Atmel Unveils Industry's First Microcontroller-Transmitter RF ICs for Use With Simple Capacitive Sensorsserving Automotive TPMS Applications

Convergence Show, Detroit (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Based on Atmel's Well-Known AVR Microcontroller

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a global leader in the
development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions,
announced today the availability of the new highly-integrated and
low-power ATA6285 and ATA6286 microcontroller-transmitter ICs with
sensor interface for tire pressure monitoring (TPMS) sensor gauge
systems. The new devices include all necessary building blocks to
support the measurement and calibration of simple capacitive pressure
and motion sensors plus the complete RF transmission functionality.
These are the first such devices on the market.

The new ICs enable the development of cost-effective applications
by allowing the system designer to freely choose simple, low-cost,
non-calibrated sensors. These capacitive sensors can be calibrated
very easily and with minimum effort by the customer's firmware within
the integrated AVR(R) microcontroller. As a result, the external
sensors can be less sophisticated and smaller. This also makes the
new ICs very well-suited for sensor manufacturers who wish to develop
their own integrated sensor modules.

The single-package devices combine Atmel's ATA5756 and ATA5757 RF
transmitters with Atmel's well-known, low-power, ATmega AVR 8-bit
Flash microcontroller family. The new ICs are designed to control and
transmit data gained from capacitive pressure and motion sensors.
Their high functionality, such as integrated temperature sensor with
shut-down mode, 90-kHz slow-oscillation mode for timer wake-up in
sleep mode, and LF input with several header options, makes them an
excellent fit for pressure sensor systems.

The new devices are optimized to ensure extremely low current
consumption-in sleep mode it is as low as 0.5 microamps. The maximum
sleep-mode current consumption is 0.85 microamps at 85 degrees C in
90-kHz slow-oscillation mode, whereas the current consumption during
sensor measurement is as low as 200 microamps which is about 10 times
less than piezo-resistive sensor solutions. In transmission mode, the
typical current consumption is 8.5 mA at 6 dBm. The programmable,
integrated 125-kHz wake-up receiver channel consumes less then 1.7
microamps in active listening mode.

The ATA6285 operates at 315 MHz, whereas the ATA6286 is used for
433 MHz operation. Both devices are suited for ASK and FSK
transmission with a data rate of typically 10 kBaud in Manchester
mode. The parts can be operated at 2V to 3.6V from a single Li-cell
power supply at an operation temperature of -40 degrees C to +125
degrees C and a storage temperature of -40 degrees C to +150 degrees
C.

Price and Availability

First samples in QFN32 packages are available now, high-volume
production will start in mid 2007. Pricing for the ATA6285 and
ATA6286 starts at US $2.60 each (at 50kpc quantities). To simplify
and speed-up the design, Atmel provides a rich set of AVR standard
tools (see http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools.asp?family_id=607
).

Footnotes:
ASK = Alternating Shift Keying
FSK = Frequency Shift Keying
LF = Low Frequency
LI = Lithium
TPMS = Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

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, Atmel ICs can be found Everywhere
You Are(R).

NOTE: Atmel(R), logo and combinations thereof, Everywhere You
Are(R), AVR(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 new microcontroller-transmitter ICs
ATA6285 and ATA6286 may be retrieved at:

http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4001 (ATA6285)
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4002 (ATA6286)
Press Contacts
Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
Products
Phone: +49-7131-67-2081, Email: susanne.van-clewe@hno.atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations -- USA and Asia Pacific
Phone: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com
Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager -- Europe
Phone: +33-1-30-60-70-68, Fax: +49-7131-67-2423, Email:
veronique.sablereau@atmel.com
Web site: http://www.atmel.com

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

Contact:
Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
Products, +49-7131-67-2081, or susanne.van-clewe@hno.atmel.com, or
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations, +1-408-487-2963, or
hperlegos@atmel.com, or Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications
Manager, Europe, +33-1-30-60-70-68, or veronique.sablereau@atmel.com,
all of Atmel