Ceva supplies Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE IP for Renesas RA6W1/RA6W2 MCUs

Ceva supplies Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE IP to Renesas' new RA6W MCUs

Ceva Inc. is providing its Ceva‑Waves Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth Low Energy intellectual property to Renesas Electronics for the chipmaker’s newly launched RA6W1 and RA6W2 combo microcontrollers, the companies announce. Renesas, a Tier‑1 supplier of connected MCUs, embeds Ceva’s radios to offer dual‑band Wi‑Fi 6 on RA6W1 and a Wi‑Fi 6 plus Bluetooth LE combo on RA6W2. The integration gives device makers options for standalone Wi‑Fi, combined Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth LE, or fully integrated module designs with hosted or hostless implementations.

Integration aims to shrink BOM and extend battery life in IoT and smart home products

The collaboration focuses on delivering always‑connected, low‑power intelligent edge devices for IoT, smart home, industrial and consumer markets. Ceva’s IP is intended to lower bill‑of‑materials costs and extend battery life by optimizing power consumption and improving coexistence between Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE radios, a priority for battery‑operated sensors, gateways, thermostats and controllers. Tal Shalev, head of Ceva’s Wireless IoT unit, says the company’s connectivity portfolio provides the performance and efficiency required to add next‑generation wireless features into MCUs.

Renesas positions the RA6W series as a modular development path that accelerates time‑to‑market and reduces design risk. Chandana Pairla, Renesas’ connectivity vice president, says combining Ceva’s IP achieves system‑level connectivity that pairs high performance with exceptional energy efficiency for smart home and industrial automation applications. The joint solution targets low‑power modes and improved coexistence, simplifying certification and enabling OEMs to scale from reference designs to production modules.

Modular licensing and software stacks speed OEM development

Ceva’s licensing model and accompanying software stacks are presented as tools to compress OEM development cycles, enabling quicker prototype-to-production transitions. The companies say the software support and modularity allow developers to choose hosted or hostless architectures, reducing integration effort and certification timelines.

Market implications for connected‑device makers

Industry observers see the tie‑up as reinforcing Ceva’s position in wireless connectivity IP while giving Renesas a ready‑made route into combo radio MCUs for next‑generation connected devices. The collaboration aims to help partners deliver differentiated, lower‑power products to market faster with reduced BOM and energy budgets.