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Atmel Corporation

Type Public

Traded as NASDAQ: ATML

(http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/atml)

Industry Semiconductors

Founded 1984

Headquarters San Jose, California, USA

Products Microcontrollers

Flash memory

Touchscreen controllers

Touch sensors

Revenue US$1.43B (FY 2012)[1]

Operating

income

US$74M (FY 2012)[1]

Net income US$30M(FY 2012)[1]

Total assets US$1.43B (FY 2012)[1]

Total equity US$996M (FY 2012)[1]

Employees 5,000

Website www.atmel.com

(http://www.atmel.com)

AtmelFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atmel Corporation is an American-based designer

and manufacturer of semiconductors, founded in 1984.

The company focuses on embedded systems built

around microcontrollers. Its products include

microcontrollers (8-bit AVR, 32-bit AVR, ARM-

based, automotive grade, and Intel 8051 derivatives)

radio frequency (RF) devices including Wi-Fi,

EEPROM, and flash memory devices, symmetric and

asymmetric security chips, touch sensors and

controllers, and application-specific products. Atmel

supplies its devices as standard products, application-

specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or application-

specific standard product (ASSPs) depending on the

requirements of its customers.

Atmel serves applications including consumer,

communications, computer networking, industrial,

medical, automotive, aerospace and military. It

specializes in microcontroller and touch systems,

especially for embedded systems.

Atmels corporate headquarters is in San Jose

California. Otherlocations include Trondheim, Norway,

Colorado Springs, Colorado, Chennai, India, Shanghai,China, Taipei, Taiwan, Rousset, Nantes, France,

Heilbronn, Germany, Whiteley, UK and Munich,

Germany. Atmel makes much of its product line at

vendor fabrication facilities. It owns a facility in

Colorado Springs, Colorado that manufactures its

XSense line of flexible touch sensors.

Contents

1 History

1.1 Founding and 1980s growth

1.2 1990s expansion

1.3 Streamlining

1.4 Acquisitions

2 Products

2.1 Microcontrollers

2.2 Wireless / RF

2.3 Touchscreen2.4 Memory

2.5 Security

2.6 Analog
http://www.atmel.com/http://www.atmel.com/http://www.atmel.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earnings_before_interest_and_taxeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earnings_before_interest_and_taxeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductorshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose_Californiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_networkinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_standard_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_standard_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_integrated_circuithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_integrated_circuithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEPROMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcontrollershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Springs,_Coloradohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose_Californiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embedded_systemshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospacehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_networkinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_standard_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_integrated_circuithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEPROMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8051http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmel_AVRhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcontrollershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductorshttp://www.atmel.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity_(finance)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_incomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earnings_before_interest_and_taxeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_sensorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcontrollerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose,_Californiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductorshttp://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/atmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASDAQhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticker_symbolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_business_entityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atmel_logo.png


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Logo 19842012

This is the first Atmel AVR prototype

demo board, with a prototype die in a

ceramic package.

2.7 Custom

2.8 Automotive

2.9 Smart energy

3 See also

4 References

5 External links

History

Founding and 1980s growth

Atmel Corporation was founded in 1984 by George Perlegos.[2] Atmel was an

acronym for advanced technology for memory and logic. Perlegos had worked

in the memory group of Intel in the 1970s and had co-founded Seeq Technology

to manufacture EPROM memory. Using only $30,000 in capital, Atmel was

initially operated as a fabless company, using Sanyo and General Instrument tomake the chip wafers.[3] The first Atmel memory products used less power than competitors. Customers

included Motorola, Nokia, and Ericsson. In 1987 Intel sued Atmel for patent infringement. [4] Rather than fight

the patent claim, Atmel redesigned its products to use different intellectual property. These had better

performance and even lower power consumption. In addition, Atmel then entered the flash memory business

that Intel had focused on. Atmel used $60 million in venture capital for the 1989 purchase of a fabrication facility

from Honeywell in Colorado Springs.[4] Atmel then invested another $30 million in manufacturing technology.

1990s expansion

In 1991 Atmel expanded the Colorado facility after acquiring

Concurrent Logic, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)

manufacturer. The company made its initial public offering (IPO) in

1991 which yielded more than $65 million. 1994 saw Atmel enter the

microprocessor market. The first Atmel flash memory microcontroller

was based on the Intel 8051.[5] The controller executed an instruction

for every clock cycle, as opposed to the 12 cycles that legacy 8051

parts required.[6] In 1994, Atmel purchased the EEROM assets of

Seeq Technologies (LSI Corporation acquired the rest of Seeq in

1999) . In 1995 Atmel was among the first companies to license theARM architecture, creating initially its AT91 family of devices,

followed by the SAM family, and more recently a full selection of

Cortex-based solutions, including ones based on the ultra-low-power

ARM Cortex-M4.[7] Atmel now has dozens of families of ARM-

based devices. In 1995 Atmel opened a fabrication facility in Rousset, France. Atmel acquired European Silicon

Structures and Digital Research in Electronic Acoustics and Music (DREAM) in 1996. Atmel formed a design

team in Trondheim, Norway to develop the Atmel AVR line of RISC microcontrollers. This team combined

technology of former students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology with Atmels expertise in

flash memory. These 8-bit Harvard architecture chips were first developed in 1996. The AVR chip is the basisof Arduino Uno open-source development boards. In 1998, Atmel purchased part of TEMIC from Vishay

Intertechnology, which provided them with a fab in Germany as well as part of MHS from Vishay that gave

them a fab in Nantes, France.[8]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishay_Intertechnologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-sourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduinohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_University_of_Science_and_Technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RISChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmel_AVRhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trondheim,_Norwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rousset,_Bouches-du-Rh%C3%B4nehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_Cortex-M4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSI_Corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_MCS-51http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_public_offeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-programmable_gate_arrayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeywellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ericssonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Instrumenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanyohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPROMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AVR-prototype-demo.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atmel_logo.svg


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Atmel AT90S2333

microcontroller

Atmel ATMEGA32

microcontroller

Atmel XSense is a flexible

touchscreen film that uses a copper

mesh instead of indium tin oxide

(ITO).

Microcontrollers

A large part of Atmels revenue is from microcontrollers. These include the

AVR 8- and 32-bit microcontrollers, ARM architecture microprocessors, and

ARM-based flash microcontrollers. In addition Atmel still makes

microcontrollers that use the 8051 architecture, albeit improved to do single-

cycle instructions. Supporting the microcontrollers is the Studio 6 integrated

development environment which Atmel offers for free. They also provide anAtmel Software Framework.[21]

Wireless / RF

To provide for the Internet of Things (IoT), Atmel offers dual-band

2.4 GHz/5 GHz a/b/g Wi-Fi chips from its Ozmo acquisition. In addition,

Atmel makes wireless transceivers using regional 700/800/900 MHz, as well

as global 2.4 GHz frequency bands, Some chips are standalone transceivers

while others are integrated with a microcontroller. They also sell the Zigbit

module that comes with FCC certifications. Atmel also makes remote control

RF products using the license-free ISM band (industrial scientific medical)

frequencies (5.8 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 868 to 928 MHz, 433 MHz, and 315 MHz).

The wireless segment also provides RFID chips for tracking, access and

identification. Finally, Atmel offers a line of IR controllers that can support

infrared as well as RF wireless.

Touchscreen

Atmel makes both touchscreen controller ICs and its XSense flexibletouchscreen.[14] The company makes sensor hubs that manage

accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units and

magnetometers. These sensors give consumer products and

embedded systems context awareness. The sensor hub offloads the

main application processor and allows product functionality without

the need to power the main processor. Atmel also makes simple

touch controller chips for buttons, sliders, and wheels used on

industrial and consumer products. The touch wheel interface became

popularized by the Apple iPod. To support the application of its touch

controller chips, Atmel provides a free QTouch library of softwareroutines.

Memory

Atmels original business was in memory, and it still sells several memory products. It offers serial and parallel

EEPROM, as well as one-time programmable (OTP) EPROM. In addition, it offers secure memory with its

CryptoMemory product line of EEPROMS in capacities from 1 to 256 kbits.

Security

In addition to the secure memory mentioned above, they have the CryptoAuthentication product lines that

provide hardware authentication capability with both symmetric- and Asymmetric-key algorithm authentication.

These ICs are used in many applications, including secure access, communications, control, and to prevent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymmetric-key_algorithmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Context_awarenesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_measurement_unithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFIDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISM_bandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_Thingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_development_environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_MCS-51http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmel_AVRhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atmel-XSense_touchsensor-film.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atmel_atmega32_mikrokontrolleri.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ATMEL-AT90S2333.jpg


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(http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/872448/000087244813000005/atml-201210k.htm).Form 10-K. US

Securities and Exchange Commission. February 26, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.

2. ^ "Atmel" (http://www.siliconvalleyhistorical.org/#!atmel-company-history/c3t8). The Silicon Valley Historical

Association. 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2013.

3. ^ Funding Universe. "Atmel Corporation History" (http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/atmel-

corporation-history/)

4. ^ abAbout.com. "Atmel Corporation" (http://components.about.com/od/Companies/p/Atmel-Corporation.htm)

5. ^ Whitepaper. "Atmels Self-Programming Flash Microcontrollers"

(http://www.atmel.com/Images/doc2464.pdf)6. ^ Flyer. "8051 Single Cycle Core Microcontrollers" (http://www.atmel.com/Images/doc4084.pdf)

7. ^ "Atmel Releases Updated Studio 6 IDE with Support for ARM Microcontrollers"

(http://www.futurlec.com/News/Atmel/Studio6.shtml). Futurlec. Retrieved 03 October 2013.

8. ^ "Atmel Buys MHS, Again The Twisted History of Atmel, Temic and MHS"

(http://www.cpushack.com/2011/02/05/atmel-buys-mhs-again-the-twisted-history-of-atmel-temic-and-mhs/).

TheCPU Shack museum. February 5, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2013.

9. ^ Andrew Thomas (September 18, 2000). "Siemens finally gets shot of UK fab: Atmel and UK Govt come up

with the readies" (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/09/18/siemens_finally_gets_shot/). The Register.

Retrieved September 27, 2013.

10. ^ EBN (Electonic Buyer News). "Grading the Chain: Atmel CEO Steven Laub"

(http://www.ebnonline.com/author.asp?section_id=2981&doc_id=261515)

11. ^ Mark LaPedus (March 1, 2010). "Sale of Atmel's French fab approved"

(http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1173170). EE Times. Retrieved September 27, 2013.

12. ^ Peter Clarke (October 1, 2012). "Adesto buys Atmel serial flash families"


13. ^ Bloomberg. "Atmel Completes Acquisition of Quantum Research Group"

(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aZmshaMivzH8)

14. ^ abengadget. "Atmel's XSense technology will make curved touchscreens possible (hands-on)"

(http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/atmel-xsense-touch-sensor-hands-on/)

15. ^ Margaret Kane (October 2, 2008). "Microchip, ON propose $2.3 billion deal for Atmel"

(http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10056589-92.html). CNet news. Retrieved September 27, 2013.16. ^ Steven Laub (October 2, 2008). "Letter to Customers and Business Partners"

(http://web.archive.org/web/20081010124558/http://www.atmel.com/corporate/documents/SLL_Customer_Let

ter.pdf). Archived from the original (http://www.atmel.com/corporate/documents/SLL_Customer_Letter.pdf)

on October 10, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2013.

17. ^ Benjamin Pimentel (October 29, 2008). "Atmel rejects Microchip, ON Semiconductor bid"

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/atmel-rejects-microchip-on-semiconductor-bid). Market Watch. Retrieved

September 27, 2013.

18. ^ "Microchip aims to 'elbow out' MCU rivals"

(http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800570103_1800001_NT_824e6181.HTM). EE Times India. April 17, 2009.

19. ^ Peter Clarke (December 21, 2012). "Atmel Wi-Fi buy aimed at Internet of Things"

(http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1280259). EE Times. Retrieved September 27, 2013.20. ^ Anne Francoise Pele (March 8, 2013). "Atmel buys IDT's smart metering business"


21. ^ Haakon Skar (Atmel) (November 1, 2011). "Atmel AVR Software Framework lets you stand on the shoulders

of software giants"

(http://www.electronicproducts.com/Software/Development_Tools_and_Software/Atmel_AVR_Software_Fra

mework_lets_you_stand_on_the_shoulders_of_software_giants.aspx).Electronic Products. Hearst. Retrieved

October 3, 2013.

External links

Atmel Corporate Site (http://www.atmel.com)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atmel&oldid=576521450"
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/872448/000087244813000005/atml-201210k.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atmel&oldid=576521450http://www.atmel.com/http://www.electronicproducts.com/Software/Development_Tools_and_Software/Atmel_AVR_Software_Framework_lets_you_stand_on_the_shoulders_of_software_giants.aspxhttp://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1280565http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1280259http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800570103_1800001_NT_824e6181.HTMhttp://www.marketwatch.com/story/atmel-rejects-microchip-on-semiconductor-bidhttp://www.atmel.com/corporate/documents/SLL_Customer_Letter.pdfhttp://web.archive.org/web/20081010124558/http://www.atmel.com/corporate/documents/SLL_Customer_Letter.pdfhttp://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10056589-92.htmlhttp://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/atmel-xsense-touch-sensor-hands-on/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aZmshaMivzH8http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1262600http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1173170http://www.ebnonline.com/author.asp?section_id=2981&doc_id=261515http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/09/18/siemens_finally_gets_shot/http://www.cpushack.com/2011/02/05/atmel-buys-mhs-again-the-twisted-history-of-atmel-temic-and-mhs/http://www.futurlec.com/News/Atmel/Studio6.shtmlhttp://www.atmel.com/Images/doc4084.pdfhttp://www.atmel.com/Images/doc2464.pdfhttp://components.about.com/od/Companies/p/Atmel-Corporation.htmhttp://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/atmel-corporation-history/http://www.siliconvalleyhistorical.org/#!atmel-company-history/c3t8http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/872448/000087244813000005/atml-201210k.htm


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