32-Bit MCU Targets 8-Bit Apps

Priced under $3, Atmel's 27-MIPS Smart ARM7 series of microcontrollers brings 32-bit power to 8-bit applications. Versions are available with 32 to 256 kbytes of single-cycle flash memory. Atmel has incorporated a number of enhancements, including single-cycle, read-modify-write bit manipulation, and a vectored priority interrupt handler. The microcontrollers also have security bits that can control external visibility of code as well as locking 4-kbyte regions of memory. Peripherals include USB 2.0; an eight-channel, 10-bit analog-to-digital converter; DMA; and 32 GPIO pins. There is an on-chip voltage regulator and an on-chip oscillator as well. The AT91S-ARM7S32 with 32 Mbytes of flash memory is priced at $2.90. It's available as a 48-lead LQFP.