses, the RZ/G3 family’s Ethernet integration means the same silicon that runs the application can also schedule time-sensitive network traffic, eliminating the need for a separate network processor. This convergence of compute and networking reduces board space, Bill of Materials cost, and the software integration surface.

Jio and Airtel now offer industrial private 5G leases starting at roughly Rs 30,000-80,000 per month for a small campus, and the RZ/G3 family’s chips are among the first silicon validated for these platforms. The combination of a validated chip + leased connectivity gives Indian SMEs an entry point into private 5G without multi-crore Capex.

5. Ecosystem and Software Support

Renesas offers ten ecosystem solutions for the RZ/G3 family, a significant differentiator against competitors who typically provide only silicon. The ecosystem includes:

  • GUI development environments: LVGL, Embedded Wizard, Slint, Candera, Spyrosoft, Qt Group
  • OS solutions: Zephyr RTOS, Atmark Techno, and a Verified Linux Package (VLP) compliant with the trusted Civil Infrastructure Platform (CIP)
  • SoM solutions: Embedded Artists, a Virtium company, Advanet – ten SoM partners offering RZ/G3-based modules with industrial temperature range and long-term availability

For Indian system integrators, this ecosystem means de-risked development: a reference design that works with Zephyr or Ubuntu Core out of the box, with board support packages (BSPs) available from multiple SoM vendors. The long-term availability commitment (multiple years) is also a critical factor for Indian OEMs who must support products through their warranty cycles.

6. Cost and BOM Impact for Indian Plants

While exact pricing varies by volume and SoM partner, the RZ/G3 family positions itself between the traditional 32-bit MCU segment (Rs 500-5,000 per unit) and full application processors (Rs 3,000-15,000 per unit). The strategic advantage is consolidation:

  • An automotive components plant migrating from an RZ/A2M (32-bit) to RZ/G3L can reduce total MCUs per machine from 3-4 to 1-2, a 50-60% BOM saving.
  • Power draw reduction from ~500 mW (typical for comparable 32-bit + external GPU) to ~50 mW (RZ/G3L idle) translates to INR 1,500-3,000 per month savings per machine on electricity alone.
  • The pin-compatibility means a single board revision can support both the L and SE variants, eliminating the need for two separate PCB designs and reducing engineering effort by roughly 30%.

For Indian plants evaluating the upgrade, the recommendation is a proof-of-concept on one machine line: measure the BOM, power, and capability change, then scale to the full fleet if the ROI is positive.

10. Sources

  1. Renesas – RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE Press Release, September 2026
  2. Arm Cortex-A55 Official Page
  3. Arm Cortex-M33 Official Page
  4. Renesas Industrial Solutions Portal
  5. Ericsson – Private 5G for Industry

Key Takeaways

  • Renesas RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE are the first 64-bit MPUs in the RZ/G Series, targeting HMI and IoT edge with deterministic TSN Ethernet.
  • Pin compatibility means one PCB supports both variants, reducing engineering effort 30% and BOM 25% on migration from 32-bit MCUs.
  • 1 mW standby power enables always-on industrial devices without external power supplies.
  • Integrated GPU + H.264 codec on RZ/G3L enables edge vision at under Rs 1 lakh vs Rs 2-3 lakh with separate GPU.
  • Private 5G leases at Rs 30,000-80,000/month + RZ/G3 silicon give Indian SMEs a low-Capex entry into campus 5G.
  • Ten SoM partners and six GUI/OS ecosystem partners de-risk the development path for Indian system integrators.
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