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Atmel Licenses Two ARM9 Cores for Advanced System-on-Chip Designs
SAN JOSE, Calif.----Oct. 9, 2000--
Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML) today announced that it has
licensed the 32-bit ARM920T(TM) and ARM946E-S(TM) microcontroller
cores from ARM. The ARM920T solution is a cached processor targeted
for ``open systems'' such as Windows CE, that require full virtual
memory management and memory protection. The ARM946E-S solution is a
synthesizable, high performance processor, with flexible cache memory
sizes, targeted for closed embedded applications with memory
management requirements. Atmel has been a licensee of the ARM7TDMI®
core since 1996, and has used the core to successfully implement
Bluetooth, 802.11, and flash-based microcontroller ICs.
Atmel will use the two cores in three exceptionally high growth
areas: 1) high performance system-on-chip (SoC) implementations of
standard products for wireless, wireline, multimedia and secure
applications; 2) ARM9 core-based, single chip, flash-based
microcontrollers; and 3) in the design and fabrication of custom
systems-on-chip for high volume ASIC customers. Atmel achieved half of
its 1999 revenue in ASICs, MCUs and ASSPs. Fifteen percent of the
company's 1999 revenues were from SoC products. The company forecasts
that by 2002 almost half of its revenue will come from SoC products.
ASIC, MCU and ASSP combined are expected to account for 70% of the
company's revenues.
According to John Ford, Atmel's director of ASIC marketing, ``With
throughput as high as 220 MIPS, the ARM9 core is an exceptionally high
performance microcontroller solution that is ideally suited for
wireless RF, multimedia video imaging and secure SoCs that Atmel
develops. The ARM946E-S solution offers flexibility in size and type
of cache memory. Atmel can use this core in its FlashASIC(TM) and
E2ASIC(TM) products to provide NVM solutions to SoC designs. As the
core is synthesizable, it can be quickly ported to new technology,
greatly accelerating time to market. The ARM920T solution will be used
for handheld computing and internet appliance applications.''
``This agreement enhances Atmel's already impressive ability to
provide innovative products for wireless RF, multimedia, and secure
SoCs for a diverse marketplace,'' said Reynette Au, vice president of
Worldwide Marketing for ARM. ``Our continued partnership with leading
semiconductor manufacturers like Atmel demonstrates our commitment to
the ever increasing needs of high-performance, low-power
technologies.''
Standard Product SoCs -- Atmel will use the ARM9 cores in standard
SoC products, including encryption/decryption engines for smart card
ICs, set-top box controllers, video imaging systems, DVD storage
products, video conferencing, Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and
internet appliances. Atmel is a major player in the rapidly growing
wireless RF market, offering standard products, IP and ASIC design
services in the areas of GSM, CDMA, Bluetooth, 802.11, wireless
Ethernet LAN, Remote Keyless Entry, and home RF.
Atmel is the world's third largest supplier of e-security products
including cryptocontrollers, secure memories and smart card ICs, a
market that is experiencing triple digit growth rates. Atmel's secure
smart cards offer 1024-bit RSA encryption/decryption in less than 180
ms. They also offer twice the amount of on-chip flash memory as the
nearest smart card IC competitor, making the company's e-security ICs
ideal for high density applications, such as medical data storage,
biometric identification and others.
World's Largest Vendor of Flash MCUs -- As the world's leading
vendor of flash-based microcontrollers, Atmel has already developed a
family of ARM7(TM) core-based flash MCUs that offer the world's
highest densities of on-chip flash and SRAM, plus architectural
features that allow superior throughput with very low power
consumption. Atmel plans to extend its flash MCU offering to include a
family of ARM9 core-based microcontrollers.
Top ASIC -- Atmel also offers comprehensive engineering,
intellectual property and design services for the development of
ARM9-based application specific systems-on-chip for high volume ASIC
customers. Atmel is one of the world's largest ASIC vendors. The
company's track record developing its own standard product SoCs and
its extensive intellectual property in wireless RF, multimedia,
encryption/decryption, and image processing make it the ideal company
to fully exploit the implementation of the ARM9 family in ASICs.
About Atmel
Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose,
California with principal manufacturing facilities in Colorado
Springs, Colorado; Irving, Texas; Grenoble, Nantes and Rousset,
France; and Heilbronn, Germany. Atmel designs, manufactures and
markets, on a worldwide basis, advanced logic, mixed-signal,
nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading
provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions using
advanced CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolar and SiGe process technologies.
Atmel product and financial information are available from its
Fax-on-Demand service. In North America call 800/292-8635 or
Internationally, call 408/441-0732. Requests may be made via e-mail
to literature@atmel.com or by visiting Atmel's web site at
www.atmel.com.
Note to Editors: Atmel, the Atmel logo and combinations thereof
and others contained herein, are trademarks of Atmel Corporation. ARM
and ARM7TDMI are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. ARM7, ARM9,
ARM946E-S and ARM920T are trademarks of ARM Limited. ``ARM'' is used to
represent ARM Holdings plc (LSE:ARM)(Nasdaq:ARMHY); its operating
company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM, INC.; ARM KK;
ARM Korea Ltd.
Terms and product names in this document may be the trademarks of
others. For photo requests contact Wendy Asato at wasato@atmel.com
Contact:
Atmel Corporation, San Jose
Bob Henderson, 408/451-2855
Director of Marketing Communications
bhenderson@atmel.com
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