RTL8720F-Realtek IoT | Wi-Fi SoC

Realtek Ameba IoT Chip Selection

Ameba IoT wireless solutions, featuring high integration, stable performance, low power consumption, and enhanced security

Highlights

RTL8720F is a multi-protocol wireless connectivity SoC from Realtek designed for low-power IoT endpoint devices. It supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 6 with up to 114.7Mbps PHY rate and Bluetooth LE 5.x wireless connectivity. The chip adopts a dual-core processor architecture based on Arm Real-M300 cores compatible with Arm Cortex-M55, with a maximum operating frequency of 320MHz, integrated 512KB SRAM, and flexible memory configurations with NOR Flash and PSRAM support. Wi-Fi features include R-MESH multi-hop networking, CSI channel state information, MCC multi-channel concurrency, P2P/NAN direct connection, and Wi-Fi Card mode. Bluetooth features include a 20dBm high-power transmit mode for long-range transmission, LE 2Mbps high-speed mode, long-range Coded PHY, Scatternet multi-point connection, and SIG Mesh networking support. RTL8720F also enhances hardware security with Arm TrustZone-M, Secure Boot, AES/SHA cryptographic engine, ECDSA/RSA public-key cryptographic engine, Flash secure debug password protection, OTP secure storage, and true random number generator, while providing rich peripheral interfaces including UART, SPI, I2C, I2S, SDIO, IR, ADC, and PWM. It is well suited for a wide range of IoT applications requiring low power consumption, multi-protocol wireless connectivity, and secure communication.

Independent Dual-Core

Application processing and wireless connectivity tasks are separated, with isolated and protected code execution between the two cores and independent per-core reset support for efficient scheduling, stable response, and flexible power management.

System Security

Integrating various security features including Arm TrustZone®, TRNG, asymmetric encryption, HUK, OTP storage, Flash XIP decryption, etc., it provides security protection for customer's products.

Wi-Fi 6

Incorporating advanced technologies such as OFDMA, MU-MIMO, TWT and Extended Range, it effectively alleviates wireless resource congestion, enhances weak signal coverage, significantly improves transmission quality, reduces latency, and extends the battery life of IoT devices

Wi-Fi R-MESH

Multi-hop and multi-branch intelligent networking, significantly extending the AP connection range; underlying layer forwarding and control, transparent to application layer development, eliminating traditional Mesh adaptation constraints; rapid fault self-healing, ultra-low latency, and ultra-high stability, comprehensively breaking through traditional Mesh performance bottlenecks

5V I/O Support

Some I/O groups support 5V power supply and 5V logic-level operation, enabling direct connection to 5V peripherals and mixed-voltage systems, improving interface compatibility and reducing external level-shifting circuitry.

System Architecture

Real-M300 (KM4TZ)

Armv8.1-M Architecture
Arm Cortex®-M55 ISA compatible
Up to 320MHz, 3-stage pipeline
8KB I-Cache
8KB D-Cache
Arm TrustZone®-M

Real-M300 (KM4NS)

Armv8.1-M Architecture
Arm Cortex®-M55 ISA compatible
Up to 320MHz, 3-stage pipeline
8KB I-Cache
4KB D-Cache

Memory System

512KB SRAM
QSPI NOR Flash: Up to 104MHz
DQ8 DDR PSRAM: Up to 200MHz

Part Number

Select in Current Series Select in All Series

Part number	RTL8720FBF-VA2-CG	RTL8720FBM-VA2-CG	RTL8720FBM-VR3-CG
Real-M300 (KM4TZ)	320MHz	320MHz	320MHz
Real-M300 (KM4NS)	320MHz	320MHz	320MHz
On-chip SRAM	512KB	512KB	512KB
Arm TrustZone
NOR Flash	4MB
PSRAM		4MB	8MB
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz)	Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz)	Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz)
Bluetooth	LE	LE	LE
Operating voltage	2.97V ~ 3.63V	2.97V ~ 3.63V	2.97V ~ 3.63V
Operating temperature	-40°C ~ 105°C	-40°C ~ 105°C	-40°C ~ 105°C
Package (mm)	QFN40 (5 x 5)	QFN40 (5 x 5)	QFN40 (5 x 5)

Peripheral Interfaces

FUNCTION	RTL8720FBF	RTL8720FBM
GPIO	24	24
SPI	2	2
UART	4	4
I2C	2	2
I2S	1	1
Infrared Transeiver	1	1
SWD Interface	1	1
General Timer	4	4
Capture Timer	1	1
RTC	1	1
PWM	10	10
SDIO_DEVICE	1	1
IWDG	1	1
System WDG	3	3
GDMA	8	8
ADC	6	6

Security Features

We consistently prioritize security as the core of our products, offering our customers a rich array of security features through hardware design and providing exceptional hardware-based attack resistance, helping to create IoT products with ultimate security.

The first column indicates the current IC series. If it doesn't meet your needs, you can click on other IC series to view them

Features	Filter	RTL8721Dx	RTL8720E	RTL8710E	RTL8726E	RTL8713E	RTL8730E	RTL8721F	RTL8720F	RTL872xD	RTL8735B
AES Hardware Engine	Select
SHA Hardware Engine	Select
ECDSA/ECDH Hardware Engine	Select
EDDSA Hardware Engine	Select
RSA Hardware Engine	Select
Secure Boot	Select
Flash OTF Decryption	Select
Arm TrustZone	Select
OTP Secure Storage	Select
True Random Number Generator	Select
HUK Derivation Mechanism	Select
Authenticated Debug Access	Select

Asymmetric Encryption Engine

In addition to the essential symmetric encryption engines like AES for IoT, we also provide computationally more intensive asymmetric encryption algorithms ECDSA. This greatly alleviates the computational burden on the CPU and improves encryption and decryption speeds

Secure Boot

Based on asymmetric encryption and digital signature mechanisms, it verifies public key hashes and firmware signatures. This process can prevent tampering and rollback attacks, ensuring that the device only runs trusted firmware

Flash OTF Decryption

Supports both embedded and external Flash, with independent key encryption for multiple firmware. When the CPU executes encrypted firmware, it is decrypted in real-time by hardware, with nearly imperceptible performance impact. Supports unique encryption for each device, preventing injection and cloning attacks

Arm TrustZone®-M

Based on the Arm TrustZone® architecture, coupled with a dedicated hardware access control unit, it achieves strong isolation protection for secure memory areas and secure peripherals. Meanwhile, secure firmware is decrypted by the security encryption engine and loaded into the secure RAM area, ensuring protection against leakage and tampering throughout the entire process

OTP Secure Storage

Physical-level anti-extraction, key area locked for access only by the security engine, tamper-resistant and read-proof. Supports independent secure zones and CRC verification

True Random Number Generator (TRNG)

Generates high-security random numbers based on physical entropy sources. Certified by NIST for randomness. Provides unpredictability to the system, resistant to prediction attacks

HUK Derivation Mechanism

Hardware Unique Key (HUK) with physical isolation protection, unreadable and unclonable, used for secure derivation of application keys

Authenticated Debug Access

Strict control over debug interface access through authentication mechanisms. Supports authorized access and permanent closure, eliminating physical debug attacks. Meets security management requirements at different stages of the product lifecycle, effectively enhancing overall security

Security Certifications Support

We offer support for multiple security certifications. By providing these advanced security features and certification support, we aim to assist our customers in efficiently meeting various market entry requirements, ensuring the security and competitiveness of their products. Most of our chips are capable of achieving PSA Certified Level 2 and Level 3, with some chips already having completed PSA Certified Level 2 certification.

Wireless Connectivity

The first column indicates the current IC series. If it doesn't meet your needs, you can click on other IC series to view them

Wi-Fi Feature List

Features	Filter	RTL8721Dx	RTL8720E	RTL8710E	RTL8726E	RTL8713E	RTL8730E	RTL8721F	RTL8720F	RTL872xD	RTL8735B
Frequency	2.4GHz 2.4GHz/5GHz	2.4GHz/5GHz	2.4GHz	2.4GHz	2.4GHz	2.4GHz	2.4GHz/5GHz	2.4GHz/5GHz	2.4GHz	2.4GHz/5GHz	2.4GHz/5GHz
Bandwidth	20MHz 40MHz	40MHz	20MHz	20MHz	20MHz	20MHz	20MHz	20MHz	20MHz	40MHz	20MHz
Maximum PHY rate	114.7Mbps 150Mbps 72Mbps	150Mbps	114.7Mbps	114.7Mbps	114.7Mbps	114.7Mbps	114.7Mbps	114.7Mbps	114.7Mbps	150Mbps	72Mbps
802.11a	Select
802.11ax (Wi-Fi6)	Select
802.11b/g/n	Select
802.11e/i/w/d/k/v/r	Select
WMM/WPA1~3/WPS/ 802.1X/EAP	Select
UL LDPC?	Select
DL STBC?	Select
Auto Antenna Diversity	Select
CSI?	Select
MCC?	Select
R-MESH?	Select
Wi-Fi Card Mode	Select
P2P/NAN	Select
TWT?	Select

Bluetooth Feature List

Features	Filter	RTL8721Dx	RTL8720E	RTL8710E	RTL8726E	RTL8713E	RTL8730E	RTL8721F	RTL8720F	RTL872xD	RTL8735B
Bluetooth Mode	Bluetooth Dual Mode Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth Dual Mode	Bluetooth Dual Mode	Bluetooth Dual Mode	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE
Bluetooth BR/EDR?	Select
LE Audio?	Select
Dedicated antenna for Bluetooth?	Select
Scatternet?	Select
LE 2Mpbs PHY	Select
LE Long Range?	Select
LE Advertising Extensions?	Select
Periodic Advertising	Select
Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer	Select
Direction Finding (AoA/AoD)?	Select
LE Isochronous Channels (CIS/BIS)?	Select
LE Power Control	Select
SIG Mesh?	Select
High-Power Mode?	Select	TBD

System Power Consumption

Mode	Wi-Fi	Unit
Deep-Sleep	OFF	µA
Sleep	OFF	µA
Active	OFF	mA
WoWLAN	DTIM=3
WoWLAN	DTIM=10

Note:

Test conditions: 3.3V, 25°C
WoWLAN: System average power consumption

Application Scenarios

Wi-Fi R-MESH

Ameba IC empowers Mesh network architecture to significantly expand Wi-Fi coverage and eliminate signal dead zones. Unlike traditional Mesh that requires enabling SoftAP and TCP/IP stack forwarding on relay nodes, R-Mesh implements data forwarding directly at the Wi-Fi MAC layer, reducing memory and computing resource consumption. It features no routing table maintenance, proactive loop avoidance, and sub-millisecond parent switching—all transparent to the application layer. Includes open-source multi-terminal R-Mesh visualization simulation tools for more convenient and intuitive visual testing. With RPP zero-provisioning protocol, it is suitable for rapid deployment of large-scale nodes. Widely used in smart lighting, smart agriculture, PV micro-inverters, and other scenarios.

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Wi-Fi Card

Ameba IC serves as a wireless network card connected to Host MCUs, providing network access capability. Supports multiple physical interfaces (UART, SPI, SDIO, USB) and major development platforms (Linux, FreeRTOS, Zephyr). Compared to traditional SoftMAC architecture, Ameba Wi-Fi Card mode implements the complete IEEE 802.11 MAC layer in-device, eliminating complex Wi-Fi protocol handling on the Host—resulting in lighter drivers, lower resource consumption, and easier porting. The device-side TCP/IP keep-alive mechanism and low-power design ensure fast wake-up response while reducing overall power consumption. Ideal for smart home appliances, industrial sensors, and embedded system network expansion.

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Wi-Fi Battery Camera

Ameba IC leverages Wi-Fi 6 high-efficiency wireless connectivity, low-power design, and local edge processing capability to support stable operation of Wi-Fi battery cameras in low-power standby, event-triggered wake-up, fast image/video upload, and remote viewing scenarios. Wi-Fi 6 provides higher transmission efficiency, better multi-device concurrency, and stable connectivity. Together with WoWLAN, TWT, and flexible multi-source wake-up mechanisms, it helps extend battery life. Combined with local AI/ML inference, a pixel processing engine, and rich peripheral interfaces, it enables human detection, abnormal event recognition, image quality enhancement, infrared night vision, alarm reporting, and cloud collaboration. Secure boot, wireless transmission encryption, and end-to-end network encryption provide chip-to-cloud privacy protection, making it suitable for smart doorbells, outdoor cameras, and low-power security cameras.

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Industry 4.0

Ameba IC empowers manufacturing digital transformation with Wi-Fi 6, high-power Bluetooth, and wide-temperature support for flexible deployment in demanding industrial environments. Wi-Fi 6 provides higher transmission efficiency, lower latency, and better multi-device concurrency, making it suitable for industrial data acquisition, equipment monitoring, and cloud collaboration. The dual-core heterogeneous architecture supports local AI/ML inference for real-time edge decision-making. Built-in R-MESH enables multi-hop networking for large-scale distributed sensor networks. Ultra-low power design with TWT enables battery-powered IoT nodes operating for years without battery replacement. Integrated Ethernet interface facilitates seamless integration with industrial gateways. Combined with enhanced security features, this chip is ideal for smart manufacturing terminals and connected industrial equipment.

Smart Home

Ameba IC leverages Wi-Fi and BLE dual-mode capabilities to build a smart home network hub, enabling cross-protocol interconnection between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices. It supports multi-node BLE Mesh and Matter protocol for large-scale device networking. Based on Arm® security architecture and PSA certification, it ensures encrypted transmission of device control commands and private data. The ultra-low power design meets 24-hour standby requirements, while rich peripherals can directly drive sensors, lighting modules, and actuators. Voice control, scenario linkage, and remote management create an efficient and convenient whole-house smart ecosystem.

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Smart Door Lock

Ameba IC integrates Arm® security architecture, hardware encryption engine (AES/SHA), secure boot, and OTP secure storage, enabling chip-level encrypted storage and verification of fingerprint, password, and Bluetooth unlocking data. Based on BLE secure connection protocol, it achieves encrypted linkage with mobile phones. Ultra-low power design with WoWLAN network wake-up function is suitable for battery-powered door lock scenarios, ensuring instant unlocking. Rich peripherals can directly drive touch buttons, capacitance detection, and infrared sensing modules, meeting 24/7 standby stable operation and remote control requirements for smart door locks.