First of four Energy Micro starter kit promotions in 2012 enables designers to discover leading energy-friendly ARM® Cortex™-M microcontroller family

Poing, 14 December 2011 – Avnet Memec, the highly specialized semiconductor distributor of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA, is kicking off 2012 with the first of four microcontroller development giveaways, each of which will offer the chance to bag one of 200 free starter kits for Energy Micro®’s innovative ARM® Cortex™-M devices.

The first promotion is for the Energy Micro Tiny Gecko Starter Kit (STK) supporting the ultra low-power EFM32 Tiny Gecko microcontroller. The kit allows a fast start to new designs by providing a ready-to-run evaluation board and software, as well as demonstration IP for exploring the device’s sensing and HMI features. With a segment LCD, user pushbutton, LED indicator and touch controls on board, the kit helps speed up completion of projects such as energy metering, sensing and automation, security monitoring and medical devices.

A free STK will be given to the first 200 visitors to register at www.avnet-memec.eu/geckotogo.

EFM32 Tiny Gecko microcontrollers combine a 32MHz ARM Cortex-M3 processor with innovative power-management and peripheral features to satisfy energy sensitive applications. The EFM32TG can maintain significant functionality, including displaying custom LCD animations, while in deep-sleep mode, but can wake extremely efficiently to resume full operation. The integrated Low Energy Sensor (LESENSE) module, Low Energy UART (LEUART) and Peripheral Reflex System (PRS) allow functions such as sensor monitoring, capacitive touch, UART communication and peripheral interactions such as timer-triggered ADC sampling to continue in deep sleep without CPU intervention.

Over the next nine months, Avnet Memec will hold a further three promotions, each giving away 200 kits for Energy Micro EFM32 Leopard Gecko and EFR32 RF-enhanced microcontrollers based on Cortex-M3, and the EFM32 Zero Gecko Cortex-M0 series.

In total, Energy Micro’s EDN China 2011 Innovation Award-winning EFM32 Gecko product range comprises more than 180 devices featuring ARM Cortex-M3 or Cortex-M0 processors. Avnet Memec supports the complete EFM32 portfolio throughout Europe as part of its distribution agreement with Energy Micro, and provides a high level of technical support to customers building energy-sensitive embedded computing solutions.

Poing, Germany, 8 December 2011 – Avnet Memec, an Avnet, Inc company, today announced the extension of its pan-European Web-based services for engineers to include a new Website dedicated to RF and wireless solutions.

The microsite at http://www.avnet-memec.eu/microsites/wireless-solutions.html enables designers to find solutions throughout the specialist semiconductor distributor’s range of expertise; from Bluetooth, Zigbee and 802.15.4 technologies, through Wi-Fi, FM, cellular and GPS systems, to proprietary solutions, antennas and all the supporting silicon.

The dedicated microsite is a vital tool to find the right solutions, explained John Jones, technical marketing manager at Avnet Memec: “The wireless world can be confusing, with many different tools on the market for different applications. Our wireless microsite offers expert assistance in choosing the right technology, guided by in depth knowledge of implementation in key sectors such as digital signage, medical and healthcare, industrial automation, energy, transportation and logistics.

“Through this expansion of our growing range of dedicated pan-European Web sites, we’re able to deliver comprehensive support to the wireless engineering community, from choosing the right standard or proprietary system, approvals, antenna placement, right through to application layer support.”

Products showcased on the new microsite are drawn from a comprehensive portfolio of chip, module, and integrated systems. Visitors can search for products by technology or supplier, and can view the latest solutions available for particular vertical markets.

The microsite was created and deployed via Avnet Memec’s advanced Europe-wide content management system, ensuring that information is up-to-the-minute, whilst maintaining recognised standards for accessibility, security and Web technologies.

www.avnet-memec.eu

Avnet Memec today announced that its transformation into a dynamic, vertically aligned and customer focussed business has allowed it to double its major account base and triple its monthly sales over a five year period. It has also led to the signing of six new or extended distributor agreements in six months, with Renesas, Sierra, Microsemi, Leadtek, Echelon and Smarteq.

Commenting, Steve Haynes, President, Avnet Memec said, “By building expertise in fast growing market segments, we have more than doubled our base of major accounts from 400 to over 1000 in just five years. Customers value our ability to speak their language and contribute meaningfully to the design challenges that they face. As a result we’ve doubled our business from €104m in 2006 to €212m in 2010 and are currently running at a rate of €300m. As a result Avnet Memec has increased its market share by 42% from 2007 – 2011.”

Haynes continued, “In five years, Avnet Memec has been transformed as a company, into a business that is focussed on the vertical markets that present the best opportunities for our customers. Our Business Development Managers (BDMs) are now aligned to those market opportunities instead of our suppliers, and their industry expertise and technical know-how is accessible to our customers. We believe we have the industry’s strongest technical team, with one technical BDM / FAE for every commercial FSE, and they spend more of their time in front of customers than ever before.”

In the last six months, Avnet Memec has extended its relationship with Microsemi for power, RF, analogue and mixed-signal devices, Renesas for industrial automation products and Sierra embedded wireless modules. It has also extended its portfolio with Smarteq antennas for M2M and telematic solutions, Echelon’s market-leading line of energy control network products and Leadtek low power, compact global positioning systems (GPS) modules as well as products from Leadtek’s comprehensive computer multimedia, wireless communication, audio/video communication and telecare divisions.

Haynes pointed out, “Each of these new products are technical and specialist, and each addition is aligned to one or more of the vertical market segments that our customers are currently interested in. None of these are commodity products – each of these suppliers trusts us to take their products and make a market for them in Europe.”

www.avnet-memec.eu