Atmel Announces ARM Cortex-M3 License and AT91SAM3 Flash MCU Family

Rousset, France (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Extends Atmel's Market-leading AT91SAM Microcontrollers to
Next-generation ARM Technology

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today that it has
licensed the ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-M3 32-bit RISC processor for the next
generation of its market-leading AT91SAM ARM technology-based
microcontrollers. This reinforces Atmel's commitment to the ARM
architecture, complementing its existing licenses for the
ARM7TDMI(R), ARM926EJ-S(TM) and ARM1176JZ-S(TM) processors.

Atmel's planned AT91SAM3 Flash MCU family will combine the ARM
Cortex-M3 processor with the outstanding system implementation
features that have placed the AT91SAM series at the forefront of its
market. These include the multi-layer internal buses, an enhancement
to the DMA for system peripherals and distributed peripheral data
controllers (PDCs) that give the AT91SAM family its high internal
data bandwidth, and enable intensive data processing and high-speed
data transfers to take place concurrently, when compared to other
implementations of the Cortex architecture. Atmel's high-density
on-chip Flash memory reduces the application chip count, shortens
boot and program load times and improves system security. The
multiple operating modes of the AT91SAM3 enable it to achieve
excellent power consumption under all conditions of use.

The AT91SAM3 family has Atmel's distinctive uniform peripheral
register structure that simplifies application programming, and
enables software modules to be easily transferred from one family
member to another. This uniformity of peripheral programming extends
to development tools from Atmel's established ecosystem of
industry-leading third-party suppliers. It is a major aid to
application development.

Alfredo Vadillo, Atmel's Managing Director for ARM
Microcontrollers, commented, "The ARM Cortex-M3 processor gives our
customers the option of taking advantage of the latest developments
in ARM's 32-bit RISC technology in terms of performance and power
consumption, together with all the benefits of the AT91SAM family
architecture and IP, as well as the ARM ecosystem. The addition of
the ARM Cortex-M3 processor strengthens Atmel's leadership in the
fast growing embedded 32-bit microcontroller market. It complements
our current market-leading product offering of AT91SAM and AVR32
microcontrollers."

"Atmel's decision to add the Cortex-M3 processor to its existing
licenses for the ARM7TDMI, the ARM926EJ-S and the ARM1176JZ-S
processors indicates its on-going commitment to the ARM
architecture," said Eric Schorn, VP Marketing, Processor Division,
ARM. "Atmel joins the growing ranks of ARM Cortex-M3 processor
implementers, and reinforces our architecture as the reference for
32-bit microcontrollers."

Atmel is today one of the industry's leading suppliers of
microcontrollers with a wide range of products. The ARM Cortex-M3
processor will be used to expand today's product range of 8051,
AVR(R), AVR32, and ARM7(TM) and ARM9(TM) family-based
microcontrollers into new markets.

Availability

Atmel's AT91SAM3 Flash microcontroller family based on the ARM
Cortex-M3 processor will be available in 4Q 2008.

About Atmel

Atmel is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of
microcontrollers, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory
and radio frequency (RF) components. Leveraging one of the industry's
broadest intellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is
able to provide the electronics industry with complete system
solutions focused on consumer, industrial, security, communications,
computing and automotive markets.

(C) 2008 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), logo
and combinations thereof, AVR(R) and others, are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
ARM and ARM7TDMI are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. Cortex,
ARM926EJ-S, ARM1176JZF-S, ARM7 and ARM9 are trademarks of ARM
Limited. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc; its operating
company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries: ARM, Inc.; ARM
KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan Limited; ARM France SAS; ARM
Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.; ARM Belgium N.V.; AXYS Design
Automation Inc.; ARM Germany GmbH; ARM Embedded Technologies Pvt.
Ltd.; and ARM Norway, AS. Other terms and product names may be
trademarks of others.

Information:

Atmel's AT91SAM product information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/products/AT91/

Atmel Press Contacts:
Peter Bishop, Communications Manager, Atmel Rousset
Tel: +33-0-4-42-53-61-50, Email: peter.bishop@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
Tel: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com

Web site: http://www.atmel.com

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Contact:
Peter Bishop, Communications Manager, Atmel Rousset,
+33-0-4-42-53-61-50, peter.bishop@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos,
Public Relations, +1-408-487-2963, hperlegos@atmel.com, both of Atmel
Corporation