Atmel and TimeSys Announce Embedded Linux Support for AT91CAP Customizable Microcontrollers

Rousset, France and Pittsburgh (ots/PRNewswire) -

- LinuxLink Subscription Accelerates Embedded Development

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) and TimeSys(R) announced
today embedded Linux(R) support for Atmel's ARM9(TM)-based AT91CAP9
customizable microcontroller. Ideal for rapid design validation,
TimeSys is offering a free Board Support Package (BSP) for the CAP9
based on the 2.6.23 kernel. Additionally, the free BSP can be
upgraded to a full LinuxLink subscription, providing a powerful suite
of software, tools and support to accelerate the development of a
custom Linux platform.

The free BSP enables application developers to rapidly validate
Linux on the AT91CAP9A Development Board that includes an FPGA for
emulation of the CAP(TM) Metal Programmable Block for custom logic.
This BSP includes Atmel's Linux kernel and drivers, BusyBox utilities
for basic commands and features, and a Linux host/cross toolchain
capable of re-building the Linux kernel and the basic packages
included in the BSP. Together with a full documentation set and basic
support, this offering provides a ready-to-use package to validate
Linux with Atmel's CAP customizable microcontroller.

By upgrading to a full LinuxLink subscription, application
developers can rapidly create their own customized Linux software
platform, with access to an expanded, regularly updated list of Linux
components optimized for CAP9, including the 2.6.23 Linux kernel,
hundreds of packages pre-compiled for use with CAP9, and a reference
distribution that provides an integrated and tested starting point
for platform customization. The LinuxLink subscription also includes
a robust collection of open source and TimeSys-developed tools,
including the TimeStorm Eclipse-based IDE, as well as extensive
documentation and support.

Michel Le Lan, Atmel's Marketing Director for ASIC products,
commented, "We welcome TimeSys to the growing community of
value-added service providers that we are building around our CAP(TM)
customizable microcontroller. TimeSys contributes years of experience
in embedded Linux, enabling our mutual customers to rapidly develop a
solid Linux platform to support their CAP applications."

Greg Quiggle, Vice President of Sales and Marketing from TimeSys,
added, "TimeSys is pleased to build on the success of its LinuxLink
subscriptions and BSPs that have been developed for Atmel's AT91SAM
ARM9 based microcontrollers. Extending our product portfolio to the
CAP9 opens up new horizons in the field of customizable
microcontrollers."

The TimeSys CAP9 LinuxLink and BSP will be demonstrated both at
the Atmel stand (Booth #928), and the TimeSys stand (Booth #946),
during the Embedded Systems Conference, San Jose, CA, USA, from April
14-18, 2008.

Atmel's CAP Customizable Microcontroller

Atmel's CAP(TM) is an ARM(R) microcontroller-based system-on-chip
with fast local memory, a wide range of industry-standard peripherals
and interfaces, and a Metal Programmable (MP) Block that allows the
designer to add custom logic. By combining the performance, density
and low power consumption of the fixed portion of the device with the
flexibility of the MP Block, CAP enables application-specific
products to be developed in a fraction of the time and at a fraction
of the cost of standard-cell ASICs, but at a unit price close to that
of standard cell devices. CAP's Metal Programmable Block can be
personalized with IP cores from Atmel's extensive library of
product-tested functions, or from accredited third parties, or with
cores developed by the CAP customer to give the application-specific
product its competitive edge. CAP also offers superior performance,
smaller form factor and lower power consumption at a unit price
significantly lower than an MCU-plus-FPGA combination for the same
functionality. CAP is fully supported with an emulation board,
software development tools, operating systems and code modules to
facilitate application software development.

Availability and Pricing

The TimeSys LinuxLink and BSP for CAP9 are available now from
TimeSys. The CAP9 BSP is free of charge; contact TimeSys for
information regarding LinuxLink subscription pricing.

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.

(C) 2008 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), logo
and combinations thereof, and others, are registered trademarks, and
CAP(TM) is a trademark of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
ARM(R) and others are registered trademarks or trademarks of ARM Ltd.
Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

About TimeSys

TimeSys is the provider of LinuxLink, a web-based software
subscription for both first-time and experienced embedded Linux
developers. LinuxLink provides the embedded software, tools,
documentation and support needed to quickly optimize a custom Linux
platform for a given processor. LinuxLink enables embedded
development teams to leverage the benefits of Linux without
sacrificing the quality, service and support of a traditional
commercial embedded operating system. For more information, visit
http://www.timesys.com.

Information:

Atmel's AT91CAP product information may be retrieved at
http://www.atmel.com/products/AT91CAP/

TimeSys LinuxLink product information may be obtained at:
https://www.timesys.com/

Both the free BSP and LinuxLink subscription are available at
http://www.timesys.com/atmel

Web site: http://www.atmel.com
http://www.timesys.com

ots Originaltext: Atmel Corporation
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Peter Bishop, Communications Manager, Atmel Rousset, Europe,
+33-(0)-4-42-53-61-50, peter.bishop@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos,
Public Relations, US and Asia, +1-408-487-2963, hperlegos@atmel.com,
both of Atmel Corporation; or Scott Gilbertson, Product Marketing
Manager of TimeSys, +1-412-325-6392, scott.gilbertson@timesys.com