Atmel, Cisco and the Swedish Institute of Computer Science (SICS) Collaborate to Support a Future Where Any Device Can Be Connected to the Internet

San Jose, California and Bangalore, India (ots/PRNewswire) -

- One of the World's Smallest Open-Source, IPv6-Ready Protocol
Stack Enables Cost-Effective Deployment of Sensor-Based 'Smart'
Objects

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), Cisco and the Swedish
Institute of Computer Science (SICS) today announced the availability
of uIPv6, one of the world's smallest open-source, IPv6-ready
protocol stack, which could enable every device, no matter how
limited by power or memory to have an Internet Protocol address.

This collaborative project builds on Cisco's expertise in IP
networking, Atmel's innovative low-power wireless hardware and SICS'
knowledge in embedded operating systems design. "uIPv6 has the
potential to impact a wide range of market verticals where automation
is key, just as voice over IP did in enterprise telephony," said Rob
Adams, senior director of Cisco's Corporate Development technology
group.

"Smart" objects powered by a wide range of sensors and actuators
are poised to enable a wide range of next-generation applications in
building automation, industrial monitoring, smart cities and energy
management, among many other areas. These applications help transmit
information in the physical world about conditions or the environment
(for example, temperature, light, motion, health status) to locations
where the information can be analyzed, correlated with other data and
acted upon.

The proliferation of such applications has however been held back
by the large number of proprietary or semi-closed systems, and the
cost associated with translating information before it can be
effectively shared with other devices and systems. The use of IP as
networking technology has long been recognized as the solution to
this interoperability issue. Now, thanks to unique lower-layer energy
management mechanisms and limited memory capacity, uIPv6 is highly
power-efficient and ideal for most constrained devices.

Open-source uIPv6 includes standard IP applications and can be
easily customized for specific requirements. It is integrated in the
Contiki operating system developed by SICS, which provides all the
necessary functionalities for networked smart objects. In addition,
uIPv6's small footprint and memory usage allows it to run on the most
constrained platforms. In particular, it was tested on Atmel's Raven
wireless platform, chosen for its outstanding low-power performance.

"Efficient, low-power wireless systems require ultra-low-power
embedded microcontrollers paired with excellent radio performance,"
said Magnus Pedersen, Atmel's director of product marketing, MCU
Wireless Solutions. "The fact that Cisco and SICS chose the Atmel
AVR(R) Raven picoPower(TM) wireless platform as the basis for their
uIPv6 and 6LoWPAN implementation confirms Atmel's leading edge in
low-power embedded wireless technology."

uIPv6 is released under a permissive open-source license, and as
a result can be used for both commercial and noncommercial
applications.

"An open-source, standard-compliant, small-footprint IPv6
implementation is essential to enable the next generation of sensor
network applications," said Adam Dunkels, senior scientist at SICS
and Contiki project leader.

Patrick Wetterwald, president of the IP for Smart Objects
Alliance (IPSO) said, "By running an IPv6 stack, operating a network
of sensors thus becomes as easy as operating a network of PCs, IP
phones, or any other IP devices."

The new uIPv6 stack requires only 0.5 KB of SRAM for data
structures, a minimum of 1.3 KB of SRAM for buffering, and 11 KB of
Flash for the code. The Raven platform embeds a microcontroller and a
wireless chip using the 802.15.4 standard, designed specifically to
accommodate smart objects' requirements. uIPv6 includes an
implementation of the 6LoWPAN standard, the adaptation layer between
802.15.4 and IPv6.

Tags:

Cisco, Atmel, SICS, uIPv6, sensor networks, smart objects, IP for
Smart Objects Alliance, IPSO, Contiki, 6LoWPAN, 802.15.4, IPv6, Open
Source

Information:
To download Contiki/uIPv6: http://www.sics.se/contiki
uIPv6 Technical Paper: http://www.sics.se/~adam/durvy08making.pdf
Atmel RAVEN evaluation kit:
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/Products/tools_card.asp?tool_id=4291
802.15.4 wireless standard specification:
http://ieee802.org/15/pub/TG4.html
6LoWPAN standard: http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/6lowpan-charter.html
IPv6 ready Logo Program: http://www.ipv6ready.org
IPSO alliance: http://www.ipso-alliance.org

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), Atmel
logo and combinations thereof, AVR(R) and others, are registered
trademarks, picoPower(TM) and others are trademarks of Atmel
Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be
trademarks of others.

About SICS

Swedish Institute of Computer Science (SICS), is a non-profit
research organization with approximately 100 researchers. The main
office is situated in Kista outside Stockholm with smaller offices in
Uppsala, Goteborg, and Vasteras. The mission of SICS is to contribute
to the competitive strength of industry by conducting advanced
research in strategic areas of computer science, and to actively
promote the use of new research ideas and results in industry and in
society at large. SICS collaborates with both large and small
companies -- in Sweden and internationally. SICS research activities
create value for industry and society in many different ways,
including people mobility, research projects, scientific
dissemination, and spin-off companies.

About the IPSO Alliance

The IPSO Alliance is a global non-profit organization serving the
various communities seeking to establish the Internet Protocol as the
basis for connecting smart objects by providing coordinated marketing
efforts available to the general public. The Alliance's purpose is to
provide a foundation for industry growth through building stronger
relationships, fostering awareness, providing education, promoting
the industry, generating research and creating a better understanding
of IP and its role in connecting smart objects. For more information,
visit http://www.IPSO-Alliance.org.

About Cisco

Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that
transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate.
Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For
ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com

Atmel Press Contact:
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
Tel: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com
Cisco Press Contact:
Marc Musgrove
Tel: +1-408-525-6320, Email: mmusgrov@cisco.com
SICS Press Contact:
Adam Dunkels
Tel: +46-0-8-633-1614, Email: adam@sics.se
Web site: http://www.atmel.com
http://www.IPSO-Alliance.org
http://www.cisco.com

ots Originaltext: Atmel Corporation
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations of Atmel Corporation,
+1-408-487-2963, hperlegos@atmel.com; or Marc Musgrove of Cisco,
+1-408-525-6320, mmusgrov@cisco.com; or Adam Dunkels of SICS,
+46-(0)-8-633-1614, adam@sics.se