Hot News

MeshNetics ZigBit Modules Based on Atmel's Chipset Achieve ZigBee 2006 Certification (Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    San Jose, CA, March 27, 2007  

    MeshNetics, an award-winning ZigBee technology provider, today announced that it has successfully obtained ZigBee 2006 certification for its family of ZigBit 802.15.4/ZigBee OEM modules that are based on a chipset from Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML). MeshNetics' ZigBeeNet becomes the first ZigBee-certified stack for the Atmel AVR® Z-Link® hardware platform, consisting of an ATmega1281 AVR Flash microcontroller and an AT86RF230 RF transceiver. The robust testing process performed by a ZigBee qualified testing lab, ensures the interoperability with other ZigBee compliant products.

     ZigBee modules help OEMs bring ZigBee 2006-compliant products to market faster by eliminating costly and time-consuming RF development. Areas of application include building automation, HVAC, automated meter reading, predictive maintenance, transportation, and asset tracking. The MeshNetics ZigBit modules feature best-in-class sensitivity, long range and low power consumption while occupying less than a half square inch of space. The ZigBit modules are the first to utilize Atmel's new AT86RF230 radio. Thanks to its 104 dBm performance, its range is almost 3 times that of its competitors.

    "Achieving ZigBee certification comes as an important milestone to MeshNetics, as we are seeing an increased adoption of ZigBee technology in the market and interoperability becoming a pivotal factor," said Mr. Vasiliy Suvorov, CEO of MeshNetics. "Now we are able to offer OEMs not only a combination of best-of-breed hardware and software, but also a guarantee of the future interoperability of their products. We worked on this certification in partnership with Atmel, a world leader in advanced semiconductors, and we look forward to continuing to serve the rapidly growing ZigBee market together."

    "The ZigBee-certified platform represents an important building block in the fast developing ZigBee market," said Magnus Pedersen, Atmel's Director of Product Marketing AVR RF. "With the ZigBee certification process in place, we are pleased to see MeshNetics being the first company to qualify on the AVR Z-Link platform."

Availability

     MeshNetics' ZigBit modules are available with two antenna options: dual-chip antenna and balanced RF output for use with PCB antenna. All ZigBit modules come bundled with networking stack firmware that enables the module-based wireless sensor devices to form self-healing, self-organizing mesh networks. Using MeshNetics firmware, developers can fully manage ZigBee networks via either C API or a set of AT-commands. ZigBit evaluation kits and development kits present easy-to-use tools for the module testing and application development, and include evaluation boards, software, accessories, documentation and technical support over e-mail.

     MeshNetics will offer hands-on training sessions using the ZigBee 2006 certified platform during the ZigBee Developers' Conference in San Jose, CA on April 3 - 5, 2007. For more information please see www.meshnetics.com.

Atmel Launches LF RF IDIC with Unique ID and Unsurpassed Read/Write Performance (Simple Chinese)

    Heilbronn, Germany, March 27, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the availability of the ATA5577 330-bit read/write transponder IDIC®. The device features a unique ID and extended read/write distance and has been optimized for next-generation access control applications including hotel rooms, engineering departments, offices, time recording systems, parking lots and customer loyalty and membership cards. In addition, the new device operates according to ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 (FDX-B) standards, making it well-suited for animal identification and waste management applications.

     Since the ATA5577 is a low frequency (LF) device, it can be used worldwide. It is not sensitive to rugged environments and can also be used under conditions that normally complicate the application of RFID devices such as water, metal, or dirt; out-of-sight; or being worn on the body.

     Including the optional trimmed 330-pF on-chip capacitors, the ATA5577 measures approximately 1.1 square millimeter which allows the chip to be used in almost any transponder package including glass transponders for animal identification. The integrated capacitors reduce the number of external components required; a coil is all that is needed for a complete system.

     The device's new architecture enables outstanding read/write performance operation with different types of coils, readers, and parameters which is especially important for animal and waste management applications. A special register allows the control of several analog front-end parameters, maximizing the overall read and write distance for each kind of application. Thanks to a dedicated write procedure (downlink, reader-to-tag), the write distance has been increased to industry leading distances. This increased write distance is especially beneficial for all applications in difficult environments.

     The IDIC provides a manufacturer-programmed unique ID which is vital to guaranteeing access to secured areas. The unique ID also enables the traceability of the product, thus preventing easy cloning or counterfeiting of the tag IC.

     The ATA5577 transponder IC supports different modulations and codings and is designed for passive identification systems with a 100 to 150 kHz magnetic field. It can replace and is backward compatible with Atmel's well-known T5551, T5557, and ATA5567 LF devices in several applications.

Availability and Pricing

     Samples are available now as wafer or die in waffle pack. Pricing for the ATA5577 as wafer shipment with quantities of 15k pieces starts at US$ 0.34. To support the system designer, Atmel provides the evaluation kit ATA2270-EK1 and the design kit ATAK2270. The latter is accompanied by evaluation software.

Footnote

          ID = IDentification
          IDIC = IDentification IC (Atmel patented term)
          LF = Low Frequency
          RFID = Radio Frequency IDentification

Atmel Introduces a $69 Linux based 32-bit AVR Networking Processor Kit (Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    San Jose, CA, March 26, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), introduced today a low-cost AVR®32 Network Gateway design kit based on its 32-bit AT32AP7000 application processor. The AVR32 32-bit architecture, introduced in 2006, is optimized to achieve more processing per MHz and is especially suited for compute intensive algorithms.

    The kit includes a PCB with the AT32AP7000 application processor and a full port of royalty-free peripheral drivers, protocol stacks, and communications applications. The Network Gateway kit demonstrates the ability of the AVR32 and its embedded Linux® kernel to handle high-speed serial communications including bridging between interfaces that run incompatible serial protocols. Examples include routing and filtering of traffic between two TCP/IP networks as well as routing and filtering of data between TCP/IP, USB and SD cards.

    "Linux is the dominant OS for embedded systems in many market segments, and we believe the AVR32 with full Linux support is a very attractive solution," said Haakon Skar, Marketing Director for AVR32AP products at Atmel. "With a price of US$69 the Network Gateway kit is an affordable tool for engineers looking to evaluate Atmel's solutions."

    The PCB contains two RJ-45 Ethernet terminals, a high-speed USB 2.0 mini-B (device) terminal, a slot for an SD memory card, and an RS232 terminal port. An expansion header allows easy access to all unused signals of the AP7000 device.

    The Network Gateway kit ships pre-programmed with the Linux 2.6.18 operating system and a full implementation of serial communication drivers. To demonstrate connectivity between various drivers, the kit runs a wide selection of application software including USB-to-SD card mass storage driver, USB-to-TCP/IP bridge and TCP/IP-to-SD card file system driver (FTP, SAMBA). A wide range of TCP/IP protocols are supported including FTP, SNMP, HTTP, DNS, DHCP, SSH, Telnet and SAMBA.

    Customers will find all documentation by connecting to the kit's on-board web server which is enabled by default. The same web server also allows remote configuration of the board settings.

    The AT32AP7000 processor includes a vector multiplication co-processor, 16-bit stereo audio DAC, 2048x2048 pixel TFT/STN LCD controller, high-speed USB 2.0 with on-chip transceivers (PHY), and two 10/100 Ethernet MACs. Serial interfaces include RS232, USART, I2S, AC97, TWI/I2C, SPI, PS/2 and several synchronous serial modules (SSC), supporting most serial communication protocols, making it ideal for a variety of applications such as routers, POS, navigation, multimedia and printers.

    The AVR32 Network Gateway ships with a complete Linux development and debug tool-chain. No extra hardware is required, however Atmel recommends customers also purchase the JTAGICE mkII on-chip debug adapter.

Pricing and Availability
    The kit is available now at a recommended price of US$69. The ordering code of the AVR32 Network Gateway kit is ATNGW100

Atmel and Micrium Announce RTOS Embedded Component Support for Atmel's AT91SAM7 and AT91SAM9 Product Lines

(Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    Rousset, France and Weston, FL, USA - March 26, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a global leader in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Micrium, a leading provider of high-quality embedded software components, today announced that Micrium now supports Atmel's full line of AT91SAM7 and AT91SAM9 ARM®-based microcontrollers. Included are Micrium's real-time operating system (RTOS), TCP/IP stack, file system and embedded GUI and USB applications.

    "Embedded peripheral support is critical to obtaining the highest performance from our microcontrollers," stated Jacko Wilbrink, Marketing Manager for Atmel's ARM-based microcontrollers. "Significantly, Micrium is the first RTOS supplier to offer support for Atmel's peripheral DMA controller (PDC)."

    Ports of Micrium's available embedded components for Atmel processors, including uC/OS-II, uC/TCP-IP, uC/FS, uC/GUI, and uC/USB, can be found online at http://www.micrium.com/atmel.

    Supported microcontrollers include Atmel's AT91SAM7S, SAM7X/XC ARM7TDMI-based products, in addition to AT91SAM9260, SAM9261 and SAM9263 based on the ARM926EJ-S™ processor.

     "Having existing ports of proven and reliable embedded components adds tremendous value to product developers when evaluating which microcontrollers to implement," stated Jean Labrosse, president and CEO of Micrium. "Atmel offers the industry a number of high-performing and innovative ARM-based products and Micrium is pleased to support Atmel products with the highest-performing embedded components in the marketplace."

Micrium Embedded Components

Micrium products that support Atmel microcontrollers include:

	The uC/OS-II RTOS is a highly portable, ROMable, scalable, preemptive, real-time, multitasking kernel. uC/OS-II is written in ANSI C. uC/OS-II meets the demanding requirements of the RTCA DO-178B standard for software used in avionics equipment.
	uC/TCP-IP is a compact, reliable, high-performance TCP/IP protocol stack. Built from the ground up to be both scalable and highly reliable, uC/TCP-IP enables the rapid configuration of required network options to minimize time-to-market.
	uC/FS is a file system for embedded applications offering a high-performance library that can be used on any media for which you can provide basic hardware access functions.
	uC/GUI is designed to provide an efficient, processor and LCD controller-independent graphical user interface (GUI) for any application that operates with a graphical LCD.
	uC/USB allows you to quickly and painlessly develop software for an embedded device to communicate with a PC via USB

Atmel Doubles On-Chip Flash Density on its ARM7-powered Microcontrollers, Adds Optional 256-bit AES Encryption

(Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    Rousset, France, March 14, 2007  

Drop-in Upgrade for the AT91SAM7S, SAM7X(C) has 512K byte dual-bank Flash, up to 128K byte SRAM and 256-bit "top secret" AES

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), announced 512K byte dual-bank Flash memory extensions to its AT91SAM7S, SAM7X and SAM7XC microcontrollers based on the ARM7TDMI® processor core. Doubling the Flash memory density from 256K bytes to 512K bytes gives software engineers the capacity to integrate new features for their next-generation products and true in-application programming at an additional cost of less than 20%.

     Supports true in-application programming. The Flash memory on the AT91SAM7S512, SAM7X512 and SAM7XC512 is arranged in two separate banks that allow the device to be programmed simultaneously with application execution. A dual-bank implementation protects the application against potentially catastrophic failure resulting from unexpected power outages during firmware updates.

     Networked embedded systems need more memory, bandwidth & security. Increasingly complex communication protocols, data throughput and streaming content used in networked embedded systems require ever-larger amounts of data buffers and higher levels of security. To meet this need, Atmel has doubled the density of the zero-wait-state, 32-bit wide SRAM on its AT91SAM7X512 and SAM7XC512 from 64 to 128K bytes.

     Peripheral DMA increases bandwidth by a factor of 6. Like all of Atmel's SAM7 MCUs, the new devices have 11 to 13 dedicated peripheral DMA channels (PDC) that increase on-chip bandwidth from a maximum of 4 Mbps, on conventional ARM7™ MCUs, to 25 Mbps or more. By off-loading peripheral-to-memory transfers from the CPU, the PDC actually increases the number of CPU operations available to the application. This capability is unique to Atmel microcontrollers.

     Optional "top secret" encryption. Another derivative, Atmel's AT91SAM7XC, provides "top secret" encryption capability by integrating a hardware crypto engine that can be configured to do 128-, 192- or 256-bit ("top secret") AES or triple-DES encryption.

     According to Jacko Wilbrink, Atmel's ARM® MCUs product marketing director, "While the smaller SAM7S series, starting with 32K to 512K bytes of on-chip Flash, is dominant in the consumer space for applications like USB-enabled PC accessories and toys, the SAM7X family, with on-chip Ethernet and CAN, is winning market share in telecom infrastructure, medical, building automation and alarm systems. We expect the newest SAM7XC, with embedded AES and 3DES encryption, to achieve significant market share in secured systems."

     Pricing and availability. Pricing for the 512K Flash variants of the SAM7S, SAM7X and SAM7XC devices start at US$6 in quantities of 10,000 units. The AT91SAM7S512 is available in 64-pin LQFP and 64-lead QFN green packages. The AT91SAM7X512 and AT91SAM7XC512 are available in 100-pin LQFP and 100-ball BGA green packages.

Atmel Introduces 8051 Microcontrollers For High Volume USB Applications  (Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    Beijing, China, March 7, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), announced today the addition of three ROM devices to its family of standard 8051-based USB microcontrollers. Complementing the available Flash versions, the new devices are especially suited for high-volume applications where cost matters more than flexibility and where the code is stable.

    Based on Atmel's 8051 X2 core which executes an instruction in 6 clock periods, the new AT83C5134, AT83C5135 and AT83C5136 have 8-, 16- and 32-Kbytes of ROM code memory, respectively. In addition, two variants of the 32-Kbytes version are available: AT83EC5136 and AT83EI5136 which include 512 bytes and 32 Kbytes, respectively, of EEPROM for data storage. The products feature a USB Full-Speed controller, UART, SPI and a two wire Interface allowing an easy connection to companion devices.

    The existing AT89C5130 and AT89C5131 devices, with 16- and 32-Kbyte Flash, can be used for development, flexibility and pre-production as pin-to-pin and binary compatibility are preserved when migrating to the new ROM devices. These devices are available with 3.3V supply voltage and support six programmable USB endpoints.

    Offered in a 32-pin 5x5mm and a 48-pin 7x7mm QFN packages, the new ROM devices provide a broad range of memory sizes for the lowest cost and the smallest physical dimensions.

    "We wanted to add USB connectivity to our new range of modular drive controllers so our customers can easily configure," said Michael Jensen, Purchasing Manager Electronics at Danfoss Drives A/S. "Our products must provide long lasting quality in harsh industrial environments and Atmel's 8051 USB microcontrollers solutions meet all our needs at the right cost."

Pricing and Availability

    The AT83C5134, AT83C5135 and AT83C5136 are available now in 32-pin QFN packages. Pricing starts at US$1.30, US$1.40 and US$1.55 for 10k units. The AT83C5136 is also available in a 28-pin SOIC package, 48-pin QFN package and a 64-pin VQFP package.

Atmel Introduces Optimized AVR Flash Microcontrollers for USB Full-Speed Peripherals  (Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    Beijing, China, March 7th, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), today expands its popular family of AVR® microcontrollers with two new devices for high-volume USB applications ranging from high-performance Human Interface Devices (HID) to wireless adaptors.

    Based on the 8-bit AVR core, the new AT90USB82 and AT90USB162 feature a full-speed USB (12 Mbits/s) controller and have 8- and 16-Kbyte of Flash memory, respectively allowing in-system programming directly through their USB interface. On-chip EEPROM of 512 bytes allows for parameters settings without interfering with the application.

    Communication with external components is ensured with SPI and UART interfaces. A 100 mA on-chip voltage regulator can also power companion devices such as laser sensors for high-performance mice or RF transceivers for wireless adapters.

    The AT90USB82/162 are available in 32-pin packages including a tiny 5x5mm QFN. In addition, they offer an extensive 21 general-purpose IOs that can be used to detect interrupts. This is very effective for applications such as high-end mice or joysticks that have an increasing number of switches; unlike other market solutions that use multiplexing techniques or more expensive workarounds to overcome a limited number of interrupt pins.

    Full-speed USB enables accurate and fast reaction to fully exploit the capability of the most advanced laser sensors while providing adequate bandwidth for audio streaming applications (e.g. VoIP, handsets). The same device can be the heart of a wireless desktop center, supporting a mouse, a keyboard and a bidirectional audio device. Thanks to the full-speed bandwidth, programming the AT90USB162's Flash memory can be achieved in 0.5 seconds. The program can be loaded at the end of the manufacturing line without the need for a dedicated connector to accommodate in-system programming, which lower costs and proves invaluable when space is a premium. This gives flexibility for concurrent engineering, OEM/ODM customization, or even to upgrade products by the end user.

    "Our new low pin-count USB devices nicely complement the higher-end AVR OTG and USB devices we introduced last year," said Jean-Christophe Lawson, USB Product Marketer Manager. "They are two times smaller than most of existing solutions, achieving a perfect trade-off between cost and flexibility."

Pricing and Availability

     Evaluation and debugging tools are available now from distribution. The STK®526 development kit is priced at $199. It can be used in stand-alone form to demonstrate HID, communication device class (CDC) and mass storage. It can also be used as an extension to the generic STK500. The JTAGICE mkII and AVR Dragon can connect to the starter kit for in-system programming and emulation through on-chip debug resources (OCD).

    The AT90USB162 is offered in 32-pin QFN and TQFP packages and the AT90USB82 in QFN. The AT90USB162 is available now while production of the AT90USB82 will start in 3Q-2007. AT90USB162 is available at $1.65 and AT90USB82 at $1.45 for 10k pieces.

Atmel Unveils Stand-alone LIN2.0 Transceiver IC with Industry's Best EMC Performance  (Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    Heilbronn, Germany, March 07, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a global leader in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced today the availability of its ATA6662 stand-alone LIN bus transceiver IC with the industry's best EMC performance (EMC test and conformance test LIN2.0, Europe, and SAE J2602-2, US). Thanks to Atmel's high-voltage BCD-on-SOI (SMARTIS™) process, the new ATA6662 sets the benchmark in EMI performance for reduced RF interference. The device's excellent ESD protection (exceeding 6 kV) is beneficial for designing robust electronic units for the harsh automotive environment. This includes automotive comfort applications such as door modules, power seat controls, intelligent sensors, and other body electronic applications where low-speed data communication is sufficient and low cost is important.

     The ATA6662 complies with the LIN2.0 standard and can handle supply voltages of up to 40V. The fully-integrated LIN transceiver interfaces the LIN protocol handler (i.e., the local microcontroller) and the LIN bus. Improved slope control at the LIN bus ensures secure data communication of up to 20 kBaud using an RC oscillator for the protocol handling. The ATA6662's sleep mode minimizes current consumption to typically 10 microampere.

     To eliminate EMI problems, the ATA6662 incorporates a controlled slew rate. The receiver's input filter helps minimize RF interference caused by signals on the bus line. Compared to standard BCDMOS bulk technology, Atmel's SMARTIS process uses an SOI (silicon-on-insulator) substrate. This results in an extremely low leakage current, with a significant reduction in crosstalk between analog and digital circuits on the same die, as well as latch-up-free operation at high temperatures. Lower parasitic effects give added value for EMC performance.

     Furthermore, the ATA6662 provides several protection features such as over-temperature shutdown, full protection against short circuits, and high-voltage-bus-line protection up to 40V. The ATA6662 is fully compatible with 3.3V and 5V devices and includes a dominant time-out function on the TxD pin to prevent the bus line from being driven permanently in a dominant state. A wake-up source recognition indicates, on the TxD and RxD pins, which wake-up has occurred - the local via pin WAKE-UP or the remote wake-up via the LIN bus line. Depending on the recognized wake-up source, the microcontroller selects the appropriate routines. The device also meets strict automotive qualification demands and can withstand transients according to ISO/TR 7637/1.

Pricing and Availability

    Samples of the new LIN transceiver IC ATA6662 in SO8 packages are available now. Pricing starts at US$ 0.45 for 10k units.

Footnote
        BCDMOS = Mixed-signal technology with Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS components
        EMC = Electro Magnetic Capability
        EMI = Electro-Magnetic Interferences
        ESD = Electro Static Discharge
        LIN = Local Interconnect Network
        RC = Resistor Capacitor (circuit)
        SOI = Silicon On Insulator technology

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