Microchip Technology AT91MEC01

Overview

AT91MEC01 from Atmel is a memory extension card designed to interface with AT91 ARM® Thumb® MCU evaluation boards via the EBI extension slot. It adds 2 MB of fast 15 ns SRAM and 3 MB of Flash (2 MB AT49BV1604 + 1 MB AT49BV8011), enabling bootable external memory configurations and Thumb instruction execution without wait states under nominal conditions.

For engineers reviewing the AT91MEC01 datasheet, AT91MEC01 pinout, AT91MEC01 application, or AT91MEC01 equivalent, this board supports memory-mapped debugging, Flash programming via ARM SDT v2.5+, and configurable chip select mapping for SRAM/Flash banks across multiple AT91 evaluation platforms including EB01, EB42, EB55, EB63, and EB40.

Technical Context

The AT91MEC01 operates as an external memory subsystem connected through the AT91 microcontroller's External Bus Interface (EBI). It implements four memory banks-two Flash devices with dual-plane architecture and two 1 MB SRAM banks-with jumper-selectable chip select routing (NCS0/NCS2/NCS3/NCS4/NCS5) and configurable Ready/Busy signaling via MCKO.

Memory mapping requires explicit MCU register configuration: CS2 set to 0x030024B5 (Flash 0 at 0x03000000), CS3 to 0x040024B5 (Flash 1 at 0x04000000), and CS4/CS5 to 0x05002021/0x05102021 (contiguous 2 MB SRAM at 0x05000000), all assuming a 25 MHz system clock and 16-bit data bus with byte write access.

Key Specifications

Availability

AT91MEC01 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for ARM-based embedded development, firmware validation, and Flash-based boot testing requiring stable component supply and legacy evaluation platform support.

Supply support for AT91MEC01 includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Atmel Corporation (now part of Microchip Technology) is a semiconductor manufacturer specializing in microcontrollers, nonvolatile memory, and programmable logic devices for embedded systems.

The AT91MEC01 belongs to Atmel's AT91 ARM7TDMI® evaluation ecosystem and was designed specifically to extend memory capacity and enable Flash-based boot evaluation on AT91 evaluation boards such as EB01, EB40, EB42, EB55, and EB63.

FAQ

What is the AT91MEC01 used for?

The AT91MEC01 is a memory extension card that adds 2 MB of SRAM and 3 MB of Flash to AT91 ARM Thumb evaluation boards via the EBI extension slot. It enables developers to run larger applications, test Flash-based boot sequences, and perform memory-mapped debugging using tools like the ARM Software Development Toolkit v2.5+. The AT91MEC01 supports configurable chip select mapping and jumper-based memory bank selection for flexible integration.

Which AT91 evaluation boards are compatible with the AT91MEC01?

The AT91MEC01 is explicitly compatible with AT91EB01, AT91EB40, AT91EB42, AT91EB55, and AT91EB63 evaluation boards. Compatibility depends on matching EBI pinout, chip select signal polarity (active-high CS4/A23 vs. active-low NCS4), and jumper configuration - for example, EB55 requires E6/E8 closed while EB42 requires E7/E9 closed. The AT91MEC01 User Guide provides board-specific setup instructions for each.

How is memory mapped on the AT91MEC01?

Memory mapping on the AT91MEC01 is configured via AT91 MCU chip select registers: Flash 0 (AT49BV1604) maps to 0x03000000 using CS2 (0x030024B5), Flash 1 (AT49BV8011) maps to 0x04000000 using CS3 (0x040024B5), and the two SRAM banks map contiguously from 0x05000000 using CS4 (0x05002021) and CS5 (0x05102021). Base addresses and wait states assume a 25 MHz system clock.

Does the AT91MEC01 include software tools?

Yes, the AT91MEC01 ships with a CD-ROM containing the ARM SDT v2.5-compatible script "mec_map", C source files (download_flash_at49.c, erase_at49.c), project files, and PowerPoint tutorials for memory setup and Flash programming. These tools enable full control over AT49BV1604/AT49BV8011 Flash devices and require the ARM Software Development Toolkit or compatible third-party debugger supporting AT91MEC01 memory mapping.

What power supply does the AT91MEC01 require?

The AT91MEC01 requires a regulated DC power supply of 7.5 V to 9 V at 1 A, delivered externally - no power supply is included with the card. This voltage powers the SRAM and Flash devices on-board and must be supplied independently of the host evaluation board. Failure to provide adequate current may result in unstable memory operation or failure to program Flash devices reliably.