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

August 17, 2006 -- IAR Systems has announced a new version of its KickStart Kit that supports the Luminary Micro LM3S102, one of the Luminary Stellaris™ family of microcontrollers, which feature the ARM® Cortex™-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 http://www.luminarymicro.com or from Mouser at http://www.mouser.com/luminarymicro.