The Portenta C33 is a compact module based on an ARM Cortex M33 microcontroller from Renesas Electronics. Featuring integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, as well as several I/Os, the Portenta C33 offers a viable solution for a wide range of applications, including IoT gateways and remote control systems.

At the heart of the Portenta C33 lies the R7FA6M5BH2CBG microcontroller with support for ARM TrustZone protection for secure memory regions, TRNG (True Random Number Generator) and Memory Protection Unit (MPU). The MCU also supports low power mode and an onboard RTC module for timekeeping.

• R7FA6M5BH2CBG — Single ARM Cortex-M33 (up to 200MHz); 2MB Flash, 512KB SRAM; 10MB QPSI Flash (MX25L12833F)

   
Renesas MCU and Portenta C33 block diagrams
(click images to enlarge)

The device can be powered from the USB Type-C port, the battery connector or through the MKR-styled connectors. As shown below, the Portenta C33 features several analog pins, digital pins and other standard protocols such as I2C, SPI, etc.

Portenta C33 pinouts
(click image to enlarge)

Arduino highlights the robust security of the Portenta C33 since the board is equipped with a secure element at the hardware level. Additionally, the module supports over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates and updates using Arduino IoT Cloud or similar third-party services.

   
Portenta C33 power supply options
(click images to enlarge)

The company also mentions that the Portenta C33 offers a wide range of ready-to-use software libraries, Arduino sketches, and widgets that display real-time data on Arduino IoT Cloud-based dashboards. Moreover, the module’s form factor is compatible with the Portenta and MKR ranges. Refer to this page for additional documentation.

Specifications listed for the Portenta C33 include: 

• Connectivity:
  • 100Mb Ethernet interface (PHY LAN8742AI)
  • 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
  • Bluetooth 5.0 (ESP32-C3-MINI-1U)
• High-Density pins:
  • 78x Digital I/Os, 8x Analog, 10x PWM
  • 8x SPI, 6x I2C, 16x UART, 4x CAN
  • 4x I2S, 8x USB, 6x JTAG/SWD
• MKR-styled pins:
  • 22x Digital I/Os, 7x Analog, 7x PWM
  • 4x SPI, 2x I2C, 2x UART
• USB:
  • 1x USB Type-C
• Other Features:
  • 8-channel 12-bit ADC
  • 2-channel 12-bit DAC
  • IoT-ready secure element (NXP SE050C2)
• Power:
  • Board operating voltage 3.3V
  • USB-C port
  • 3.7V Single-cell Li-ion/Li-polymer battery (via JST 3-pin)
  • 5V DC (via MKR-styled pins)
• Operating Temperature:
  • -40°C to +85°C
• Mechanical:
  • 66.04 x 25.40mm

The Portenta C33 can be ordered from the Arduino online store for ~$64.00. For more information about the Portenta C33, visit the product page.