8-bit flash microcontrollers

Atmel Corporation has introduced five new flash microcontrollers targeted at applications that require a large code space.

The ATmega640, ATmega1280 and ATmega2560 microcontrollers come in a 100-pin housing, while the ATmega1281 and ATmega2561 devices are available in a 64-pin package.

The 100-pin versions include 4 UART channels, 16 Analog-to-Digital Converter channels and 16 Pulse Width Modulation channels, while the 64-pin devices integrate 2 UART channels, 8 Analog-to-Digital Converter channels and 10 PWM channels.

The 1.8V devices all feature 64 to 256kBytes of flash program memory and 8 kBytes of on-chip RAM. All the devices have a linear address range up to 8 MBytes.

An integrated 8 MHz RC oscillator on the devices can be calibrated to an accuracy of +/-2%, thus avoiding the need for an external crystal in many applications. A watchdog timer running from an independent RC oscillator and a brown-out detector with programmable detection level are also included.

ATmega2561 and ATmega2560 samples are available now. Production will start in 3Q05. ATmega640, ATmega1280 and ATmega1281 will be sampled in 2Q05 with volume production in 4Q05.

Pricing for 10,000 units starts at $4.75 for the ATmega640, $6.00 for the ATmega1281, $6.40 for the ATmega1280, $7.50 for the ATmega2561 and $7.80 for the ATmega2560.

A complete development package is also available that includes evaluation and debug tools.