Helpful Tips

IDE and other Tools

Please use separate e²studio for RA MCUs from RX/RL78/RH850 to avoid modifying toolchain any other development environment settings. e²studio for RA will include FSP, e²studio for other MCUs will include SC.

You may want to use a new dedicated Workspace if starting a big new project.

Update to latest SC, FSP, QE revisions might break the existing working project. Please seek Renesas technical help if you cannot figure out the reason, or you could reverse back to the old version. It is typically recommended you update to latest versions when start a new project and stay with these versions for this project.

Customer Motor Bring-up Procedure

Here are some key steps to bring up customer motor control using Renesas MCUs. Note this is just given as a typical example. It varies depending on actual applications. 

1. Check Renesas website for related MCU motor control solution documents, algorithms, evaluation boards and kits, sample codes, etc.
2. Requested motor control kit (MCK) for bench evaluation.
3. Download the sample project code for the MCK, the related IDE and tools such as e²studio with FSP, Renesas Motor Workbench (RMW), etc.
4. After successfully running the Renesas MCK, try connecting the customer motor with appropriate power supply if possible.
   1. Update the motor parameters, maximum RPM, maximum current, and other key parameters based on the actual application.
   2. Test the motor and perform tuning as necessary.
5. Design customer board with maximum commonality to Renesas MCK boards to minimize FW changes.
6. Develop customer FW based on Renesas sample code to work with the customer board.
7. Bring up the customer system, perform tuning and testing.
8. Reach out to Renesas sales and FAE, or online helps for any issues during the development.

RWM Tips

Change RMW to communicate through VCOM port

Here is an example of how to change RMW to communicate through VCOM port, instead of using the communication board as default. 

In RA4T1 Tuner code, need to do two things. 1. #define USE_BUILT_IN (1) and 2. Link "ICS2_RA4T1_Built_in.o" instead of "ICS2_RA4T1.o". 

Change the USE_BUILT_IN in r_mtr_ics.h file under src\application\user_interface\ics from default (0) to (1) as below.

Find the Tool Settings in the Project Properties shown as below. Then change the object file in "Other objects" under GNU Arm Cross C Linker => Miscellaneous, from "ICS2_RA4T1.o" to "ICS2_RA4T1_Built_in.o". Click Apply and Close.

Finally update the list under GNU Arm Cross C Linker, in "All options", replace "ICS2_RA4T1_Built_in.o" with "ICS2_RA4T1.o". Click Apply and Close.

Fastest RMW Update Rate

If set to the maximum Baud Rate of each MCU, the fastest RMW update rate can be achieved at 50µs for all Renesas MCUs but one (RX13T). These two tables show the settings and maximum RMW update rate.

RX Family

RA Family

As an example, in the case of RX66T, data can be displayed in as fast as 50µs with the following settings.

< main.c, row 130>

Before (default): ics2_init((void *)dtc_table, ICS_SCI6_PB0_PB1, ICS_INT_LEVEL,4,1);    /* initialize ics */

After: ics2_init((void *)dtc_table, ICS_SCI6_PB0_PB1, ICS_INT_LEVEL,0,2);    /* initialize ics */

<mtr_interrupt.c, row365-372>

Before (default):

    /****** for ICS ******/

    g_u1_cnt_ics++;

    if (g_u1_cnt_ics >= 3)

    {

        g_u1_cnt_ics = 0;

        ics2_watchpoint(); /* call ICS */

    }

    /*********************/

 After:  Changed to call every cycle

    /****** for ICS ******/

    //g_u1_cnt_ics++;

    //if (g_u1_cnt_ics >= 3)

    //{

       // g_u1_cnt_ics = 0;

        ics2_watchpoint(); /* call ICS */

    //}

    /*********************/

Motor Parameters

Required Key Motor Parameters

Correct motor parameters are important for achieving desired motor control performance, especially in FOC motor control. Please ensure the parameters on Motor Current Controller and Speed Controller are input correctly. If using sensorless control, also need to ensure the parameters in BEMF Observer are correct.

The parameters can be provided by motor manufacture, identified by Renesas RMW Tuner, or measured manually. RWM User’s Manual describes Tuner function and usage. Section 10.8 of MCI-HV-1 APN describes the manual measurement method.   

Here are the key motor parameters that are needed: 

Input Motor Parameters

To enter the correct motor parameters into the code, if using FSP, you can directly enter through FSP by selecting "Motor Speed Controller (rm_motor_speed)" and "Motor Current Controller (rm_motor_current)" (for FOC projects) and entering under Properties=> Settings=> Motor Parameter, as shown below. Remember to update in both places.

In RX projects, you may directly update the parameters in "r_motor_targetmotor_cfg.h" file in motor_module/cfg, shown as below.

Motor Control Tuning Tips

Adjust Maximum Speed

To adjust the maximum motor rotating speed, for RA MCUs, change the “Maximum rotational speed (rpm)” of "Motor Speed Controller" in FSP.

And also adjust the "Limit of over speed (rpm)" of "Motor Sensorless Vector Control (rm_motor_sensorless)" in FSP accordingly.

In RX MCU code, change the following parameters settings of:

#define MOTOR_CFG_MAX_SPEED_RPM (2400.0f) /* maximum speed [rpm] (mechanical angle) */ 

#define SPEED_CFG_SPEED_LIMIT_RPM (2850.0f) /* over speed limit [rpm] (mechanical angle) */ 

Troubleshoot Cases

RZ/T & RZ/N CN032 AC Motor Control USB-Serial Driver issue

For Windows 11, PC user will get driver error message when USB-Serial cable is connected. This is not seen in Windows 10 and previous versions as correct driver is automatically downloaded and installed by Windows. A way to work around this would be to remove/ uninstall the installed driver and locate previous 2019 version driver. Please contact AE team for driver, if needed.

RA4T1 Tuner issue

Running RA4T1 sensorless FOC Tuner sample code with FSP 5.2.0 may get the error of "BSP_CFG_HANDLE_UNRECOVERABLE_ERROR(0);". It is because RA4T1 Tuner project needs a #define modification for this new FSP version. Making a correction on "AIDU_DEADTIME_SET" defined in "r_aid_tuner_gui_user.h" file as below will solve the issue.

#define AIDU_DEADTIME_SET (g_user_motor_driver_extended_cfg.u2_deadtime)