For those with no prior experience with the eclipse IDE but some familiarity with all-in-one solutions (like AVR studio) this introduction will provide a useful starting point. E2studio (Eclipse Embedded Studio) is a combination of softwares that work with Renesas products including, but not limited to the RL78 family. This includes the Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tool) for code generation, the ability to use on-chip debuggers and in-circuit emulators, real time expressions, memory usage views and many other features geared toward providing developers with the tools they need.
You can download e2studio using this link on the Renesas website:
http://am.renesas.com/support/downloads/download_results/C1000000-C9999999/tools/upgrades_e2studio_v31024.jsp
After clicking on the link, setup an account with Renesas. Then, select the program you wish to use and begin your download. Upon completion of the download, begin the installation process. Below is an example of the installation screen you will see:
Now, select the boards and functions that you need and run through the Installation Wizard.
You must also download the proper toolchain for your intended board. Renesas supports their own toolchain for the RX and SuperH family while KPIT GNU will do those plus the RL78. You can find a list of toolchains and a list for debugger compatibility at http://www.renesas.com/products/tools/ide/ide_e2studio/ .
When you download one of the toolchains on the Renesas website and install it onto your computer, it should automatically be included into the e2studio IDE. You can select your prefered toolchain when you create a new project by going to File->New->Project. Then, you’ll see the following menu:
Select which tool chain you’d like to use for your project, such as the KPIT GNURL78-ELF toolchain, give your project a name and select Finish. Now you're ready to start coding!