Atmel Launches Programmable System-on-Chip University Program; FPSLIC and Design Tools ideal for teaching System-on-Chip design.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 19, 2001

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML) announced today that it has launched a new University Program for its FPSLIC(TM) family of Programmable System-on-Chip and associated design tools. Atmel has created a Laboratory Package that is intended for use in FPGA, Microcontroller, Digital System Design and System-on-Chip engineering curriculums. The ATSTK94U FPSLIC Design Laboratory Package allows instructors to create derivative teaching material that is optimized for their teaching environment.

The Laboratory Package includes all the EDA tools and hardware required to prototype and debug system designs using Atmel's FPSLIC. The hardware includes a development board complete with a 40K gate FPSLIC; a 1 Mbit EEPROM to store configuration data (and an ISP port for programming the serial EEPROM); switches and displays; two RS232 transmit/receive ports (connected to the FPSLIC UARTs); multiple clock sources with various operating frequencies; four headers that provide access to all FPSLIC pins allowing easy debug or prototyping; power management circuitry and programming cables.

Atmel's System Designer(TM) EDA tool suite is included in the Laboratory Package and provides comprehensive tools for MCU code development and debugging, FPGA design and verification, and co-verification that allows the microcode to be simulated simultaneously with the FPGA (HDL) code. The co-verification tools are the first offered for programmable design -- significantly reducing design time, cost and risk by enabling hardware and software co-design and verification in the beginning of the design process.

Atmel also offers the FPSLIC Course Instructor package (AT94KINST) which provides detailed coverage of the FPSLIC MCU and FPGA architectures, the AVR instruction set, co-design and co-verification design methodologies, features and documentation of Atmel's System Designer EDA tool and a step-by-step design tutorials using Atmel's FPSLIC University Design Laboratory Kit. The Instructor Package includes copyrighted materials and a FPSLIC Laboratory Package for the professor's to create derivative teaching material that is optimized for their teaching environment.

"System-on-Chip design represents the next wave of system level integration beyond FPGAs and microcontrollers," according to Belle Wei, Chair of San Jose State University's Department of Electrical Engineering department. "Today we have courses that teach students about System Architecture, Microcontroller design and FPGA design. Atmel's Programmable System-on-Chip and the design tools provide the means to integrate all these capabilities in one package. By providing a comprehensive development board, design examples, instructor's guide and design tools - everything necessary for course instruction and hands-on training; the FPSLIC family and associated University Laboratory Program is ideal for use in Electronic Design Engineering curriculum. The University Program allows students to be creative by enabling them to go from design concept to actual implementation."

Atmel's FPSLIC, Field Programmable System Level Integration Circuits bring the benefits of Programmability to System-on-Chip design. The AT94K series consists of embedded 5K-40K gates of FPGA, 8-bit AVR RISC microcontroller, 36K bytes program & data RAM and several dedicated peripherals, including UARTs, hardware multiplier, 2-wire interface and others. Additional custom peripherals can be created in the FPGA and memory mapped directly in the address space of the microcontroller. The entire device is SRAM-based, allowing both the instruction set for the micro and the hardware code for the FPGA to be reconfigured in real time, any number of times. Device performance is rated at 20MIPS running at 25MHz.

"Atmel is committed to making a significant impact on the quality of education. By providing FPSLIC devices and the FPSLIC University Laboratory board to colleges and universities worldwide, students can gain valuable expertise in Programmable System-on-Chip technology," said Itsu Wang, PSLi University Program Coordinator for Atmel.

"The ATSTK94U University Program Design Laboratory Package is an excellent way for professors to teach and students to learn SOC design. The advantage of using Atmel's FPSLIC is the ease of creating new design projects and applications using System Designer software and the infinite reprogrammability of Atmel's AT94K series FPSLIC devices," said Joel Rosenberg, Atmel's Director of Programmable System Level Integration. Additional information regarding Atmel's FPSLIC devices and FPSLIC University Program can be found at www.atmel.com/univprog.htm

About Atmel

Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, California 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, bipolar SiGe, and high-voltage BCDMOS process technologies.

Atmel product and financial information can be retrieved from its Fax-on-Demand service. In North America call 1-[phone]. Internationally from a fax phone, dial 1-[phone]. Requests may be sent via e-mail to [e-mail] or by visiting Atmel's website at www.atmel.com.

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