From my perspective, the RL78/G14 Renesas Demonstration serves a dual purpose. First and foremost, it shows the capabilities of the RL78/G14 by showing everything it can do, almost to the point of ridiculousness. The figure below shows the different capabilities highlighted on the RDK:
Second, the RDK acts as a development platform to test ideas and provide a solid foundation on which to build good code and good hardware. While a myriad of different options are already built-in, there may be the need to test out with a different type of display or some other non-generic hardware. In this case, there are two layers of expansion headers that surround the RL78/G14 itself, as well as the application header and PMOD expansion ports. These options should allow the RDK to be used a development board while creating code for all but the most complex systems, and even in those cases, can be used while creating the foundational code or while familiarizing yourself with the RTOS/Middleware.
One aspect of demonstration kits I’ve always enjoyed is, besides the somewhat primal joy associated with seeing so many interesting things that can be done, is the hardware map that it provides. As these kits are developed by Renesas designers, in close conjunction with those that designed the silicon for the RL78/G16, their implementation is typically as close to ideal as possible. Due to the sheer number of different features being showcased, one would assume there are trade-offs in making sure that everything fits well together, yet in terms of hardware flexibility, the RL78/G14 is quite adept at the balancing act. With the hardware designs being completely open, they’re a great starting point for the hardware engineers working on the project.
While it says it plainly on the website, http://am.renesas.com/products/tools/introductory_evaluation_tools/renesas_demo_kits/yrdkrl78g14/index.jsp, as well as the Quick Start guide, pay attention to the dip switch between the Eink and TFT displays. If you’re attempting to physically connect to the computer without those dip switches in the right position, you will waste a great deal of time and feel quite foolish once you figure out what’s wrong.
Renesas is currently offering this kit for free upon registration, which, while not open to students and hobbyists, is a great opportunity to see if the RL78/G14 will fit the needs of your next product. Even if you’re not familiar with Renesas products, if you’re in the embedded world, this would be a good eye-opening experience for what’s possible.