Microchip buys Atmel

[jjw]

I don't know if this has been mentioned here before, but Microchip buys Atmel for $3.56 billion.
What will be the future of AVR and free Atmel tools?
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/...to-buy-atmel-for-nearly-3-6-billion.html?_r=0

 

[nsaspook]

Carnac the Magnificent says: Yes.

 

[Ian Rogers]

AVR freaks

AVR is much better than PIC!!!

Aha!! AVR IS PIC!!!

 

[be80be]

I have wondered about the tools myself I been watching this for week about to post about it but I didn't but from what i hear this is going to make both better.
and it will still be pic and avr from what has been said. And some new stuff for the internet of things.

 

[nsaspook]

https://gazette.com/so-long-atmel-in-colorado-springs-hello-microchip/article/1573439#cxrecs_s

I wish them well.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I don't know if this has been mentioned here before, but Microchip buys Atmel for $3.56 billion.

The fact that it was likely to happen was posted a VERY long time ago, nice to get confirmation it's actually happened though.

 

[Tony Stewart]

Not surprised about the Avago Broadcom merger. Many more to come before the Feds give the semi business a hard time like Pfeizer.

Avago Technologies, which agreed to acquire Broadcom for $37 billion

 

[nsaspook]

Avago is reopening an old Fab here, things are jumping.
https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/11/mystery_solved_communications.html

 

[Mikebits]

Avago is reopening an old Fab here, things are jumping.
https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/11/mystery_solved_communications.html

Sounds like this will be good for your economy over in Oregon.

 

[MrAl]

Hi,

Yeah, it's anybody's guess what happens next. Hopefully they improve both main lines of processors, the AVR and PIC. I think i like them both now but for different reasons. I also hope that Microchip has the sense to rate the chip electrical capabilities holding to better standards than Atmel did...that was one place where some of the chips could be improved, and it's only the data sheet improvement no refab required.

 

[be80be]

Yell the arduino will stop saying it's max per pin output is 40 mA

 

[atferrari]

Yell the arduino will stop saying it's max per pin output is 40 mA

Isn't it true? Never used AVR.

 

[MrAl]

Yell the arduino will stop saying it's max per pin output is 40 mA

Please elaborate.

 

[Andrei_D12]

Hi. I didn't believe this until I saw it on the Microchip site.
In my opinion, this is not really a bad thing. It would be (probably) an awesome idea making the assembly language for PICs work on AVRs or ARMs and the assembly language of the Atmel work on PICs, or make them similar (it's just an idea). This way both PIC and AVR/ARM enthusiasts could enlarge their possibilities by using other controllers without learning a second programming language, being more comfortable to use something that you have already worked with.
As for the controllers, some people say that PICs are the best, however, I dont know how true this statement is, because I haven't played with Atmel controllers.... PICs are full of interesting features, while AVR/ARM have higher performances and so on.
A common assembly language would require a software modification (pretty complex stuff) and ,though, I find it fast and easy to learn, having access directly to the code unlike Basic or C.
These are just ideas.
Questions: why would a huge company like Microchip buy Atmel? In order to eliminate one of the biggest competitors? Why would the Atmel owner sell the company?

 

[Overclocked]

I am actually looking forward to a PIC compatible Arduino type system. I mean, what the hell, why is all the cool stuff for arduino now (Im looking at you TFT screens..). At the same time, because of Arduino there is cool stuff on the market. Maybe there will be a merge of the two, maybe some new processor that combines the best of both worlds, or maybe they will just stay separate.

 

[nsaspook]

Questions: why would a huge company like Microchip buy Atmel? In order to eliminate one of the biggest competitors? Why would the Atmel owner sell the company?

Bottom line:

 

[be80be]

There's been pic

PIC compatible Arduino type system

for years as a matter of fact arduino would of been using Pic's all alone had microchip let them use there compiler but they didn't. But there is boards based on 18f2550 that are arduino style and the pic 32 https://www.pinguino.cc/

 

[be80be]

At post 13 If you head over the the Arduino site people tell every one that a uno can sink or source 40mA a pin and yes it's in the datasheet but that's a one pin max not a port max not a total all pins on the chip can max LOl then if you get into the datasheet you see that the port max is inline with a pic chip port max.
But Pic doesn't want Atmel for the fun of having a bunch of uC's It's to make them have a edge in the internet of things game.
We will see some dirt cheap chips to put in your light bulbs and turn on with your cellphones I think or coffee in bed type of things.

 

[Andrei_D12]

At post 13 If you head over the the Arduino site people tell every one that a uno can sink or source 40mA a pin and yes it's in the datasheet but that's a one pin max not a port max not a total all pins on the chip can max LOl then if you get into the datasheet you see that the port max is inline with a pic chip port max.
But Pic doesn't want Atmel for the fun of having a bunch of uC's It's to make them have a edge in the internet of things game.
We will see some dirt cheap chips to put in your light bulbs and turn on with your cellphones I think or coffee in bed type of things.

Just like in the case of PIC where the max curent per output is 25mA , but, if all outputs were sourcing/sinking 25mA each, the controller would turn into a candle.

 

[MrAl]

At post 13 If you head over the the Arduino site people tell every one that a uno can sink or source 40mA a pin and yes it's in the datasheet but that's a one pin max not a port max not a total all pins on the chip can max LOl then if you get into the datasheet you see that the port max is inline with a pic chip port max.
But Pic doesn't want Atmel for the fun of having a bunch of uC's It's to make them have a edge in the internet of things game.
We will see some dirt cheap chips to put in your light bulbs and turn on with your cellphones I think or coffee in bed type of things.

Hi,

Oh yes, i thought you were going to say it was 30ma or something.
Yeah, there are actually two specs, and if you think about it, it has to be that way. We have to know the current capability of each individual pin and we have to know the current capability of the whole chip, it cant be any other way because it's too hard to make a chip that can handle 500ma total. So i see this not as a lie but as a matter of reading all the spec's not just one