AT32UC3L MCU Features Low-Power Technology

Atmel has introduced the 32-bit AT32UC3L AVR32 microcontroller with Picopower low-power technology and embedded capacitive touch-controller peripheral. The AT32UC3L provides less than 0.48mW/MHz in active mode executing real-life applications. The device is also the first 32-bit microcontroller to feature a built-in capacitive touch interface, making it suitable in a range of embedded applications. Atmel's Picopower technology enables the AT32UC3L to operate on less than 1.5uA with the 32KHz real time clock active, and below 100nA with all oscillators stopped.

The device features Atmel's 1.6V technology, which keeps the device fully operational in systems with supply-voltages ranging from 1.62 to 3.60V. The AT32UC3L's built-in capacitive touch peripheral unit makes capacitive touch as easy as incorporating another peripheral. The device supports capacitive touch buttons and sliders and the hardware support enables the addition of capacitive touch to the application, with no additional software overhead. The capacitive touch hardware also allows the microcontroller to wake up from sleep on touch.

Atmel's QTouch technology provides a robust touch solution with a high signal-to-noise ratio that improves the system's design margin, increases EMC performance and raises ESD tolerance. It is ideal for applications where reliability is required, such as consumer user interfaces, industrial and automotive applications and those where high moisture-levels are present. The AT32UC3L includes a new flash-security technology called Flashvault. Flashvault allows the on-chip flash to be partially programmed and locked, creating secure on-chip storage for secret code and software intellectual property.

Code stored in the Flashvault will execute as normal, but cannot be read, copied or debugged. This allows a device with Flashvault code protection to carry a piece of valuable software such as a math library or an encryption algorithm from a trusted location to a potentially untrustworthy partner where the rest of the source code can be developed, debugged and programmed. The AT32UC3L also introduces Atmel's Peripheral Event System for the first time on a 32-bit microcontroller. The system allows peripherals to send signals (events) directly to other peripherals without involving the CPU.

By offloading to the peripheral event system the repetitive task of forwarding these events, the CPU will drastically reduce the time-consuming handling of interrupts. This will free up more time for the CPU to handle other tasks in the application and often allow the CPU to remain longer in one of the AVR32's many energy-saving sleep modes. The UC3L has a clock system with clock-failure protection, frequency meter, real time clock with calendar mode, a precision crystal oscillator tuner and accurate digital frequency locked loop. The peripherals include a nine-channel 12-bit ADC and eight-channel analogue comparator.

The device is the first microcontroller from Atmel to feature an eight-bit PWM output on every I/O pin. Atmel's AVR32 UC3L is supported by the AVR32 Studio integrated development environment used for Atmel's AVR32 product line. It is available for free on Atmel's website. IAR's Embedded Workbench also supports AVR32 devices. Debugging tools include Atmel's Avrone, STK 600 Starter Kit, and JTAGICE mkII on-chip debugger. Samples of the AT32UC3L are available now.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is Class I Division 2?

FUSE SIZING CONSIDERATIONS FOR HIGHER EFFICIENCY MOTORS

7/8 16UN Connectors that Provide 600 Volts and 15 Amps