Hot News

Atmel's New Hex Half-bridge Driver IC in BCD-on-SOI Technology Cuts Car Comfort-application Cost

    San Jose, CA, July 19, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), announced today a new family of 32-pin picoPower™ AVR® microcontrollers. The ATmega48P/88P/168P/328P devices have 4, 8, 16 and 32 Kbytes of Flash memory, respectively. These devices consume as little as 340 uA in active mode at 1.8V running from the internal RC oscillator at 1 MHz, 650 nA in power-save mode with real time counter running, and 100 nA in power-down mode. picoPower AVRs are pin-, performance-, and code-compatible with existing AVR microcontrollers.

    Atmel's industry leading picoPower technology will assist the IC engineer by eliminating unnecessary power consumption in sleep modes. These include an ultra-low-power 32 kHz crystal oscillator, automatic disabling and re-enabling of brown-out detection, (sleeping BOD) circuitry during sleep modes, a power reduction register (PRR) that completely powers down individual peripherals, and digital input disable registers that removes leakage on ADC input pins. picoPower AVRs are ideally suited for low power applications and adds years to the battery life for applications that spend the majority of their time in sleep modes.

    The ATmega48P/88P/168P/328P microcontrollers operate from 1.8 to 5.5 volts and feature a 10-bit ADC, USART, SPI, 2-wire interface, internal temperature sensor, and have up to 20 MIPS throughput at 20 MHz. Similar to other AVR microcontrollers, the ATmega48P/88P/168P/328P features an on-chip debug system for easy, fast, and robust development.

     "We see a growing demand for ultra low power consumption in all segments of the microcontroller market. With these four new picoPower devices we are filling the gap between the low power tinyAVR® and the higher pin count picoPower megaAVR®. Now, the picoPower microcontrollers range from 28 to 100 pins and 4 to 64 Kbytes of Flash, making it easy for developers to find the perfect low-power fit for any project," said Ingar Fredriksen Director, AVR Product Marketing.

     AVR picoPower microcontrollers use the standard AVR microcontroller development tools. The AVR Studio® integrated development environment is available free of charge on Atmel's web site.

    Availability and Pricing

Samples for the ATmega88P and ATmega168P are available now in QFN32 and TQFP32 packages. Samples for the ATmega48P will be available in August 2007 and the ATmega328P will be available in 4Q/07, respectively.

    Volume prices for 10k units are US $1.18 for the ATmega48P, US $1.65 for the ATmega88P, US $2.00 for the ATmega168P and US $2.65 for the ATmega328P, respectively.

Atmel's New Hex Half-bridge Driver IC in BCD-on-SOI Technology Cuts Car Comfort-application Costs (Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    Heilbronn, Germany, July 17, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the availability of its new ATA6836 low-cost half-bridge driver IC. As a result of the device's high voltage capability (up to 40V), the ATA6836 can be used in both passenger car applications (e.g., flap control of air condition systems) and in 24V truck applications. The ATA6836 is manufactured using Atmel's high-voltage 0.8 um BCD-on-SOI technology (SMARTIS™) and incorporates a broad range of protection features. This manufacturing technology also enables the use of much smaller lower-cost QFN packages, which reduces the cost of automotive comfort applications.

     In contrast to standard BCDMOS bulk technology, Atmel's innovative SMARTIS technology uses an SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator) substrate. Due to the SOI technology's dielectric isolation, junction leakage, a major issue in high-temperature designs, is minimized. Furthermore, SOI devices provide superior latch-up immunity leading to increased circuit reliability.

     The ATA6836 is a fully protected hex half-bridge driver 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, e.g., Atmel's automotive-qualified microcontroller ATmega88. Customers' assembly efforts are substantially reduced as external clamping diodes are not needed due to the half-bridge configuration.

     One of the main applications of the ATA6836 is the actuation of three fully independent DC motors in three H-bridges. The ATA6836 also supports 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. This configuration can be used, for example, in automotive air conditioning systems, where five air-flow control flaps can be operated from one ATA6836. 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 ATA6836 provides several protection features such as overtemperature warning and shutdown, overload, 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 ATA6836 features 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 ATA6836 driver IC are available now in Pb-free QFN24 packages, measuring only 5 mm x 5 mm. Customers using the predecessor version, T6816, can easily switch to the SO28 package to accommodate new designs. For applications with more powerful DC motors, Atmel offers the high-power version ATA6838 with 1.5A output stages. All other features are identical to the ATA6836. Pricing starts at US $2.00 for the ATA6836 and at US $2.10 for the ATA6838 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 = Electronic Static Discharge
         QFN = Quad Flat No Leads
         SOI = Silicon On Insulator technology
         SPI = Serial Peripheral Interface

Atmel Expands LIN Portfolio with New System Basis Chips Featuring Industry's Best EMC Performance

    Heilbronn, Germany, July 16, 2007  

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the availability of its ATA6622, ATA6624 and ATA6626 LIN system basis chips (SBCs) which comply with the LIN2.0 standard. Compared to stand-alone LIN transceivers, system basis chips such as the ATA6622/24/26 are highly integrated and include a voltage regulator plus a watchdog. These new SBC devices are designed with Atmel's high-voltage BCD-on-SOI (SMARTIS™) process and are optimized for operations up to 40V for applications in harsh environments. Due to the advantages of SOI technology, Atmel's new LIN devices set new benchmarks regarding EMI performance. The ESD protection is more than 8 kV (best in class) and ensures robust electronic units in the automotive harsh environment. Applications include automotive comfort applications such as door modules, seat control or intelligent sensors, and powertrain applications such as engine control systems.

     With the monolithic integration of the voltage regulator (ATA6622: 3.3V, ATA6624/26: 5V) and the watchdog, system costs can be reduced by approximately 25%. In addition less board space is needed which makes these devices ideally suited for applications requiring very small footprints. The SMARTIS process uses SOI (silicon on insulator) substrate which results in an extremely low leakage current and a significant reduction in crosstalk between the analog and digital circuits on the same die as well as latch-up-free operation at high temperatures. The use of SOI results in lower parasitic effects which improves EMC performance. These ICs also provide several protective features such as over-temperature shut down and full protection against short circuits. The ATA622/24/26 also meet strict automotive qualification demands and can withstand transients according to ISO/TR 7637/1.

     In addition to the remote LIN bus wake-up, the ATA6622/24/26 offer two further wake-up options, a wake-up via the WAKE pin or via the KL15 pin to simplify the design of intelligent systems. To enable very slow data communication, as required by specific applications, the ATA6626's time-out timer is deactivated.

     Availability and Pricing:

ATA6622, ATA6624 and ATA6626 LIN SBC IC samples are available now in Pb-free QFN20 packages with pricing starting at US $0.99 each for 10k piece quantities. Additional system in package (SiP) solutions including the new LIN SBC and an AVR(r) microcontroller for optimized performance and further PCB area reduction will be introduced in Q4 2007.

     Footnote

         BCDMOS = Mixed-signal technology with Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS components
         ECU = Electronic Control Unit
         EMC = Electro-Magnetic-Compatibility
         EMI = Electromagnetic Interferences
         ESD = Electronic Static Discharge
         LED = Light-Emitting Diode
         LIN = Local Interface Network
         PCB = Printed Circuit Board
         SBC = System Basis Chip
         SIP = System In Package
         SOI = Silicon On Insulator technology

Atmel Unveils Industry's Smallest Laser Diode Driver Solution Supporting HD-DVD/Blu-ray, DVD and CD Format

(Japan ) (Simple Chinese)

    Heilbronn, Germany, July 10, 2007  

Paddle-up Package for Improved Heat Dissipation

    Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the availability of the ATR0881 laser diode driver IC for use in combined HD-DVD/Blu-ray, DVD, and CD drives. The ATR0881 is housed in a 4 mm x 4 mm QFN24 package. This is the industry's smallest laser diode driver solution and is especially suited for small slim drives used in notebook computers as well as for half-height drives in desktop PCs and consumer DVD recorders.

     The ATR0881's QFN housing is a lead-free paddle-up package with the exposed paddle on top to improve heat dissipation. A bottom-located exposed paddle, as found in conventional QFN packages, causes difficulties due to its inaccessibility for circuit design, particularly in optical pick-up products. This design restriction is eliminated with Atmel's ATR0881.

     Although the ATR0881 has 3 outputs for connecting 3 laser diodes - a blue (HD-DVD/Blu-ray), a red (DVD), and an infrared (CD) - it still fits into the same small 24-pin package used by Atmel's well-known laser diode drivers for two-output combined DVD and CD drives.

     The ATR0881 is the first of its kind with a serial interface. Whereas conventional laser diode drivers have a fixed gain between input and output, the gain of each of the ATR0881's 5 channels can be individually programmed using the serial interface. As a result, the ATR0881 is extremely flexible and avoids complete re-designs if the users' gain requirements change.

     The serial interface can also be used to set all parameters of the integrated oscillator including frequency, amplitude, and spread-spectrum settings. Current laser diode drivers need up to 6 external resistors and pins to set the oscillator parameters. With the ATR0881, these additional resistors are not required; thus the overall bill of material is reduced.

     The requirement for oscillator frequency accuracy is very high to ensure low electromagnetic interference. Due to resistor tolerances, common laser diode drivers enable a maximum accuracy of ± 10%. In contrast, designs using the ATR0881 achieve a frequency deviation of less than ±5% thanks to the laser diode driver's integrated frequency counter.

     Compared to competitor devices, the ATR0881 can optionally be set to a special synchronization mode, which synchronizes all write channels to the second channel, thus enabling the generation of very sharp output pulses for increased data security.

    Availability and Pricing

Samples of the ATR0881 in 4 mm x 4 mm QFN24 paddle-up packages are now available. Pricing starts at US $5.00 in quantities of 10k.

    Footnote

        DVD = Digital Versatile Disc
        HD = High Density
        LDD = Laser Diode Drivers
        QFN = Quad Flat No Leads

    News Data