Atmel's High-temperature Driver ICs in BCD-on-SOI Technology Open the Door to 150 Degrees Celsius Applications

Shanghai, China (ots/PRNewswire) -

China International Automotive Electronics Show, Shanghai --
Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the availability
of the new high-temperature hex half-bridge driver ICs ATA6837 and
ATA6839. The ATA6837 and ATA6839 are manufactured using Atmel's
high-voltage 0.8 um BCD-on-SOI technology (SMART-I.S.(R)), which
enables the use of much smaller lower-cost QFN packages. These new
devices can be used in both passenger car applications (e.g., flap
control of air condition systems) as well as in 24V truck
applications due to their high voltage capability (up to 40V). These
devices also boast a broad range of protection features.

The ATA6837 is a fully protected hex half-bridge driver IC with
integrated power stages. Each of the six high-side and low-side
drivers is capable of driving currents up to 650 mA via a
microcontroller such as Atmel's automotive-qualified AVR(R)
microcontroller ATmega88. External clamping diodes are not needed due
to the half-bridge configuration, thus assembly efforts are
substantially reduced. The ATA6839, a high-power variant, differs
only in the output stages (1.0A).

The new ICs have an operating chip temperature of 200 degrees
Celsius and are able to dissipate approximately twice the power of
conventional driver ICs, which can normally only work up to 150
degrees Celsius chip temperatures. As a result, low-cost assembly
with "poor" thermal resistance can be used for convenience
electronics, and in particular for high-temperature applications such
as engine-mounted electronics to control small motors or valves.
Furthermore, the ICs exhibit all the advantages of Atmel's
SMART-I.S.technology, including superior latch-up immunity and
reduced junction leakage.

While one of the main applications of the new driver ICs is the
actuation of three fully independent DC motors in three H-bridges,
the ATA6837/39 can also support the operation of up to five DC motors
sharing four common lines, as long as the motors are not all actuated
at the same time. Such a configuration can be used, for example, in
automotive air conditioning systems, where five air-flow control
flaps can be operated from one IC. Software can be used to avoid the
simultaneous actuation of the DC motors. In addition, the half-bridge
configuration also enables the operation of six different resistive
or inductive loads.

The ATA6837/39 provide several protection features such as
overtemperature warning of 170 degrees Celsius and shutdown of 200
degrees Celsius, overload and overvoltage protection, and full
protection against short-circuits. The SPI output register contains a
number of diagnostic bits, which can be read by the microcontroller.
In the event of undervoltage at the supply pin, the power-supply fail
bit in the output register is set and all outputs are disabled. If
the overtemperature pre-warning bit is set, software routines to
decrease the power dissipation and temperature can be implemented.
Temperature increases beyond a certain level can force the IC to shut
down to prevent destruction.

The ATA6837/39 feature 4 kV ESD protection, which provides
maximum safety against damage during assembly. The device also meets
the strict automotive qualification demands (protection against
conducted interference, EMC, and ESD protection) and can withstand
transients as specified in ISO/TR 7637.

Availability and Pricing

Samples of the new driver ICs ATA6837/39 are now available in
Pb-free QFN24 packages, measuring only 5 mm x 5 mm. Pricing starts at
US $2.30 for the ATA6837 and at US $2.40 for the ATA6839 for
10k-piece quantities each. An application board for development
support can be ordered for US $130.

Footnote
BCDMOS = Mixed-signal technology with Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS components
DC = Direct Current
EMC = Electro Magnetic Compatibility
ESD = Electro Static Discharge
QFN = Quad Flat No leads
SOI = Silicon on Insulator

About Atmel

Atmel is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of
microcontrollers, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory
and radio frequency (RF) components. Leveraging one of the industry's
broadest intellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is
able to provide the electronics industry with complete system
solutions focused on consumer, industrial, security, communications,
computing and automotive markets.

(C) 2008 Atmel Corporation. All rights reserved. Atmel(R), logo
and combinations thereof, AVR(R), SMART-I.S.(R), and others are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its
subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of
others.

Information

Product information on Atmel's high-temperature driver ICs
ATA6837/39 may be retrieved at:

http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4326 (ATA6837)
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4327 (ATA6839)
Press Contacts
Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
Products
Phone: +49-7131-67-2081, Email: susanne.van-clewe@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
Phone: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com

Web site: http://www.atmel.com

ots Originaltext: Atmel Corporation
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Contact:
Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
Products, +49-7131-67-2081, susanne.van-clewe@atmel.com; or Helen
Perlegos, Public Relations, +1-408-487-2963, hperlegos@atmel.com,
both of Atmel Corporation