ATtiny102/104 are self-programmable, 8- and 14-pin tinyAVR MCUs

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New tinyAVRs deliver industry’s smallest and lowest power 8-bit MCU on the market today with 1KB Flash.

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Making its debut at Embedded World 2016, Atmel has returned to its old-school ways with the world’s highest-performance, low-power, 8-bit microcontrollers boasting 1KB Flash memory. The all-new ATtiny102/104 run up to 12MIPS and integrate features previously only available in larger more expensive MCUs, making them ideal for smaller applications including logic replacement and the latest cost-optimized applications in the consumer, industrial and home automation markets.

The majority of today’s 8-bit market growth is coming from applications that previously only required discrete components. With many of these requiring simple intelligent functions such as timing, motor control or on/off functionality, 8-bit MCUs are becoming an essential feature for the personal healthcare, small kitchen appliance and consumer markets.

The ATtiny102/104 provide all the necessary features to help spur the growth in these applications with its small, cost-optimized low-pincount package with just 1KB of Flash memory. These features include self-programming for firmware upgrades, non-volatile data storage, accurate internal oscillator to provide more reliable motor control, high-speed serial communication with USART, operating voltages ranging from 1.8V to 5.5V 10-bit ADC with internal voltage references, and sleep currents at less than 100nA in power down mode with SRAM retention.

“Atmel has already sold more units of its 8-bit AVR core-based MCUs than the 7.4 billion people on Earth,” says Oyvind Strom, Atmel’s Senior Director of MCUs. “We continue to expand our AVR portfolio with the new ATtiny102/104 8-bit MCUs. These are the first two devices in our new tinyAVR portfolio that are packed with features optimized for tiny, compact MCU systems such as LED lighting, fan control and other small applications.”

Key specs of these tinyAVRs include:

• 1KB Flash / 32bytes SRAM
• 8- and 14-pin packages down to 2mm x 3mm in size
• Up to 12 MIPS at 12MHz
• Self-programmable Flash
• Accurate (±3%) Internal oscillator
• Multiple calibrated internal voltage references (1.1V, 2.2V, 4.3V)
• 10-bytes Unique ID (serial number)
• USART
• 10 bit ADC and analog comparator
• 1.8V to 5.5V voltage range
• -40°C to +105°C and -40°C to +125°C temperature ranges

The ATtiny102/104 engineering samples are now available with mass production samples slated for May 2016. The latest tinyAVRs are fully supported by Atmel Studio 7. Additionally, designers have access to the company’s embedded software, including the Atmel Software Framework and application notes, as well as the Atmel Gallery ‘app’ store.

Video: Taking a closer look at the Atmel | SMART SAM S70 and E70 MCUs

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ARMDevices.net explores the “world’s fastest ARM Cortex-M.”

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Earlier this year, Atmel expanded upon its Atmel | SMART ARM-based microcontroller family with the launch of four new series of Cortex-M7 based devices, including the SAM S70 and E70 MCUs.

The new devices enable users to scale-up performance and deliver SRAM and system functionality, while keeping the Cortex-M family ease-of-use and maximizing software reuse. The MCUs contain advanced memory architectures with up to 384KB of multi-port SRAM memory, out of which 256KB can be configured as tightly coupled memory delivering zero wait state access at 300MHz. With over four times the performance of current Atmel ARM Cortex-M based MCUs running up to 300MHz, larger configurable SRAM up to 384kB and higher bandwidth peripherals, the new processors give designers the right connectivity, SRAM and performance mix for their industrial, connectivity and automotive designs.

In particular, the SAM S70 series is based on the Cortex-M7 core plus a floating point unit (FPU) extending the general purpose product portfolio with maximum operating speeds up to 300MHz, up to 2MB of Flash, dual 16KB of cache memory and up to 384KB of SRAM with an extensive peripheral set including high-speed USB host and device plus high-speed PHY, up to 8 UARTs, I2S, SD/MMC interface, a CMOS camera interface, system control and analog interfaces.

Aside from the S70 series features, the recently-revealed SAM E70 also includes a 10/100 Ethernet MAC and Dual Bosch CAN-FD interfaces with advanced analog features making them ideal for connectivity applications. The SAM E70 is upwards compatible with Atmel’s SAM4E series.

“All the series offer two Advanced Analog Frontend (AFE) with dual sample and hold capability and Up to 16-bit resolution with hardware oversampling. They also have programmable gain for small signal input. All series offer real-time event management through direct connection between PWM, Timer and ADC for motor control application,” ARMDevices.net writes. “Both series are based on the same feature set, the only difference is coming from the Ethernet, CAN support (SAME70 integrates Ethernet and CAN). Atmel offers all series in BGA and QFP from 64 to 144 pins. Small 64-pin pin count option offers an entry level form factor high performance MCU. All series support the extended Industrial temperature range from -40 to 105°C.”

Watch below as ARMDevices.net catches up with Lionel Perdigon, Atmel Product Marketing Manager, to discuss the latest addition to the Atmel | SMART family.

Video Diary: A look back at Embedded World 2015

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Weren’t able to join us in Nuremberg? 

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With another Embedded World in the books, here’s a look back at some of Atmel’s latest smart and securely connected solutions that are ready to power next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Andreas von Hofen shows off the new automotive grade ARM Cortex-M0+-based SAM DA1. The recently-revealed family of MCUs feature an integrated peripheral touch controller (PTC) for capacitive touch applications.

Geir Kjosavik demonstrates a QTouch-based water level sensing application that highlights its advanced HMI and sensing capabilities. Notable uses for this solution include automotive liquid containers and coffee machines.

Dr. Atta Römer explores the latest advancements in phase measurement by exhibiting various localization applications based on 802.15.4 transceivers. Among those examples is Agilion, who showed off its latest e-ink display ID badge based on an Atmel transceiver that is capable of tracking employees in emergency situations, transmitting data and managing access.

Ingolf Leidert addresses Atmel’s newest development kit for ZigBee Light Link solutions using a pair of SAMR21ZLL-EK boards. In this particular demonstration, one board served as a ZigBee LightLink remote, while the other acted as a light.

Controllino is an open-source programmable logic controller (PLC) built around ATmega328 and ATmega2560 microcontrollers. The startup’s CEO Marco Riedesser went 1:1 with Artie Beavis to delve deeper into the Arduino-compatible PLC that enables Makers and designers to produce and control a wide-range of IoT projects, ranging from industrial to home automation applications.

Lionel Perdigon introduces the newest series in the Atmel | SMART ARM Cortex-M portfolio, the SAM E70 and the SAM S70. These Cortex-M7-based MCUs are ideal for connectivity and general purpose industrial applications, while the auto-grade SAM V70 and SAM V71 are perfectly suited for in-vehicle infotainment, audio amplifiers, telematics and head unit control.

The Internet of Things requires a system-level solution encompassing the whole system, from the smallest edge/sensing node devices to the cloud. That is why Atmel has partnered with best-in-class cloud partners — including PubNub, Proximetry and Arrayent — that can support a variety of applications for both Tier-1 OEMs and smaller companies. As Ramzi Al-Harayeri explains Atmel has integrated the partners’ technologies into Atmel’s cloud solutions framework adding the cloud platform functionality seamlessly to all of the company’s wireless MCU offerings.

Thomas Wenzel showcases the latest version of Atmel’s connected car solution, AvantCar 2.0. Focusing on user requirements for next-generation vehicles, this futuristic center console concept delivers an advanced human machine interface (HMI). Beyond that, the new centerstack includes curved touchscreens highlighting HMI in upcoming automobiles using Atmel technologies including XSense, maXTouch, AVR MCUs and local interconnect network.

Bosch Sensortec’s Fabio Governale and Divya Thukkaram unveil the latest extension board for the incredibly-popular Xplained platform. Featuring a BNO055 intelligent 9-axis absolute orientation sensor, the next-gen device connects directly to Atmel’s Xplained board making it ideal for prototyping projects for the Internet of Things, wearables and gaming markets, as well as for applications like personal health and fitness, indoor navigation, and others requiring context awareness and augmented reality for a more immersive experience.

David Lindstrom of Percepio takes us through some of the innovative features of Atmel Studio 6.2, including the MTB support available on the new SAM D21 board. As the demo reveals, it’s super easy to get started, enable Trace View and run the system using the all-in-one collaborative environment for embedded design.

Sankaranarayanan Kitchiah delves deeper into Atmel’s BLDC motor control development platform using a SAM D21 MCU and the Atmel Data Visualizer (ADV) application.

Photos: Atmel @ Embedded World 2015

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Weren’t able to join us in Nuremberg? Here’s a look back at what you missed from Embedded World 2015.

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Well, another Embedded World has drawn to a successful close. With the Internet of Things (IoT) undoubtedly the focal theme of this year’s show, Atmel took center stage by exhibiting a number of new smart and securely connected solutions.

To better demonstrate the company’s extensive lineup of IoT devices, Atmel’s (jam-packed) booth played home to various technology zones highlighting the latest (and smartest) in connectivity for automotive, industrial, smart living, security, the DIY community as well as cloud computing with partners like PubNub, Proximetry and Arrayent.

In addition, the area showcased a number of popular products on the market today that are powered by Atmel microcontrollers, such as the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard (XMEGA), Braun Series 7 Electric Shaver (AVR), Philips Hue (ATmega256RFR2) and Kärcher’s Window Vac (tinyAVR) — which all proved to be quite a hit amongst attendees.

Aside from a series of technical sessions and presentations around CryptoAuthentication, the week also ushered in a wave of some pretty big announcements — which garnered the attention of media including GigaOM, Electronics Weekly and EE Journal — most notably the debut of the SAM DA1 automotive grade MCUs, the launch of an Xplained extension board with Bosch intelligent sensor, as well as a newly-formed partnership with Sequitur Labs to bring robust adaptive security to the IoT.

Even before the show opened its doors, the company kicked off the Embedded World experience aboard a train ride from Munich to Nuremberg on Monday, where a handful of Atmel VIPs were joined by a dozen or so journalists, editors and industry analysts.

Oh, and who could forget AVR Man? Once again, the Maker community’s favorite superhero captured the hearts of many, both students and experienced engineers alike.

Want to browse through all the photos from this past week’s show? View the entire album here.

Atmel and Sequitur Labs bring robust adaptive security to the IoT

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The recent partnership highlights a new approach to IoT security and management along with ultra-secure hardware at Embedded World 2015.

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Sequitur Labs, a developer of advanced security solutions and policy management for the mobile computing and connected devices markets, and Atmel will be demonstrating a joint platform for enhanced security and manageability of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and applications at Embedded World 2015 in Nuremberg, Germany.

The Seattle-based company has integrated their programmable, context aware security and manageability platform for embedded and smart gadgets with Atmel’s SAMA5D4 and SAM D21 MCUs, ATWINC1500 Wi-Fi modules, as well as ATECC508A crypto element devices employing ultra-secure hardware-based key storage. The joint solution significantly raises the bar on countering threats aimed at the IoT by implementing a system-wide, dynamic approach to security policy enforcement.

As recent reports suggest, the IoT market is projected to grow significantly with 69% of U.S. consumers planning to buy network-connected technology for their homes by 2019. And, with the number of intelligent devices entering the market on the rise, enhanced security and manageability of data becomes critical for IoT adoption. Threat vectors are expected to multiply quickly as connected nodes increase in volume with immense potential repercussions for business, critical infrastructure, medical systems, transport systems and personal data.

“Security and manageability of IoT nodes are the primary needs in this market. ‘Thing’ makers must stay ahead of the game by creating devices that are ‘secure by design’ and that employ a systems-driven approach. This means robust security and management need to be designed right from the outset and not added as an afterthought,” explained Phil Attfield, CEO of Sequitur Labs.

It should be noted that Sequitur’s security framework includes secure, policy driven command and control, enhanced data protection and hardware encryption, secure firmware updates, and programmable policy for greater customization.

“As a leader in security, Atmel is committed to delivering comprehensive, ultra-secure solutions to the billions of forthcoming connected devices,” said Bill Boldt, Atmel Senior Marketing Manager for Crypto Products. “Atmel’s innovative ecosystem partner, Sequitur Labs, is accelerating and simplifying IoT and embedded system development to provide the full complement of security capabilities, specifically confidentiality, data integrity and authentication. We are excited to work with Sequitur Labs to continue bringing ultra-secure, hardware-based key storage solutions to a wide range of applications including IoT, wireless, consumer, medical, and industrial, among others.”

The Sequitur Labs and Atmel product demonstration platform can be seen in the Atmel booth (4A-230) all week long at Embedded World. Additionally, Sequitur Labs CEO Phil Attfield will present “Reducing Risk and Liability of IoT with a Systems-based Approach to the 20 Critical Security Controls,” while Atmel’s very own Kerry Maletsky will explore “Making IoT a Reality—Leveraging Hardware Security Devices.”

Interested in learning more? Head over to Sequitur Labs’ official page here.

Atmel to showcase smart and securely connected solutions at Embedded World 2015

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Demonstrations to showcase Atmel | SMART and Atmel AVR MCUs and MPUs highlighted in a variety of technology zones.

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In a matter of days, Atmel will be showcasing a number of smart and securely connected solutions that will power next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) applications at Embedded World 2015 held in Nuremberg, Germany, February 24-27. These demos will be available in the company’s booth located in Hall 4A / Booth 4-230.

To better illustrate Atmel’s broad portfolio of IoT solutions, the demonstrations will be highlighted in several technology zones.

AUTOMOTIVE: As a leader in local interconnect networking (LIN) and automotive touch, Atmel is enabling smart, connected vehicles.

Atmel’s automotive technology pod will showcase the company’s broad automotive product portfolio for car access systems, networking, drivers, Ethernet Audio/Video Bridging (AVB), and the future of human machine interface (HMI) in next-generation center consoles. By popular demand, Atmel will also be showcasing its next-generation AvantCar concept demo, a host of passive entry car access solutions using Atmel’s latest and highly secure products, including AES encryption 125kHz LF and and RF technologies, along with its popular maXTouch and QTouch capacitive touch solutions. The Atmel | SMART SAM V71 ARM Cortex-M7-based MCU will also be highlighted in an automotive application to deliver the world’s highest performance Cortex-M-based Flash MCU, along with an automotive touch application powered by Atmel’s recently launched Touch Controller solution. And, a demonstration running Audioweaver from DSPConcepts showcasing the SAM V71 ARM Cortex-M7 processor-based MCU will also be exhibited in this zone.

INDUSTRIAL: Atmel provides leading-edge MCU- and MPU-based solutions for the smart, industrial market.

In the industrial technology pod, Atmel will showcase a variety of smart, secure and connected solutions for the industrial market powered by Atmel | SMART solutions including an Ultra home automation and smart fridge application running on the SAMA5D4 Xplained, and Atmel | SMART ARM Cortex-A5 processor-based boards displaying HDMI video. Other industrial applications on display include a power supply temperature monitoring and cooling using an Atmel temperature sensor and an treadmill application featuring an Atmel | SMART SAMA5D4.

SMART LIVING: As a leading provider of smart and securely connected solutions, this technology zone showcases next-generation applications of modern living.

Highlighting the latest innovations for your living room, the Smart Living technology zone will highlight a number of applications ranging from a low-power Bluetooth beacon to a digital temperature sensor, a ZigBee-based smart lighting with cryptographic security (ATSHA204), and a secure IoT camera system featuring Atmel’s newly announced elliptic curve network security chip, the ATECC508A. See Atmel’s recently launched SIGFOX IoT solution, powered by Atmel’s ATA8520, communicating to the cloud while transmitting metering values, alarm signals and more. The company will also be showcasing the Atmel SmartConnect family, leveraging ultra-low power secure, wireless connectivity. A number of applications will be demoed including a weight scale, door bell with camera, Wi-Fi connected speaker, motion sensors on the window, smart plug, light bulb and gateway connected via ZigBee technologies—all controllable through a smart, mobile device. A QTouch-based water level sensing application showcasing advanced HMI and sensing capability will also be exhibited, along with a display demonstrating the world’s lowest power capacitive touch surface. Other demonstrations powered by Atmel’s maXTouch technologies and Atmel AVR MCU solutions showcasing ultra-low power smart, connected devices will be available in this zone.

CLOUD PARTNERS: Highlighting cloud platform partner solutions.

IoT requires a system-level solution encompassing the whole system, from the smallest edge/sensing node devices to the cloud. The company has partnered with best-in-class cloud partners that can support a variety of applications for both Tier-1 OEMs and smaller companies. Atmel has integrated the partners’ technology into the company’s cloud solutions framework adding the cloud platform functionality seamlessly to all of Atmel’s wireless MCU offerings, regardless of standards or transport technology. Come meet some of the cloud platform partner solutions from companies like PubNub, Proximetry and Arrayent that are available on Atmel wireless MCUs today.

POWERED BY ATMEL. Showcasing the latest gadgets and devices powered by Atmel technologies.

Highlighting the latest smartphones, tablets and wearables available today, everything from a wireless drive and narrative life logging camera to record your every step, to fitness bands, to Atmel’s latest MCU and touch technologies, will be on display. See ‘wear’ the market is headed next!

MAKERS: From Maker space to market place, this technology pod highlights Atmel enabling unlimited possibilities.

The Maker space showcases the well-received Arduino Wi-Fi Shield which enables rapid prototyping of Internet of Things (IoT) applications on the Arduino platform, and will be featured to highlight its simplicity for the professional and Maker communities. The company will also display a number of Maker demonstrations including a remote-controlled Maker Robot powered by the Atmel | SMART SAM D21 will be displayed. “Mr. Abot” is controlled through an Android app and the communications driven through Atmel’s recently announced WINC1500 Wi-Fi solution.

Additionally, Atmel’s resident security expert Kerry Maletsky will be presenting “Making IoT a Reality – Leveraging Hardware Security Devices” on February 25 from 12-12:30 pm CET (Session 09/I).

And for those of you waiting to see the one-and-only AVR Man, you’re in luck. The embedded community’s favorite superhero will be in attendance!

Video: The connected IoT ‘fridge concept

Timesys is a Pittsburgh-based company that helps software developers build and maintain custom Linux platforms for embedded processors.

Recently, Timesys showcased its futuristic IoT fridge concept at Embedded World 2014. The prototype platform is powered by an ARM-based Atmel microprocessor (MPU).

As you can see in the video above, the next-gen ‘fridge concept is designed to keep track of food, reporting both missing and expired items. 

It also offers a live link to an Epicurious app, allowing users to quickly check what can be cooked with the ingredients available in the ‘fridge.

Last, but certainly not least, users can also leave messages to each other on a built-in whiteboard.

In related news, the folks at Berg recently debuted Cloudwatch, an Arduino Mega-based (ATmega1280) prototype Zanussi washing machine connected to a web platform.

The futuristic washing machine allows users to remotely program wash loads and even purchase detergent – all with a simple mobile app. Currently, Cloudwash offers three basic customizable options, which can be configured using the smartphone app. Although Cloudwatch is still only a prototype, it does show both the industry and the masses a glimpse at how the Internet of Things (IoT) is capable of significantly changing our daily routine.

Indeed, as we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the IoT comprises a combination of multiple market segments, tens of thousands of OEMs and hundreds of thousands of products. To be sure, the IoT is seen by many as the next wave of dramatic market growth for semiconductors and is expected to be worth trillions of dollars for a wide range of industries.

Day 2: Atmel @ Embedded World

Day 2 of Embedded World 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany has drawn to a successful close. Our jam-packed booth hosted numerous journalists, analysts and industry insiders throughout an exciting day.

Atmel’s booth was also the site of several technical sessions, including embedded Internet technologies, web services and cloud computing, intelligent lighting control networks and ultra-low power system design.

In addition, we showcased a plethora of demos, including a lighting system with secure communication and cryptographic information exchange, capacitive sensing with dual functionality per button, car access systems, embedded microprocessors based on the ARM Cortex core, a battery-powered drill and anti-cloning protection.

Stay tuned for more Atmel Embedded World 2014 updates!

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 3 of Embedded World in Nuremberg, Germany.

Atmel Studio 6.2 goes live in Nuremberg (EW 2014)

Atmel has rolled out Studio 6.2 for its ARM-based and AVR-powered MCUs. The latest version of the popular integrated development environment (IDE) boasts a number of new features, including support for the Atmel-ICE probe, which provides advanced programming and debug connectivity, as well as the ability to capture data trace information.

As Steve Pancoast, Atmel’s VP of Software & Tools notes, Atmel-ICE allows engineers and designers to more easily develop and debug applications in a single, integrated environment.

Atmel’s Studio 6.2 also seamlessly integrates Percepio Trace, providing optimized insight into the run-time of embedded software with advanced trace visualization.

More specifically, Percepio Trace for Atmel Studio features control-flow trace (tasks and interrupts), custom data plots, application debug output, statistical code profiling, support for viewing MCU event counters and real-time operating system (RTOS) awareness. In addition to Percepio Trace, Atmel Studio 6.2 adds data breakpoints and live watch.

“With time-to-market pressures constantly increasing in today’s competitive market, advanced visualization support is a necessity,” explained Dr. Johan Kraft, CEO, Percepio AB.

“The integration of our Percepio Trace allows Atmel MCU designers to produce higher quality software in a shorter time and at a lower price point.”

Atmel’s Steve Pancoast expressed similar sentiments.

“With the increased complexity in today’s embedded designs, developers are differentiating their products through software and advanced peripherals. With Atmel’s latest Studio 6.2 version, we combine all the tools in a seamless, simple-to-use platform,” he said.

“As a leading provider of MCUs, we are committed to bringing an extensive and sophisticated eco-system to our software developers to ensure they have all the right tools to differentiate their products in this highly competitive market.”

Atmel 

Studio 6.2 can be downloaded here, free of charge.

Day 1: Atmel @ Embedded World (Part 2)

Atmel is currently showcasing a wide range of products at Embedded World 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany. Don’t forget to stop by and visit the official Atmel booth at Hall 4A/4A-220.

Note: This is part two of Day 1: Atmel @ Embedded World. Part one can be viewed here.