IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm supports early adopters of the Renesas RA8 series MCU, the first to feature the Arm® Cortex-M85 processor with Arm’s Helium technology, and accelerates AI and ML development.

IAR, a global provider of embedded development software and services, recently announced that version 9.40.2, the latest release of IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm, fully supports Renesas' RA8 MCU.

This update provides extensive support for state-of-the-art Arm® Cortex-M85-based RA8 devices.

Looking at the key points, developers can now utilize the capabilities of the Renesas RA8 MCU based on the Arm® Cortex®-M85 processor with Arm’s Helium technology through IAR’s Embedded Workbench.

In addition, the PACBTI (Pointer Authentication and Branch Target Identification) extension enhances security for developers by ensuring code and system integrity.

Here, developers can immediately build powerful applications in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and digital signal processing (DSP) through Arm's Helium technology and optimization of IAR Embedded Workbench. It is possible.

In addition, IAR can rapidly support the RA8 MCU in various systems, including the Internet of Things (IoT), consumer electronics, and industrial applications, through its long-standing partnership with Renesas.

The Renesas RA8 series is the first MCU to feature the Arm Cortex-M85 processor and Arm's Helium technology for improved DSP and AI/ML capabilities, and the first device, the RA8M1 family, has begun mass production shipments.

The RA8 MCU provides extensive support for low voltage and includes various low-power modes.

This product boasts exceptional efficiency with current consumption reduced to 0.5μA in Real-Time Clock (RTC) mode with battery backup. Featuring an excellent performance rating of 6.39 Coremark/MHz, this series is one of the most powerful microcontrollers currently available and possesses the potential for application in various fields beyond microprocessors. The RA8 series integrates top-tier hardware and software-based security features, including advanced cryptographic acceleration, TrustZone, and tamper-proofing.

IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm provides a comprehensive development toolchain that enhances security while accelerating embedded development. This product includes a highly optimized IAR C/C++ compiler and advanced debugging capabilities, accelerated by the code analysis tools IAR C-STAT and IAR C-RUN. The latest version of this toolset introduces the PACBTI extension to address software vulnerabilities that could be maliciously exploited by providing robust defenses against Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) and Jump-Oriented Programming (JOP).

"Developers looking to leverage the superior and highly reliable security performance of the Renesas RA8 need a powerful suite of development tools like IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm," said Andy Beeson, Product Manager at Renesas Electronics. "IAR is a trusted partner within the Renesas tool ecosystem and supports customers in getting started with RA8 MCU-based designs immediately."

"We are very pleased to be the first in the industry to support the complete tools for the new Renesas RA8 series," said Anders Holmberg, CTO of IAR. "By leveraging the RA8 MCU, which offers outstanding performance and security, and IAR's tools, embedded developers can fully utilize these capabilities in AI and ML applications."

In addition to the Renesas RA8, more information about IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm, which supports over 8,700 Arm devices, can be found at https://www.iar.com/ewarm.