Atmel and Melexis Collaborate on Contactless Readers and NFC Solutions

Paris, November 7 (ots/PRNewswire) -

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) and Melexis Microelectronic
Integrated Systems N.V. (Euronext Brussels: MELE) announced today
their collaboration to propose innovative solutions for 13.56 MHz
RFID readers and Near Field Communication (NFC) devices. They will
target applications such as passport and ID verification, contactless
payment, transaction and peer-to-peer information exchange.

Atmel and Melexis are demonstrating at Cartes in Paris (Atmel
booth 4J013 Hall 4), a passport reader and a NFC application based on
a two-chip solution. The demos feature the powerful Atmel AT90USB
AVR(R) microcontroller and the Melexis MLX90131 RFID/NFC transceiver.

The Atmel AT90USB is an AVR RISC microcontroller featuring 16 MIPS
at 16 MHz, full-speed USB, 64 KB of Flash and low power consumption.
Thanks to its CPU power and its large on-board Flash memory, it is
well suited for contactless applications.

The new MLX90131 is the next generation of Melexis' popular
MLX90121 13.56 MHz RFID transceiver IC. Both handle ASK, FSK and PSK
sub carrier demodulation. Their analog front-end circuitry may be
used independently when in direct mode. The MLX90121 conforms to
ISO/IEC14443A/B and SO/IEC15693 standards and provides support for
non-ISO/IEC-compliant applications. The MLX90131 will add high data
rates (848 kBaud) and ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC) compliance.

"The choice of Atmel as a partner was natural," said Gilles
Cerede, product marketing manager at Melexis. Since the beginning of
its RFID reader IC activity, Melexis has been using Atmel AVR
microcontrollers in its demos and development kits. "We chose the AVR
microcontroller for its high performance, combined with the low power
consumption. This is the ideal candidate for designing a RFID reader
device. Customers will gain benefits from Atmel and Melexis'
expertise in microcontrollers and RFID."

"This partnership with Melexis will allow us to propose advanced
contactless solutions to our customers for the fast growing RFID
reader and NFC market. It will offer customers an attractive
alternative to current market solutions," stated Arnaud Ruchon,
product marketing manager for Atmel. "Thanks to their long RF
experience and their proven design capability on contactless reader
interfaces, Melexis is a reliable partner and is one of the most
advanced companies in this area."

Availability

The AT90USB64 is available in volume production while the MLX90131
is currently in final design validation phase. A demonstration kit
and a development platform based on the two devices will be available
in the second quarter of 2007.

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 the registered trademarks or
trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and
product names may be trademarks of others.

About Melexis

Melexis Microelectronic Integrated Systems N.V. (Euronext
Brussels: MELE) is a mixed signal semiconductor manufacturer. Our
core experience supplying ICs for automotive electronics sustains the
expansion into Application Specific Standard Products for industrial
and consumer product applications. Melexis' enthusiastically pursues
its role as a component supplier whose innovations, while physically
small, are the essential element in nearly every one of our
customers' extraordinary systems. At Melexis we believe that "Small
things make a big difference." Melexis' products include sensor,
communication, actuator ICs and Application Specific Integrated
Circuits (ASICs).

About NFC

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a new, short-range wireless
connectivity technology that evolved from a combination of existing
contactless identification and interconnection technologies. Products
with built-in NFC will dramatically simplify the way consumer devices
interact with one another, helping people speed connections, receive
and share information and even make fast and secure payments.
Operating at 13.56 MHz and transferring data at up to 424
Kbits/second, NFC provides intuitive, simple, and safe communication
between electronic devices. NFC is both a "read" and "write"
technology. NFC can be used with a variety of devices, from mobile
phones that enable payment or transfer information to digital cameras
that send their photos to a TV set with just a touch. The
possibilities are endless, and NFC is sure to take the complexities
out of today's increasingly sophisticated consumer devices and make
them simpler to use. ABI Research(R) estimate that in 2011, nearly
30% of the 1.5 billion handsets shipped worldwide will be
NFC-enabled.

Information:
Atmel AVR USB products: http://www.atmel.com/products/avr/usb/
Melexis products: http://www.melexis.com
Information on NFC forum: http://www.nfc-forum.org
Atmel Press Contacts:
Philippe Faure, Marketing Communications Director - Microcontrollers
Phone: +33-2-40-18-18-87
Email: philippe.faure@nto.atmel.com
Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe
Phone: +33-1-30-60-70-68, Fax: +49-71-31-67-24-23
Email: veronique.sablereau@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific Rim
Phone: +1-408-487-2963
Email: hperlegos@atmel.com
Melexis Press Contacts:
Peter Riendeau, Marketing Communications - USA
Phone: +1-603-223-2362
Email: pre@melexis.com
Tanguy Scorpati, Marketing Communications - Europe and Asia
Phone: +32-13-67-07-95
Email: tas@melexis.com

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

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

Contact:
Philippe Faure, Marketing Communications Director - Microcontrollers,
+33-2-40-18-18-87, or philippe.faure@nto.atmel.com, or Veronique
Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe,
+33-1-30-60-70-68, or fax, +49-71-31-67-24-23, or
veronique.sablereau@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos, Public Relations -
USA and Asia Pacific Rim, +1-408-487-2963, or hperlegos@atmel.com,
all of Atmel; or Peter Riendeau, Marketing Communications - USA,
+1-603-223-2362, or pre@melexis.com, or Tanguy Scorpati, Marketing
Communications - Europe and Asia, +32-13-67-07-95, or
tas@melexis.com, both of Melexis Microelectronic Integrated Systems
N.V.