Early benchmarks of the AVR32, conducted by the electronics' industry benchmarking organization, EEMBC (the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium -- http://www.eembc.org ), gauge the core's performance per clock cycle at three times that of other processors. This faster throughput means that applications can be executed with fewer clocks, reducing power consumption and increasing the battery life of the end-product. Code size benchmarks also indicate exceptional results with up to 50% reduction compared to other processors.

More Processing with Fewer Clock Cycles. "Traditionally chip vendors have increased processing power by making processors run faster," said Oyvind Strom, AVR32 Product Director. "This is a real issue for portable devices because turning up the clock directly increases power consumption and reduces battery life. The approach we have taken with the AVR32 is to increase the amount of processing the processor can do internally during each clock cycle." Strom concluded, "Although it's difficult to digest the notion that a processor could be more powerful using fewer clock cycles, that is exactly what we are doing."

For example, running at just 100 MHz, the AVR32 core can do all the processing required to decode quarter-VGA MPEG4 movies -- the same format used with various hand-held video players including the iPod(R) -- while other processors are required to operate as fast as 266 MHz. For the end-user, this means a longer battery-life.

By increasing the AVR32's clock frequency to 400 MHz or more the exceptional computational capability of the architecture can also be used to handle more tasks and remove additional processors or hardware accelerators thus reducing cost while improving system integration and reliability.

Ten years ago Atmel innovated by introducing the AVR 8-bit RISC architecture which was an order of magnitude faster than existing 8-bit processors. AVR is now the leading 8-bit Flash microcontroller on the market. Shipments of AVR-based products are growing at a compounded rate of 35% per year. More than 1.4 billion units have been shipped. Today with the new AVR32 core, Atmel's ambition is to again provide another major innovation that will help developers to build next generation embedded systems.

Atmel plans to announce a family of AVR32-based processors in the Spring of 2006.

Technical details of the AVR32 core are available at http://www.atmel.com/avr32 .

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, Atmel ICs can be found Everywhere You Are(R).

NOTE: Atmel(R), logo and combinations thereof, Everywhere You Are(R), AVR(R), and others are registered trademarks or trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. iPod(R) is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Information:

Atmel's AVR32 product information may be retrieved at http://www.atmel.com/avr32 .

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