Hello,
we want to use some AVR chips in a new design, and my boss is bothered because there is no second source for the atmel mpu's.
Does atmel have at least two fabs for there chip production, to make shure that the production can continue even if one fab burns down?
Regards:
Uwe
What other microcontrollers have multiple sources? 8051s? arms? sparcs? PowerPCs? 386/486/pentiums? Toshiba used to 2nd source 6809s... those days are gone. Any microchips have a 2nd source? Any Freescale micros 2nd source? ST? Renesas?
Tell him he is a pratt
Second source used to seem like a good idea, but in reality it wasn't a fab burning down that constrained supply. It was a mismatch between planning and reality. When supplies are tight, it doesn't matter how many sources you have. (Actually, multiple source parts are quicker to dry up, because many factories will place duplicate orders - one with each manufacturer. This grossly inflates the short-term demand.)
From the Atmel web page, the following are listed as fabrication facilities:
France-Nantes
France-Rousset
France-Saint Egreve
Germany-Heilbronn
UK-England-North Tyneside
USA-CO-Colorado Springs
Once, a factory did burn down and ICs were in short supply for a while. IIRC it was an epoxy plant that everyone relied on for packaging materials. Lesson: the bottlenecks aren't where you expect to find them.
All of Atmel's fabs don't necessarily make AVRs.
Kinda an interesting (to me anyway) related story about Atmel & AVR fabs. [All from memory so I'll relate it as I remember it, but the facts could be off.] When the Dot-Bomb/Tech Crash hit around 2000, Atmel had two more fabs ready to go, or even starting production (Texas & Ireland?). Demand plummeted, so they had to mothball/close/sell the facilities (one or more) and take a big cash hit. I also speculate that a lot of good people were let go due to the scarcity of new offerrings a few years ago, plus delays in those products actually coming to market. Other symptoms wer delays in datasheet updates & few app notes or updates.
After business turned around a bit, we are now seeing a LOT of new AVR flavours, and samples are available more-or-less on-time for at least one member of the new families. Plus updated datasheets, and updated and new app notes. It kinda seems like they may have turned the corner.
And also the demise of the venerable STK500 was put off. :)
Lee
All of Atmel's fabs don't necessarily make AVRs.Kinda an interesting (to me anyway) related story about Atmel & AVR fabs. [All from memory so I'll relate it as I remember it, but the facts could be off.] When the Dot-Bomb/Tech Crash hit around 2000, Atmel had two more fabs ready to go, or even starting production (Texas & Ireland?). Demand plummeted, so they had to mothball/close/sell the facilities (one or more) and take a big cash hit. I also speculate that a lot of good people were let go due to the scarcity of new offerrings a few years ago, plus delays in those products actually coming to market. Other symptoms wer delays in datasheet updates & few app notes or updates.
After business turned around a bit, we are now seeing a LOT of new AVR flavours, and samples are available more-or-less on-time for at least one member of the new families. Plus updated datasheets, and updated and new app notes. It kinda seems like they may have turned the corner.
And also the demise of the venerable STK500 was put off. :)
Lee
France-Nantes
France-Rousset
France-Saint Egreve
Germany-Heilbronn
UK-England-North Tyneside
USA-CO-Colorado Springs
Exactly Lee. Each fab is responsible for a certain line or lines of devices.
For example, smartcards might be from Rousset whilc CryptoMemory is coming from the USA in Colorado Springs.
I know USA is doing crypto memory because the Silicon is labeled with all kinds of writing regarding where it was made.
I believe the original question is more relating to there being many different 8051 vendors out there and if one vendor was to burn down or dry up tomorrow, they could replace the 8051 with another vendor's without a big problem.
My advice, check avaiability of your choosen parts before designing.
tell the boss that he should mandate use of Zilog.
Keep in mind, that this days, most "manufacturs" and semiconductor firms doesn't have an own fab for chips, they let them build in foundry fabs (TSMC, if I remember right, is one of them). But I think, the flash memory wafers are produced by Atmel themselves.... therefor the AVR chips also. How many pieces do you need?
If it is more than 100.000 per year, contact Atmel directly, if not, every small electronic dealer for hobbiest can deliver you up to 100 pieces I think...
Think about Xilinx, they doesn't have a fab.....
Is he an accountant or lawyer?
Is he an accountant or lawyer?
Is he an accountant or lawyer?
I guess that Sutton was ironic, and does not have high thoughts about accountants and lawyers when it comes to descisions on the matter at hand.
How right you are Johan.
tell the boss that he should mandate use of Zilog.
older than dirt and insecure as hell!
Keep in mind, that this days, most "manufacturs" and semiconductor firms doesn't have an own fab for chips, they let them build in foundry fabs (TSMC, if I remember right, is one of them). But I think, the flash memory wafers are produced by Atmel themselves.... therefor the AVR chips also. How many pieces do you need?
If it is more than 100.000 per year, contact Atmel directly, if not, every small electronic dealer for hobbiest can deliver you up to 100 pieces I think...
Think about Xilinx, they doesn't have a fab.....
Many startups do this. TSMC is a great company who has a polished process. You would be surprised at what name-known companies will farm out designs to them to increase production!
