Free EFM32 Gecko microcontrollers offered in sample quantities

Well, the folks at Energy Micro bill themselves as "The energy friendly microcontroller and radio company," but I think they are just basically really friendly (and that's not just because they've offered to take me out for a beer the next time I'm in Oslo, Norway :-)

The thing is I just heard that they've announced a new program that gives designers around the world quick and easy access to free samples of their EFM32 Gecko series microcontrollers (MCUs).

Part of the company’s focus on simplicity, the sample program is aimed at designers wanting to test the latest and most energy efficient MCU technology. In addition to the free Simplicity Studio developers’ suite, engineers wishing to order their free samples simply need to Click Here.


The samples are available to qualified individuals worldwide, with no additional charges for shipment, and with a lead time of just a few days.

Energy Micro’s processors are aimed at energy sensitive applications such as smart metering, building automation, security systems, portable health and fitness equipment and smart accessories. Devices in the EFM32 Gecko range consume as little as 150µA/MHz in active mode and feature numerous energy-efficient peripherals, including an on-chip LCD controller, USB interface and a low power yet autonomous sensor monitoring system named LESENSE. The low energy LESENSE interface can be used even in deep sleep modes, requiring as little as 1µA to enable intelligent and conditional wake up of the MCU.


The EFM32 series is the industry’s most comprehensive range of low-energy MCUs based on the ARM Cortex-M series of processors, consisting of more than 240 variants. The sampling program initially encompasses members of the Gecko, Tiny Gecko, Leopard Gecko and Giant Gecko families, based on the Cortex-M3 processor.

For further information, email Øyvind Borgan at o.borgan@energymicro.com, call him on +47 23 00 98 00, or visit them on the web at www.energymicro.com (make sure you say "Max says Hi").

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