Evaluation Kit supports Stellaris LM3S102 microcontroller.

Press Release Summary:



Providing means for developers to test-drive Stellaris microcontrollers, IAR KickStart Kit for Luminary Micro LM3S102 includes evaluation board fitted with Luminary microcontroller, and applications CD-ROM containing IAR Embedded Workbench® v4.40 for ARM with Cortex-M3 support in 8 KB code-size limited version that supports full Flash capability of LM3S102. Kit also features debugger with Flash download capability, integrated J-Link JTAG interface, USB cable, and QuickStart Guide.



Original Press Release:



IAR Systems Launches Low-cost Evaluation Kit for Luminary Micro Stellaris LM3S102



New starter kit includes free IAR Embedded Workbench KickStart for ARM with Cortex M3 support, enabling full production use with the LM3S102 device

IAR Systems has announced a new version of its KickStart Kit that supports the Luminary Micro LM3S102, one of the Luminary Stellaris(TM) family of microcontrollers, which feature the ARM® Cortex(TM)-M3 32-bit microcontroller core. The IAR KickStart Kit for Luminary Micro LM3S102 provides a low-cost route for MCU system developers to test-drive the Stellaris microcontrollers and includes a free tool suite to allow them to progress rapidly to a working system. The ground-breaking ARM Cortex M3 architecture featured in Stellaris microcontrollers provides 32-bit performance with an ease of use and price point that rival those of 8/16 bit devices.

Each IAR KickStart Kit for LM3S102 includes an evaluation board fitted with the Luminary microcontroller, an applications CD-ROM containing IAR Embedded Workbench® v4.40 for ARM with Cortex-M3 support in an 8kB code-size limited version that supports the full Flash capability of the LM3S102. The kit includes a debugger with Flash download capability, an integrated IAR J-Link JTAG interface, a USB cable, a QuickStart Guide, and documentation and warranty information for both IAR Embedded Workbench and the Luminary Micro Stellaris microcontroller.

IAR Embedded Workbench v4.40 for ARM with Cortex M3 is a set of development tools for building and debugging embedded system applications, and includes a highly optimizing Thumb2 C/C++ compiler developed specifically for the Cortex M3 architecture. IAR Embedded Workbench provides a completely integrated development environment that also includes a project manager, editor, build tools and the versatile C-SPY® debugger with Flash download capability. The 8kB code size limit is sufficient to program the full Flash size of the LM3S102, meaning that the compiler included in the IAR KickStart Kit is capable of full-scale prototyping as well as evaluation.

The integration of the stable IAR J-Link JTAG interface technology onto the board provides an innovative and highly usable means of rapidly and effectively connecting to the host for debugging and Flash download. IAR J-Link integrates seamlessly into IAR Embedded Workbench and is fully plug-and-play compatible.

The Stellaris MCU family is the world's first silicon implementation of the 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 processor and is targeted at embedded and industrial applications such as building and home automation; factory automation and control; and industrial control power devices. With pricing starting at just $1.00 for Stellaris MCUs, Luminary Micro's Stellaris microcontrollers allow for standardization that eliminates future architectural upgrades or software tools changes, yet at the same price as today's 8- and 16-bit systems.

"This KickStart Kit pairs a leader in development tools with the cost-effective Stellaris LM3S102 microcontroller," said Wendell Smith, Director of Marketing at Luminary Micro. "This kit provides an easy way to prototype the world's first silicon implementation of the powerful ARM Cortex-M3 32-bit processor while using one of the most popular development environments in the industry."

The IAR KickStart Kit for Luminary Micro LM3S102 is available now for $99 from IAR Systems, from Luminary Micro at www.luminarymicro.com or from Mouser at www.mouser.com/luminarymicro.

Note for Editors

The embedded microcontroller market currently accounts for an annual revenue of over $26bn. However it is also extremely fragmented, with more than 40 suppliers feeding in excess of 50 architectures into the market, while no architecture holds more than a 5% share. Embedded applications account for the majority of the overall processor market, at more than 6 billion units per year (Gartner), of which 32-bit devices are the fastest growing segment, with 25% of the total sales.

It is well known that design engineers play an important role in selecting microcontrollers, and providing a low-cost means for them to evaluate and test new technologies - such as the IAR KickStart Kit - is therefore vital in achieving widespread acceptance for new MCUs. Many designers prefer the ARM architecture because it gives them access to an open architecture of silicon implementations and a more extensive third-party vendor network of software tools, operating systems, hardware and support than any other processor. ARM has a leading position in the embedded 32-bit processor market, with ARM-enabled devices shipping at a rate exceeding 1.5 billion units a year.

Software is estimated to account for more than 50% of product development costs, which can have a crucial effect on the competitiveness of the end product, especially in the cost-conscious industrial and motor control markets. For this reason programmers and hardware engineers involved in embedded development are most likely to choose a processor for its software and development tools: IAR Embedded Workbench is one of the most popular tools solutions among embedded systems developers, and IAR Systems is also the only independent third party compiler provider for ARM Cortex M3.

Further information
Further information on IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM is available at www.iar.com/ewarm.

The Luminary Micro Stellaris press kit is available at www.luminarymicro.com.

Editor's Note: The following are trademarks owned by IAR Systems AB: IAR Systems, IAR Embedded Workbench, C-SPY, IAR MakeApp, visualSTATE, From Idea to Target, IAR KickStart Kit. J-Link is a trademark licensed to IAR Systems AB. All other products are trademarks of their respective owners.

IAR Contacts:

Europe and Asia:
Stefan Lof, Sales and Marketing Director, IAR Systems AB
Tel: +46 18 16 78 00 E-mail: stefan.lof@iar.se

US:
Nadim Shehayed, Sales Manager, IAR Systems Inc.
Tel: +1 650 287 4250 E-mail: nadim@iar.com

Japan:
Kiyofumi Uemura, Sales Manager, IAR Systems K.K.
Tel: +81 3 5298 4800 E-mail: uemura@iarsys.co.jp

About IAR Systems
IAR Systems is a world-leading provider of embedded development tools:

-IAR Embedded Workbench®-integrated development environment with C/C++ compiler and debugger supporting about 30 different 8 , 16-, and 32-bit devices.

-visualSTATE®-state chart design tool for development of event-driven systems.

-IAR KickStart Kit(TM)-complete software and hardware evaluation environment available for selected targets

IAR Systems' customers represent many different market segments such as telecommunications, industrial automation and the automotive industry. The company was founded in 1983 and is part of the Nocom Group since 2005. IAR Systems operates in the US, China, Japan, Germany, the UK, Sweden and Brazil as well as through a large net of distributors all over the world. For additional information about IAR Systems, please visit www.iar.com.

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