¶ EU140 Gigabit Industrial Ethernet SoM Lab User Manual
¶ ℹ️ Introduction to the Board
The EU140 Gigabit Industrial Ethernet Solution provides an evaluation platform for industrial network protocols using Renesas' RZ/N2L MPU.
The EU140 carrier board integrates a "Stamp"-type System-on-Module (SoM) with dual Gigabit Ethernet PHYs and supports a wide range of industrial communication standards.
Engineers can evaluate the system via LiveBench, configure communication parameters, interact with peripheral LEDs and DIP switches, and perform network diagnostics such as ping testing. The platform is designed to accelerate development of Industrial IoT systems and networked embedded solutions.
¶ 💡 Board Features
- Dual Gigabit Ethernet PHYs with RZ/N2L MPU for industrial Ethernet communication.
- Stamp-type SoM that can be soldered to customer carrier boards.
- EU140 Carrier board includes:
- Two PMOD (female) connectors for sensor and communication modules.
- I2C, SPI, CAN, HSP, and Arduino Shield compatibility.
- 24V or USB power supply options.
- Supports industrial Ethernet protocols: Modbus TCP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, and EtherNet/IP.
- LED array and DIP switch interface for user interaction.
¶ 📋 Practical Applications and Use Cases
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Industrial Automation & Robotics
- Supports PROFINET, EtherCAT, and EtherNet/IP for real-time communication in PLCs, robotic arms, motor controllers, and factory automation systems.
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Industrial IoT Gateways
- Acts as a high-speed Ethernet interface between field devices and cloud/edge platforms, enabling secure data aggregation and control.
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Smart Grid & Energy Systems
- Used in digital substations and energy monitoring units to manage distributed energy resources with low-latency Ethernet protocols.
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Modular Sensor & Control Platforms
- Facilitates rapid prototyping of industrial edge nodes with multi-protocol support, Pmod/Arduino-compatible sensor integration, and scalable network connectivity.
¶ 📝 Steps to Evaluate the Design
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¶ 📑 Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the primary applications of the RZ/N2L Industrial Network SOM Kit?
A : It is designed for industrial 2x GBE (Gigabit Ethernet) networking / gateway applications and supports protocols such as:- PROFINET
- EtherNet/IP
- EtherCAT
- Modbus TCP
- OPC UA
Additionally, it allows to
- Run as Arduino shield on an Arduino host
- Run as Arduino host and carry Arduino shields
- Attach PMOD boards
- have 16 bit Digital Input + 15 bit Digital Output + 8/8 bit Digital Input/Output
- How does the board handle EtherCAT communication?
A: The RZ/N2L MPU includes an EtherCAT Slave Controller (ESC), which interfaces with the Ethernet PHY. Key connections include:
- ESC_MDIO, ESC_MDC (for PHY communication)
- ESC_IRQ, ESC_SYNC0, ESC_SYNC1 (for EtherCAT control)
- ESC_LEDRUN, ESC_LEDERR (status indicators)
- Can I use the major components around the MPU as separate SOM (System On Module) for my own application? If so, what is included then?
A: YES, you can use the integrated SOM module for your own carrier board design, either starting with our demonstrator board or from scratch. The SOM contains most critical elements like MPU, Flash memory, SDRAM, Power Sequencer, GBE PHY and even EEProm for Ethercat. It only requires 3V3 input and generates all other rails internally. So critical design parameters are already taken care of for those parts, which may be difficult to achieve for less experienced users, like GBE signal integrity, power sequencing etc.
However, please note EU140 and its included SOM is a demonstrator / proof of concept; so the user may have to take additional steps to make it an end product. Please see disclaimer for details.
¶ 🔗 Reference Links
RZ/N2L Product Page : Click here
User Manual : Click here
Sample Program : Click here