Atmel’s update of their ATxmega 8-bit microcontrollers to include USB just keeps pushing the limit of what these 8-bit micros can do. Despite the pressure from inexpensive 32-bit ARM-based micros (like NXP’s Cortex-M3 offerings) Atmel seems to be unwilling to let the 8-bit micro die.
Here’s an example ATxmega part, the ATxmega16A4U. It includes:
- 3.3V operation at up to 32 MHz (operates down to 1.6V)
- 16kB of FLASH
- 3.3kB of SRAM (probably 1.2kB of that is for USB)
- Full-speed (12Mbps) USB device interface with no external crystal required
- 16 QTouch channels supported
- SPI/I2C/UART’s
- 12 12-bit ADC’s (note the improved resolution over the 10-bit ADC’s in the AVR series)
- 2 12-bit DAC’s (that’s right: DAC’s built right in!)
- 1kB of EEPROM (hey NXP! build in some EEPROM to your Cortex-M3 parts!)
- AES/DES crypto engine
- Timers, output compares, PWM, input capture, RTC, all the usual suspects
The Cortex-M3 parts still win on raw clock speed and 32-bit vs. 8-bit computing power, but the ATxmega’s stay in the game by adding USB to match, and with the improved peripherals (12-bit analog blocks, QTouch) and EEPROM.
Unfortunately, no parts in stock at distributors as of this writing so no price realistic price info is available either.
