The RA4L1 MCUs employ proprietary low-power technology that delivers 168 µA/MHz active mode @ 80 MHz and standby current of just 1.70 µA with all the SRAM retained. They are available in compact packages, including a 3.64 x 4.28 mm Wafer-Level Chip-Scale Package (WLCSP), suitable for portable printers, digital cameras, and smart labels.

The RA4L1 MCUs are supported by Renesas’ Flexible Software Package (FSP). The FSP enables faster application development by providing all the infrastructure software needed, including multiple RTOS, BSP, peripheral drivers, middleware, connectivity, networking, and TrustZone support as well as reference software to build complex AI, motor control and cloud solutions. It allows customers to integrate their own legacy code and choice of RTOS with FSP, thus providing full flexibility in application development. The FSP eases migration of existing IP to and from either RA6 or RA2 Series devices.

“Renesas’ RA2L1 Group MCUs have seen remarkable market success since their launch in 2020, addressing a diverse range of low-power applications requiring capacitive touch. Built on the same low-power technology, the RA4L1 Group is our response to customers who require the unique combination of ultra-low power with better CPU performance, segment LCD support and advanced security,” said Daryl Khoo, vice president of embedded processing marketing division at Renesas.

Key features of the RA4L1 MCUs:

• Core: 80 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 with TrustZone
• Memory: 256-512 KB Dual-Bank Flash, 64 KB SRAM, 8 KB Dataflash
• Peripherals: Segment LCD, Capacitive Touch, USB-FS, CAN FD, low-power UART, SCI, SPI, QSPI, I2C, I3C, SSI, ADC, DAC, Comparator, low-power timer, real-time clock 
• Packages: 3.64 x 4.28 mm WLCSP72, 7 x 7 mm LQFP48, 10 x 10 mm LQFP64, 14 x 14 mm LQFP100, 5.5 x 5.5 mm BGA64, 7 x 7 mm BGA100
• Security: Unique ID, RSIP security engine supporting TRNG, AES, ECC, Hash
• Wide Ambient Temperature Range: Ta = -40º to +125º C for the QFN, QFP and CSP package options; Ta = -40º to +105º C for the BGA package option

Availability

The RA4L1 MCUs are available now, along with the FSP software. Renesas is also shipping an RA4L1 Evaluation Board and an RA4L1 Capacitive Touch Renesas Solution Starter Kit (RSSK). More information is available at renesas.com/RA4L1. Samples and kits can be ordered either on the Renesas website or through distributors.

Renesas MCU leadership

A world leader in MCUs, Renesas ships more than 3.5 billion units per year, with approximately 50% of shipments serving the automotive industry, and the remainder supporting industrial and Internet of Things applications as well as data center and communications infrastructure. Renesas has the broadest portfolio of 8-, 16- and 32-bit devices, delivering unmatched quality and efficiency with exceptional performance. As a trusted supplier, Renesas has decades of experience designing smart, secure MCUs, backed by a dual-source production model, the industry’s most advanced MCU process technology and a vast network of more than 250 ecosystem partners.

For more information about Renesas MCUs, visit renesas.com/MCUs.

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With this investment, Bridgestone aims to scale up its ability to virtually design, test, and validate tires using advanced simulation and AI technologies. By combining VI-grade’s high-fidelity simulator with its existing simulation and AI technologies, Bridgestone can simulate complex tire-vehicle interactions adopting a fully virtualized process. This approach accelerates time-to-market, saves physical prototypes and improves collaboration with OEMs by enabling simultaneous tire and vehicle development through iterative virtual testing. Additionally, the new simulator will empower Bridgestone to achieve its sustainability goals by reducing physical testing and material waste. The company projects that up to 12,000 experimental tires will be saved annually, contributing to a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions and raw material consumption.

“This investment in our internal driver-in-the-loop simulation capabilities is a major milestone as we build a comprehensive ecosystem for accurately predicting tire performance in the virtual world. It also gives us the capabilities to experiment with new and innovative combinations of designs and materials in a fully virtual environment,” says Emilio Tiberio, chief technology officer Bridgestone West.

“Bridgestone’s investment in the state-of-the-art dynamic driving simulator reflects the trust that global industry leaders place in our simulation solutions,” added Guido Bairati, managing director at VI-grade. “Widely recognized as the industry standard and used extensively by OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers worldwide, our state-of-the-art dynamic driving simulator is the perfect tool for Bridgestone to enhance their virtual tire development capabilities, reduce time to market, and achieve their ambitious sustainability goals.”

For further information, please visit vi-grade.com.

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“The synergies will bring extraordinary value to the automotive, civil aviation, machinery manufacturing, energy, and other industries,” states Sunny Wong, managing director overseas at SHINING 3D. “Our customers will benefit from an integrated solution that enables seamless dimensional analysis and quality inspection, enhancing productivity across operations.”

The partnership unites SHINING 3D’s expertise in high-accuracy 3D scanning technologies with InnovMetric’s renowned PolyWorks Inspector software, celebrated for its universal dimensional analysis and quality control platform. This synergy is set to provide exceptional value to industries such as automotive, engineering, and manufacturing. SHINING 3D and InnovMetric customers will benefit from an integrated solution that enables seamless dimensional analysis and quality inspection, enhancing precision and productivity across operations.

“This partnership with SHINING 3D reaffirms our dedication to providing open and innovative 3D metrology solutions that foster collaboration and drive manufacturing excellence,” says Abdul Aziz Saleem, vice-president of sales, APAC, at InnovMetric.

Through this collaboration, both SHINING 3D and PolyWorks will reach a broader audience. Together, the two companies aim to elevate industry standards and drive innovation in 3D metrology.

For more information, visit shining3d.com.

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A complete chart of the financial results is available here.

For more information, visit ansys.com.

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The system features a modular, reconfigurable interior buck that accommodates various seating, steering, dashboard, and display configurations, allowing designers to prototype and evaluate multiple HMI layouts without requiring separate physical mockups. With automated adjustments, it replicates seating, steering, and pedal conditions for different vehicle types, from sports cars to SUVs, within a single setup. In addition to its flexible and rapidly configurable architecture, this solution also includes the full capabilities of a real-time driving simulator, supporting XIL testing and validation. It facilitates human-in-the-loop testing, allowing engineers to assess HMI usability and driver interaction under realistic driving conditions. It also provides direct interaction with digital instrument clusters, infotainment touchscreens, and voice controls in a controlled yet immersive environment. The COMPACT HMI Simulator also supports ADAS and driver monitoring research, facilitating studies on driver distraction, workload, and interaction with automation features.

The COMPACT HMI Simulator has already been adopted by two leading automotive manufacturers, marking a significant step forward in HMI development and validation.

“HMI design is a critical aspect of modern vehicle development, directly impacting user experience, safety, and driver interaction with advanced driver-assistance systems,” commented Guido Bairati, managing director of VI-grade. “However, traditional evaluation methods rely on static mockups or costly physical prototypes, which are time-intensive and inflexible. Our new COMPACT HMI Simulator overcomes these limitations by providing a configurable and highly immersive simulation environment that allows engineers to experience and refine HMI designs in real-time driving scenarios. We are especially excited to see its immediate industry impact, with two units already sold to automotive manufacturers, demonstrating the market’s strong demand for flexible, simulation-driven HMI development solutions.”

For further information, please visit vi-grade.com.

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“Altair HyperWorks 2025 builds on four decades of Altair’s expertise in simulation, design, and optimization,” said James R. Scapa, founder and chief executive officer, Altair. “By integrating advanced simulation technologies with AI and machine learning, automation, open architecture, and a connected digital thread, the platform accelerates design processes, fosters scalable cloud collaboration, and empowers teams to deliver smarter, faster, and more sustainable solutions. It is yet another leap in our vision of democratized computational intelligence.”

AI-Powered Engineering and Optimization

Altair enhances its AI-powered engineering, machine learning, and optimization capabilities. New transformer-based physics prediction models improve simulation accuracy, even with limited data. Machine learning models function as solvers, reducing simulation times while maintaining reliability. AI-enabled reduced order modeling (ROM) accelerates nonlinear system simulations, offering early design insights.

Cloud-Based and SaaS Solutions

Embracing the shift to cloud-based and SaaS solutions, Altair is democratizing access to advanced engineering simulations with flexible infrastructure. The new Altair DSim SaaS solution allows semiconductor designers to run unlimited simulations with a pay-as-you-go model, eliminating upfront costs and offering the freedom to scale on demand. And the Altair One cloud innovation gateway enhances collaboration, providing instant access to simulation applications, data, and HPC resources. 

Automation and Customization

New automation capabilities, including Python APIs, eliminate repetitive tasks, streamline data queries, and simplify report generation. For large-scale projects, advanced batch execution and task libraries reduce time spent on complex workflows. The platform’s customization options allow users to tailor simulations to unique applications, such as modeling particle interactions in pharmaceuticals or agriculture.

Additional Highlights

Digital Engineering: A Connected Ecosystem

By connecting data, teams, and processes across the product life cycle, Altair delivers a more integrated approach to design and simulation. Enhanced digital twin and digital thread technologies ensure seamless data flow and align virtual models with physical systems. To meet sustainability goals, private material databases provide a single source of truth for material decisions, including tools for carbon dioxide (CO₂) impact analysis.

Solver Efficiency

Simplifying structural simulations, the “One Model, One Solver” approach of Altair OptiStruct enables smooth transitions between implicit and explicit analyses. By deploying Altair PhysicsAI models as solvers, users can replace traditional numerical solvers with AI-powered alternatives, accelerating simulations while maintaining accuracy.

Multiphysics Simulation for Electronics

Recent updates simplify managing thermal, electromagnetic, and power interactions in electronics design. ECAD meshing improvements speed up cooling and durability analysis, while enhanced electromagnetic-thermal coupling provides better system performance predictions. Power electronics simulation updates optimize motor drive and converter modeling for improved efficiency.

CAE as a Design Tool

Altair Inspire continues to make CAE essential by offering designer-friendly computational physics for structural, fluid, and motion analysis – alongside manufacturability and optimization workflows. Altair CoPilot Beta – an intelligent AI-assistant embedded within Inspire – provides on-demand guidance, Q&A, and workflow support, while new tools like image planes for sketching and expanded implicit modeling streamline geometry creation and exploration. 

Advanced Material Simulation

As material complexity, sustainability demands, and AI-powered workflows advance, Altair’s material solutions give users the tools they need to lead. With Altair’s material solutions, organizations can source, standardize, and simulate high-fidelity material data for advanced materials like composites, polymers, and additive manufacturing. Engineers can optimize designs, achieve sustainability goals with CO₂ analysis, and reduce physical testing costs by using AI to complete missing data.

Particle Simulation

Altair continues to define the industry standard for the discrete element method (DEM) by delivering new physics models—a Fibers Bonding Model, Liquid Bridge Model, and updated Linear Elastic Bond Model (LEBM) with polyhedral particles—enhance workflows and enable a realistic representation of fibers and particles for applications in agriculture, batteries, and pharmaceuticals.

To learn more, please visit altair.com.

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“Fiscal 2024 was a transformative year for Trimble. We simplified and focused the company through portfolio moves and re-segmentation. We also delivered for our customers while strengthening the company — as evidenced by record levels of software as a percent of total revenue, and record levels of ARR, gross margin and profitability,” said Rob Painter, president and CEO of Trimble. “We thank all of our Trimble colleagues for their dedication and hard work in 2024, and we look forward to further executing and progressing connect and scale in 2025 and beyond.”

A complete chart of the financial results is available here.

For more information about Trimble, visit trimble.com.

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Harkins has been a trusted industry leader since 1965. Headquartered in Columbia, MD, with four additional offices along the East Coast, the construction management and general contracting company is renowned for its professional preconstruction services and its leadership in negotiated and design-build construction. What’s more, while the construction industry has been slow to digitize, Harkins is taking a leadership position. Their adoption of cutting-edge technology like Revizto showcases their commitment to staying ahead of the curve and driving progress.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Revizto, a powerful visualization and collaboration platform. Revizto is years ahead of other model-based coordination tools in the market, and this partnership solidifies our commitment to adopting forward-thinking technology that delivers superior value to our stakeholders while democratizing its use during all stages of construction for projects of all sizes and scopes.” said Carlos Zuluaga, VDC manager, Harkins.

Harkins was an early adopter of Revizto. They’ve utilized the platform since 2019 to enhance efficiency and collaboration on their projects. With this new multi-year agreement, Harkins will expand Revizto’s usage to more field users, enabling seamless coordination and communication across all project teams—ultimately driving superior project outcomes. 

Arman Gukasyan, Revizto’s founder and CEO said, “Our continued partnership with Harkins underscores the value Revizto brings to complex projects. By enhancing collaboration, automating clash detection and accelerating decision-making, Revizto empowers Harkins to maximize efficiency and minimize costs on all their projects. We’re excited for more of their team members and clients to realize these benefits.”

For more information, please visit revizto.com.  

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Full automation: synchronized stacking and non-stop production

Euromac’s combined punching and shearing machine performs long cuts in a single stroke, reducing processing time and material usage. Unlike traditional methods that require multiple impacts or high energy consumption, this technology—based on Euromac’s XT model—delivers faster, more precise cuts with optimal material utilization. Its optimized shearing system reduces sheet metal waste by up to 20%, eliminating the need for micro-joints and maximizing efficiency in every manufacturing process.

Beyond cutting performance, Lantek’s software integration takes automation to the next level, enabling fully autonomous production. Lantek’s palletization system automatically organizes and sorts cut pieces, ensuring seamless machine operation without manual intervention. This automation streamlines part stacking and classification based on specific orders, reducing manual handling and improving production flow.

Uninterrupted operation is another key advantage of this solution. Automated unloading ensures continuous machine operation, even during unattended shifts or overnight production, significantly increasing overall productivity. The system’s flexibility allows it to adapt to different production needs, with options such as the Gantry Stacker, which uses suction cups for handling and organizing parts, or advanced robotic solutions for more complex palletization requirements.

Tangible benefits for customers

The combination of Euromac’s cutting technology with Lantek’s automation software results in substantial improvements for workshops and factories. Superior cutting quality eliminates micro-joints, ensuring precise, clean finishes. Cost efficiency is another decisive factor, with significant reductions in material waste, energy consumption, and processing time, directly enhancing profitability for businesses implementing this solution.

Increased efficiency is another major advantage, as automation enables continuous production with minimal manual intervention, freeing up resources and optimizing workforce management.

A Step towards autonomous manufacturing

This development has already been successfully implemented in manufacturing facilities in Italy, Germany, and Spain, delivering outstanding results in productivity and cost savings. The solution is also designed for seamless integration into fully autonomous production lines, combining punching, shearing, and optionally, automatic bending capabilities.

“With this collaboration, we are offering our customers a groundbreaking solution that merges the best of both worlds: Euromac’s precision and speed with Lantek’s advanced automation and synchronization. Together, we are shaping the future of digital manufacturing in the sheet metal industry,” stated Francisco Pérez, OEM channel director from Lantek.

Lantek and Euromac demonstrate that strategic collaboration between machine manufacturers and software developers is essential to transforming the metal industry. This partnership paves the way for efficient, precise, and sustainable manufacturing, redefining the standards for productivity and automation in sheet metal processing.

For more information, visit lantek.com.

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Pacsystems Simulator

PACSystems Simulator is a newly incorporated component, empowering users to easily write, test, and troubleshoot control logic on a PLC emulator. This can be done before purchasing new control hardware to speed development and ensure the correct selections are made. The simulator is seamlessly integrated within PME and is easy to set up, and fast to enable with just one button. Users benefit from the ability to continuously test code throughout development, minimizing risks and accelerating project implementation.

Enhanced data monitor

An all-new data monitor component empowers developers to quickly diagnose and resolve logic issues using plotted data, whether the data is sourced from a physical PLC or the Simulator. With advanced configuration options for visualizing and analyzing data in a modernized display, and the ability to save and retrieve monitor configurations, users can gain insights into system dynamics, detect root causes of anomalies rapidly, and uncover trending conditions.

Optimized connectivity

A new high-performance OPC-UA PAC Server accelerates PLC communication performance for visualization and other client applications, with double the tag count capacity, faster startup speeds, and improved processing efficiency. Similarly, PROFINET enhancements provide more efficient configuration and operation—with additional diagnostics—for communication with intelligent field devices, such as I/O, sensors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and more.

Programming efficiency

PME 10.6 incorporates significant improvements for data handling. Enhanced User-Defined Types (UDTs) now propagate data element descriptions across all application instances, ensuring consistency while saving configuration time.

Transformative automation

End users, systems integrators (SIs), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can easily upgrade to PME 10.6 to access the PACSystems Simulator, enhanced data monitoring, and optimized connectivity. These features benefit automation system designers with shortened development time, increased visibility, better consistency, and improved performance.

For more information, visit emerson.com.

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