Luminary Micro Launches Five New Stellaris(R) Microcontrollers Based on ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-M3

Luminary Micro Launches Five New Stellaris(R) Microcontrollers Based on ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-M3

February 13, 2007

World's First and Only Silicon Implementation of Cortex-M3
Offers Increased Functionality for Complex Motors and
Motion Control, Complete with Development Kits


    AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Luminary
Micro ( http://www.luminarymicro.com ), a fabless
semiconductor company that designs, markets, and sells
award-winning ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-M3 processor-based
microcontrollers and was the first to bring ARM
processor-based MCUs for $1.00 to embedded developers,
announced today the availability of five new Stellaris(R)
microcontrollers (MCUs) and corresponding development kits.
The new MCUs and development kits are available in Luminary
Micro's global sales channel immediately and offer powerful
features designed for motion control applications, with
several application examples being displayed at Luminary
Micro's booth, #10-520, at Embedded World in Nuremberg,
Germany ( http://www.embedded-world-2006.de/ ) February
13-15, 2007. Luminary Micro will also offer a select
preview of upcoming products to industry media at the
show.

    The Stellaris line of MCUs, which won four awards in
2006, brings high-performance 32-bit computing to
cost-sensitive embedded microcontroller applications at a
cost equivalent to or better than legacy 8- and 16-bit
devices. All of the Stellaris MCUs are targeted at embedded
and industrial applications, such as building and home
automation; factory automation; motion control; and
industrial power control devices. Today's announced parts
offer increased functionality for sophisticated
motion-oriented applications such as those found in HVAC
systems, industrial conveyer systems, liquid pumps,
printers, robots, and CNC and other milling machines.  The
associated feature-rich development kits include evaluation
tool suites, demonstration RTOSes, example programs, and
everything a developer needs to get up and running in 10
minutes or less, for a total "out-of-the-box"
experience.

    "The deterministic real-time capability of the
Cortex-M3 core is one of the significant differentiations
of this family that make it ideal for deeply embedded
applications," said Chief Marketing Officer Jean Anne
Booth. "Our high-resolution glitchless PWM waveform
generators offer meticulous performance even with the
exacting demands of high-performance motion control. We
encourage Embedded World show attendees and industry media
to visit our stand (10-520) for a first-hand look at
compelling applications for Stellaris MCUs."

    Stellaris Has Embedded Developers Up and Running
Quickly

    Luminary Micro now has 24 Stellaris MCUs available in
global distribution, less than one year after the company
announced it was selected as ARM's lead partner for
Cortex-M3 development.  The company has customer design
wins across the Stellaris family, including the new devices
announced today.

    "Our customers have told us that software and tool
support is key in time-to-market and designs won or
lost," said Booth. "With the extensive ARM
ecosystem of tools, software, and support, embedded
designers can enter the ARM family with Stellaris
microcontrollers and conceivably never have to upgrade
architectures or change tools again."

    Five New Stellaris MCUs are Perfect For Motion Control

    Stellaris family MCUs are based on the ARM Cortex-M3
processor, the microcontroller member of the ARM Cortex
processor family.  Designed for serious microcontroller
applications, the Stellaris family provides entry into the
industry's strongest ecosystem, with code compatibility
ranging from $1 to 1 GHz.   Additional advantages include:


    --  Easy and cost-effective to upgrade from 8- and
16-bit
        applications, requiring less flash code space and
        delivering a 10x improvement in performance over
8051
        cores and an 8x improvement in performance over
PIC24F
        cores;

    --  Extends ARM7(TM) family processor capabilities in
critical
        MCU applications with a 4x improvement in control
        processing performance, real-time interrupt
response
        capability, and predictable deterministic
interrupt
        behavior, while requiring just half the flash (code
space)
        of ARM7 control applications;

    --  Greater than 50 MIPS with a demonstrable 20x
performance
        roadmap in the Cortex processor family, allowing
for a
        "no-worry" migration path;

    --  Best-in-industry development environment and debug
tools. 

    The five new Stellaris family members have been
optimized to support the complex algorithms necessary for
efficient energy-saving motion control applications.  The
LM3S618 and LM3S818 are particularly well-suited for
controlling a wide range of variable speed three-phase and
single-phase AC Induction motor control using space-vector
or sine-wave modulation.  The LM3S317, LM3S617, and LM3S817
are optimized to control a wide range of stepper motors. 
Until now, stepper motor system designers have had to
choose between a basic unipolar control method, giving up
both high torque and high step rate capability, or a
dedicated control chip that lacks extensible intelligence. 
Using the LM3S317/LM3S617/LM3S817 devices for stepper motor
system control provides the system designer with the
headroom for high-performance chopper control in order to
operate a stepper motor at both high torque and high step
rates.

    For detailed information on the features of each
Stellaris family member, see
http://www.luminarymicro.com/product_selector_guide . 

    Pricing and Availability
    Part Number                    Price, 10K quantity
through
                                    distribution
    LM3S317-IQN25                  $3.31
    LM3S617-IQN50                  $3.97
    LM3S618-IQN50                  $4.27
    LM3S817-IQN50                  $4.94
    LM3S818-IQN50                  $5.24
    Part Number                    Price, single unit
through
                                    distribution
    DK-LM3S817 Development Kit 
     for LM3S317, LM3S617, 
     and LM3S817                   $249
    DK-LM3S818 Development Kit
     for LM3S618, and LM3S818      $249

    All 24 Stellaris MCUs and their development kits are
available now through Luminary Micro's global sales channel
( http://www.luminarymicro.com/sales ). 

    About Luminary Micro and Stellaris

    Luminary Micro, Inc. designs, markets and sells ARM
Cortex-M3-based microcontrollers (MCUs). Austin,
Texas-based Luminary Micro is the lead partner for the
Cortex-M3 processor, delivering the world's first silicon
implementation of the Cortex-M3 processor. Luminary Micro's
introduction of the award-winning Stellaris(R) family of
products provides 32-bit performance for the same price as
current 8- and 16-bit microcontroller designs. With
entry-level pricing at $1.00 for an ARM technology-based
MCU, Luminary Micro's Stellaris product line allows for
standardization that eliminates future architectural
upgrades or software tools changes. Contact the company at
[phone] or email [e-mail] for more
information.

    Stellaris is a registered trademark and the Luminary
Micro logo is a trademark of Luminary Micro, Inc. or its
subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.  All
other products are trademarks of their respective owners.


    For more information, please contact:  

    Company Contact:

     Jean Anne Booth, CMO
     Tel:     [phone] (office)
     Mobile:  [phone]
     Email:   [e-mail] 

    Media Contact:

     Karen Johnson
     Tel:     [phone] (office)
     Mobile:  [phone] 
     Email:   [e-mail]       



SOURCE  Luminary Micro