Atmel has introduced a 6-pin microcontroller. The 8bit AVR ATtiny10 has 1kbyte of flash and 32byte of SRAM in a 2x3mm SOT-23 package.

Performance is claimed to be up to 12MIPS, and peripherals include an 8bit ADC, an analogue comparator, and a 16-bit timer with PWM.

“The 16-bit timer counter can run two phase and frequency correct PWM outputs,” said Atmel director of product marketing Jukka Eskelinen. “If your application needs more processing power, lower current consumption, or if you just want a change the ATtiny10 is your solution.”

Atmel is almost five years behind Microchip in offering a 6-pin microcontroller, and has chosen the same pin pattern as Microchip’s PIC10F2xx offerings.

It is possible that Atmel’ acquisition of Hampshire-based touch control firm Quantum Research has something to do with the new product.

Quantum’s chips were re-badged pre-programmed microcontrollers, initially from Microchip and its QT100 single channel touch controller is likely based on a member of the PIC12F series.

Quantum appears to have been migrating to Atmel AVR processors even before the buy-out and it is likely that Atmel had to develop a 6-pin microcontroller to allow an AVR-based replacement for the QT100 to be introduced - which is now available as the QT100A.

With a 6-pin SOT-23 sized microcontroller already in production for the QT100 replacement, Atmel may have released a user-programmable version as a low-cost way to go head to head with the PIC10Fxx series.

Samples of the ATtiny10 are available now.

More information: www.atmel.com/tinyAVR