Atmel's MPCF-II Technology Brings ARM Processor-based Custom SoCs to 10K-unit Apps With No License Fees

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

- CAP7L Customizable Microcontroller with US$75K NRE enables
lower cost of entry markets

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today its CAP7L
customizable microcontroller that allows fabless semiconductor
companies to implement ARM7(TM) processor-based systems-on-chip
(SoCs) with a turn-around period as low as 12 weeks, a nominal NRE
charge of only US$75,000, and unit costs as low as US$5, without
requiring a separate license from ARM.

CAP7L SoCs are economical in volumes of 10K units, with a
fully-amortized unit cost of US$17. In 50K unit volumes, the
amortized unit cost is only US$7, including NRE and IP expense.

The AT91CAP7L is a microcontroller with 200K gates of metal
programmable cell fabric that can be used to implement proprietary
customer IP, hardware accelerators, additional processor cores or
unique peripherals sets to achieve a customized SoC. Atmel has a
large library of license- and royalty-free IP that has been fully
verified and tested in the CAP7L MP block.

Atmel's second-generation metal programmable cell fabric
technology (MPCF-II) has cut the mask charges to US$75K by using only
three metal and three via layers for configuration.

According to Jay Johnson, Atmel's director of CAP(TM) marketing,
"Fabless semiconductor companies are often stuck between a rock and a
hard place when it comes to implementing new designs. Low-volume,
quick-turnaround ASICs typically have unit costs of hundreds of
dollars and often require the purchase of an ARM IP license. The
CAP7L provides an affordable low-volume solution with the power
consumption, performance characteristics, and IP security of a
custom-SoC, without excessive license fees or units costs. Worst-case
static power consumption for the CAP7L is between 3mW and 4mW - 98%
less than the power consumed by a typical FPGA," Johnson concluded.

The HDL code for any custom-IP is developed using standard,
vendor-specific or third-party FPGA design tools. Once verified, the
customer needs to provide the register transfer level (RTL) netlist
to Atmel for implementation in the MP block on the CAP7L. Prototypes
can be available within 10 weeks of final gate level netlist and
production quantities within 12 weeks.

Existing Third-party Tools. The same C-compilers, RTOS, OSs, ICEs
and IDEs used with Atmel's ARM processor-based MCUs can be used with
the CAP versions of the devices. These include Atmel's free GNU gcc C
compiler, GNU gdb debugger, FreeRTOS.org real-time kernel.
Commercially available tools include ARM (RealView Development Suite,
RealView ICE, RealView Trace2) Green Hills(R) (Multi(R) IDE,
TimeMachine(TM), Integrity(R) OS), IAR(TM) (C compiler - Embedded
Workbench), ExpressLogic (Real-time Operating System - ThreadX(R))
and Micrium (Real-time Operating System - uCOS/II).

Availability and Pricing- CAP7L customizable microcontrollers are
available now. NRE is US$75K, with unit costs of US$5.50 in
quantities of 50K units in the 144 LQFP package. Included in the
US$75K NRE is design engineering to assist customers in re-targeting
their FPGA code into Atmel's metal programmable library, static
timing analysis and closure, place and route, design finishing, masks
and 10 quick-turn prototypes. In addition, a low cost starter kit is
available for engineering evaluation. The AT91CAP7A-STK kit is priced
at US$399.

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) 2009 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), Atmel
logo and combinations thereof, Everywhere You Are(R), and others, are
registered trademarks, CAP(TM) and others are trademarks of Atmel
Corporation or its subsidiaries. ARM(R) and others are registered
trademarks or trademarks of ARM Ltd. Other terms and product names
may be trademarks of others.

Information:

Atmel's CAP product information may be retrieved at
www.atmel.com/products/AT91CAP

Press Contacts:
Barbara Bailey, Marketing Communications Manager - USA
Tel: +1-719-540-1895, Email: barbara.bailey@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
Tel: +1-408-487-2963, Email: helen.perlegos@atmel.com

ots Originaltext: Atmel Corporation
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Barbara Bailey, Marketing Communications Manager - USA,
+1-719-540-1895, barbara.bailey@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos, Public
Relations, +1-408-487-2963, helen.perlegos@atmel.com, both of Atmel
Corporation