Atmel Introduces a Low Cost Development Tool for AVR Microcontrollers

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

- AVR Dragon Provides On-Chip Debugging and Programming at Only
US$49

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the AVR
Dragon(TM) development tool for AVR(R) microcontrollers. By providing
a complete on-chip debugging and programming tool for more than 30
different AVR Flash microcontrollers at only US$49, the AVR Dragon is
the industry's most comprehensive low-cost development tool.

Setting a new standard for low-cost debugging tools

With the AVR Dragon, Atmel has set a new standard for low-cost
development tools. The AVR Dragon supports all programming modes for
all AVR microcontrollers and on-chip debugging for AVR
microcontrollers with up to 32 Kbytes of Flash program memory.

At just a fraction of the price usually required for such a
full-featured tool, the AVR Dragon will fulfill all programming and
debugging needs. The AVR Dragon can be used with an external target
board as well as an onboard prototype area, allowing programming and
debugging without any additional hardware.

Low-cost and high-quality tools supporting a wide range of AVR
microcontrollers

By focusing on quality and having only one tool suite covering the
entire AVR microcontroller family, engineers only need to deal with a
few affordable tools to get a complete development environment. "Low
cost, wide coverage and good quality has always been our motto for
AVR development tools," said Dag Arne Braend, Atmel's AVR Development
Tools Director. "The AVR Dragon is another example of a very low cost
tool, yet robust enough to handle everyday life in a development
environment; and it supports more than 30 different AVR
microcontrollers."

Supported AVR Programming and Debugging Protocols

- In-System Programming (ISP) 3-wire AVR programming protocol
- JTAG Programming 4-wire IEEE(R) 1149.1 compliant JTAG interface
- High Voltage Serial Programming
- Parallel Programming
- JTAG debugging Available for devices with up to 32 Kbytes Flash
- debugWIRE One-wire AVR debugging protocol

PC communication and power by USB -- No external power supply
required

AVR Dragon is powered by the USB cable and can also source an
external target with up to 300 mA for programming or debugging. If
the target is already powered by an external power source, the AVR
Dragon will adapt and level convert all signals between the target
and the AVR Dragon.

AVR Studio -- Complete debugging environment with C-compiler
available free of charge

The AVR Dragon uses the AVR Studio(R) integrated development
environment (IDE) available free of charge from Atmel. AVR Studio
includes a simulator, assembler, and C-compiler and is the software
front-end for all Atmel AVR debugging and programming tools. A
flexible and secure firmware upgrade feature allows AVR Studio to
easily upgrade the AVR Dragon to support new devices free of charge.
AVR Studio can be downloaded from http://www.atmel.com/avr .

AVR Microcontrollers

Atmel's AVR 8-bit microcontrollers have a RISC core running
single-cycle instructions and a well-defined I/O structure that
limits the need for external components. Internal oscillators,
timers, UART, SPI, pull-up resistors, pulse width modulation, ADC,
analog comparator and watch-dog timers are some of the features
available in AVR devices.

AVR instructions are tuned to decrease the size of the program
whether the code is written in C or Assembly. With on-chip in-system
programmable Flash and EEPROM, as well as on-chip debug on all
devices, the AVR is a perfect choice in order to optimize cost and
get product to the market quickly.

Pricing and Availability

The AVR Dragon is available today from all of Atmel's franchised
distributors at a suggested retail price of US$49. The order code is
ATAVRDRAGON.

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, AVR Dragon(TM)
and others are trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

Information

AVR Dragon product information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/AVRDRAGON

AVR Microcontroller information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/AVR

Press Contacts
Philippe Faure, Marketing Communications Manager -- Microcontrollers
Phone: +33-2-40-18-18-87, Email: philippe.faure@nto.atmel.com
Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager -- Europe
Phone: +33-1-30-60-70-68, Fax: +49 71-31-67-24-23
Email: veronique.sablereau@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations -- USA and Asia Pacific Rim
Phone: + 1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com

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

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Contact:
Philippe Faure, Marketing Communications Manager -- Microcontrollers,
+33-2-40-18-18-87, or philippe.faure@nto.atmel.com, or Veronique
Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager -- Europe,
+33-1-30-60-70-68, or fax, +49-71-31-67-24-23, or
veronique.sablereau@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos, Public Relations --
USA and Asia Pacific Rim, +1-408-487-2963, or hperlegos@atmel.com,
all of Atmel Corporation