Atmel Expands ARM-based Microcontroller Family with Extended-Memory, Lower-Power and Analog-Enabled Devices.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ROUSSET, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 19, 2002

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML) announced today it has expanded its market-leading family of ARM(R)-based microcontrollers with four new products: the extended-memory AT91R40008 and AT91FR40162, the low-power AT91M42800A and the AT91M55800A with an ultra low-power mode and analog capability. Like all existing members of the AT91 family, they are based on the ARM7TDMI(TM) 32-bit enhanced RISC processor core and are manufactured using high-density CMOS technology to keep die size to a minimum while ensuring maximum performance. They complement the AT91M40 series that is already in widespread use in applications as various as mobile phone accessories, point-of-sales terminals, storage devices, medical equipment, access control and telecom networking.

The AT91R40008 is a general-purpose device that includes 2-Mbits of on-chip 32-bit wide SRAM. Executing code directly out of the on-chip SRAM gives it a deterministic performance of up to 63 MIPS and significant system power consumption reductions, making it a leader in MIPS/Watt. This makes the device ideal for power consumption sensitive real-time data processing applications. For other applications, the on-chip SRAM offers significant board space savings at a competitive price.

The AT91FR40162 uses advanced stacked die packaging technology to embed both the AT91R40008, an ARM7TDMI processor with on-chip 2-Mbit SRAM, and the AT49BV16x4A, 16-Mbit Flash memory, in a single 10x10 mm outline BGA package. The memory integration level reached on this ARM microcontroller meets most of the toughest space constraints in the market today.

The AT91M42800A low power ARM microcontroller offers nearly instant high performance out of a low power standby mode. It is designed for data acquisition and processing applications requiring a high-performance microcontroller running most of its time in a low power surveillance mode. An external or internal event triggers the power management controller to boost the internal clock from for example 32kHz to 33MHz within less than 1ms. In addition to the standard on-chip peripherals of the AT91M40 series, the AT91M42800A integrates peripherals including two SPI interfaces and a variety of timers.

The AT91M55800A is designed for battery operated applications that require the processing power of a 32-bit core, coupled with analog functions and very low power consumption. The AT91M55800A includes the same power management capabilities as the AT91M42800A, plus an ultra low-power mode where only the on-chip Real Time Clock remains active. In this so-called power down mode the device current consumption can be reduced below 1microampere. The AT91M55800A features eight channels of 10-bit ADC inputs and two channels of 10-bit DAC outputs ideal for battery charge survey, LCD channel backlight control or RF power stage feedback loops.

All AT91 microcontrollers feature an embedded ICE debug interface, a fully programmable external memory interface with a maximum address space of 64 or 128 Mbytes, a hardware vectored interrupt controller, a large number of user-programmable I/Os, multiple channels of 16-bit timers, USARTs with dedicated DMA channels and a watchdog timer. The AT91M42800A and AT91M55800A have IEEE 1149.1 JTAG Boundary Scan available on all active pins. AT91 ARM-based microcontrollers ship in either TQFP or BGA package or both.

Commented Jacko Wilbrink, Atmel's marketing manager for ARM-based microcontrollers, "The four new members widen the scope of applications for the AT91 family, and enable us to build on the success we have achieved with the entry-level devices. The two axes of development for the AT91 family are large memory integration, and increased on-chip functionality coupled with the most tightly managed power consumption."

About Atmel

Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets worldwide, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions using CMOS, BiCMOS, SiGe, and high-voltage BCDMOS process technologies. Further details can be obtained from Atmel's Web site at www.atmel.com.

Information

For more information on the AT91 ARM Thumb product family, go to: http://www.atmel.com/atmel/products/prod35.htm. Requests may be sent via e-mail to [e-mail] or by visiting Atmel's website at www.atmel.com.

Notes to Editors: Atmel, the Atmel logo and combinations thereof and others contained herein, are trademarks of Atmel Corporation. ARM is a registered trademark of ARM Ltd, ARM7TDMI is a trademark of ARM Ltd. Other terms and product names in this document may be the trademarks of others.