Amulet Licenses Graphic User Interface Technology for Atmel ARM-Based SoCs

-- Amulet Technologies, a fabless semiconductor firm that designs and markets integrated circuits and firmware to drive graphic displays, announced today that its Graphic User Interface (GUI) IP technology is now available as a licensable IP block for Atmel® Corporation's CAP™ ARM-based customizable microcontroller.

Until now, Amulet's GUI solutions have only been available in the company's standard product ICs. This has left the patented GUI technology out of reach for people that need to build custom SoC. Now, as a fully verified IP block for the CAP7 platform, building a custom microcontroller that incorporates Amulet's GUI technology is quick, easy and low risk.

Amulet's selection of the CAP™ platform makes it easy to incorporate Amulet's Graphic User Interface technology onto a system-on-chip design. Exploiting the CAP7's multi-layered bus architecture and the fast on-chip ROM and RAM, Amulet was able to design its GUI IP block and firmware so that full-speed GUI execution can run concurrently with the customer's ARM7 application code. While the concurrent operation of the design frees the ARM processor core to perform the customer's application, the small size of the IP block leaves a significant portion of the metal programmable block free for other IP blocks and custom logic.

"Offering our GUI IP as a licensable IP block allows us to expand our reach to new CAP customers who need customization beyond the scope of our standard product IC offering," says Ken Klask, Amulet's founder and CEO. "We are thrilled to be able to offer our IP through Atmel's CAP7 platform. Atmel's leading chip design and manufacturing capabilities are the perfect complement to Amulet's deep system knowledge and firmware expertise."

Jay Johnson, Atmel's Marketing Director for CAP products, commented, "Amulet's patented IP optimized for CAP7 designs expands the market reach for products that require a human interface and LCD display. Together with Amulet's verified GUI IP blocks and Atmel's new CAP architecture we are able to offer our CAP7 customers the capability to support a Graphic User Interface in a customizable microcontroller. We anticipate working on joint projects to enable this exciting new market segment."

About Amulet Technologies

Amulet Technologies is a fabless semiconductor company focusing on chips and firmware that drive liquid crystal display (LCD) user interfaces. As experts in human interface electronics, Amulet's unique Graphical OS in Silicon™ has enabled OEMs to cost effectively improve the user experience of their electronic devices with visually appealing, interactive user interfaces that provide rock solid 24/7 reliability. Amulet's innovative hardware, software and collaborative design philosophy empower OEMs to provide the best user experience to their customers. For more information, visit www.amulettechnologies.com.

About Atmel Corporation

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) portfolios, Atmel is able to provide the electronics industry with complete system solutions focused on consumer, industrial, security, communications, computing and automotive markets. For additional information, visit www.atmel.com.