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AVR32 support
The AVR32 architecture, developed by Atmel (now part of Microchip Technology), is a 32-bit RISC microcontroller architecture designed to deliver high performance and low power consumption, primarily for embedded applications. It was intended as a more powerful counterpart to the popular 8-bit AVR architecture, offering improved computational capabilities while maintaining efficiency for cost- and energy-sensitive designs.
AVR32 features a clean and modern RISC design with support for both compact code and high-speed execution. It includes a Harvard architecture with separate instruction and data buses, enabling faster access and instruction throughput. Unlike the simpler AVR cores, AVR32 was designed to support advanced features such as hardware multiply-accumulate, DSP instructions, and real-time operating system support, making it suitable for applications requiring more processing power, such as audio processing, networking, and industrial control.
The architecture comes in different profiles, with the UC3 variant aimed at microcontroller-class applications and the AP7 variant targeting more sophisticated systems with support for virtual memory and operating systems like Linux. Despite its technical merits, AVR32 never gained the same widespread adoption as ARM and was eventually phased out.
