RE: Question regarding the roadmap of ARM and ATMEL

["Charles Manning" <Charles.Manning@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hi,
> Recent events (Intel downsizing StrongARM, ATMEL jumping into 
> 32 BIT AVR
> Core) make me consider the future of the ARM core and the 
> future of the support for the ARM Core.

The ARM core is used by many tens of silicon vendors, not just Intel and
Atmel. The Intel stuff is being taken over by Marvell and one expects
they won't be doing that for just a short term activity. Indeed, more
manufacturers make ARM than any other core.

As far as Atmel goes, it is important to realise that they are a big
corporation with many business units. The AVR32 is run by the AVR
business unit (in Norway)which is very different from the ARM business
unit (in France). The AVR32 is very unlikely writing on the wall that
the Atmel ARM parts are to be discontinued or anything like that, any
more than thinking that Freescale will stop making PowerPC because
they're making ARM too.

> 
> I am using Atmel ARM based processor. Currently Atmel is 
> offering a similar solution based on their own AVR core; I 
> don't know how much more effort and investment Atmel may make 
> in the ARM based products. My questions to this group are:
> 
> 1) How much support do you think the Atmel AVR based 32 bit 
> solution will receive from people such as yourself?

I spent a while looking at the AVR32. I think it is a v cool
architecture. The Linux & gcc support are provided directly by the AVR
guys, all in the same offices as the AVR silicon designers. As such, the
AVR32 Linux support is pretty good.

The big question though is whether the AVR32s will get enough traction
in the market place to be successful. There have been many cases of good
designes that have not made it (eg. Inmos Trnasputer).

> 
>     I have received great help and assistance from people from this 
> mailing list and other sources in my experiences with the 
> Atmel ARM        
>     based solutions. I wonder how this may change, if Atmel 
> bags the ARM core and provides the 32 Bit AVR core as their 
> flagship cpu. I
>     believe that Atmel will continue the older ARM7, but my 
> preference and work currently lies in the ARM9 domain.

As I said above, they are different business units, so likely they are
unaffected.

I expect we'll start seeing ARM9s moving down into the small ARM7 space
too.

> 
> 2) How will the introduction of Atmel 32Bit AVR affect the support of
> ARM9 based processors?

I don't think it will change much. Amtel's direct support from the ARM
side has always been lacking, IMHO, and their support on the AVR side
has, IMHO, always been good. They are different business units with
completely support cultures.

> 
>     I am curious how the new 32 bit avr core will affect this 
> site as well as other sources of help and assisatnce. Atmel 
> claims that they 
> will         support the 32 Bit AVR solutions, however, the 
> best help to 
> myself came from  this mailing list's readers and from 
> similar to this 
> group         unpaid  people. 

It is difficult to predict how things will turn out, but consider this:
1) AVR already have a very healthy support network made up of both Atmel
& others. See AVRFreaks.
2) Linux was the first OS brought up on the AVR32 and they're all
Tux-heads. They are fully committed to open source.

> 
> 3) Is Atmel 32 Bit AVR being received on friendly terms with 
> open source community?
> 
>     I am curious to find out how the Atmel new solution is 
> being greeted 
> by the open source community. Will members of the open source         
>     community still spend their time on the Atmel 32 Bit AVR 
> architecture?

When I contacted them I was very impressed by their openness. You can
get a full BSP from
http://atmel.com/dyn/products/tools.asp?family_id=682

> 
> I greatly enjoyed working with the ARM 920T processor. I 
> don't know yet, if I should use Atmel AVR based processor. 
> That is the reason why I ask for your opinion regarding the 
> issue. I wonder how the 32Bit AVR is being accepted by the 
> open source community and what the future hold. My personal 
> preference lies on the open source community, because of the 
> obvious benefit amongst the members.

While it is very hard to predict the future, I expect that both will
continue. If anything dies it will be because of market reasons, not
because internal Atmel policy kills a part.

-- Charles

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