There are 5 million 8 bit microcontrollers shipped every day. They are used in applications as diverse as Tamagotchi toys, air bag controllers and cellular phones. The AVR is the first new microcontroller of this class to be introduced in the past 12 years. Embedded system design objectives are more demanding than ever. There is a need more specialized functionality, higher performance and lower power consumption. Microcontrollers must be easier to program, test and alter or upgrade in the field. Advances in sub micron semiconductor process technology allow the integration of previously incompatible functions like logic, Flash program memory and EEPROM to be integrated on a single chip.
This talk will describe the trade offs made in defining the new AVR microcontroller architecture. It will analyze the benefits of on chip Flash program memory, evaluate bit manipulation facilities as a method of improving speed and reducing code density and discuss the overhead associated with in system programming to revise and upload calibration data or correlation factors. We will discuss the semiconductor process technology needed to achieve the objectives of performance, code density and power consumption.
About the speaker:
Jim Panfil is the director of marketing for microcontrollers at Atmel Corporation in San Jose, California. Jim has over 19 years experience in the industry in various marketing, management and international positions. Jim is responsible for new product definition, technical and strategic marketing and product management for all microcontrollers products, which include the AVR, 80C51, ARM Thumb and USB product families.
Prior to Atmel, Jim worked for LSI Logic for six years as director of marketing for the company's Core Ware, system on a chip, and microprocessor-based business. Before LSI Logic, Jim worked at Intel Corporation for 12 years as a marketing manager for their x86 product line. Jim looks forward to establishing Atmel's AVR as an industry-standard, 8-bit risc microcontroller family.
Jim holds a BS degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois and an MBA from the University of Utah located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Contact information:
Jim Panfil
Atmel Corporation
Director of Marketing
2325 Orchard Parkway
San Jose, Ca. 95131
jpanfil@atmel.com