SAN JOSE, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Atmel(R) Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) announced today the availability of a new System-in-Package (SiP) solution for LIN automotive networking applications. The ATA6616, featuring maximum integration, is the second member of Atmel's new LIN SiP family. It combines Atmel's LIN System Basis Chip (SBC) ATA6624 - including LIN transceiver, voltage regulator, watchdog - and a member of Atmel's AVR(R) microcontroller family - the ATtiny87 with 8k Flash memory - in a single package. With this highly integrated solution, customers can create complete LIN nodes using just one IC.

The ATA6616 (8 KB Flash) is fully compatible with the current ATA6617 (16 KB Flash), thus allowing customers with lower memory requirements to effortlessly switch to the new device and immediately realize cost savings.

All devices in the LIN SiP family are based on Atmel's second-generation LIN IP, which boasts excellent EMC and ESD performance. This IP is optimized for low-cost LIN slave applications thus enabling system cost reductions of up to 30%.

The integrated AVR microcontroller (ATtiny87) includes a hardware LIN UART with automatic baud-rate synchronization in slave mode; integrated hardware routines to simplify protocol stack handling and limit interrupt generation, thus reducing the microcontroller load and flash memory consumption.

Thanks to collaboration with Vector, a leading manufacturer of software tools and components for automotive networking, a complete hardware and LIN2.1 software networking solution is available. Using the integrated hardware routines, the code size for the LIN protocol is reduced to about 1 Kbyte of Flash leaving about 7 Kbytes of Flash available for the user application.

One important criterion for LIN applications is low current consumption. To ensure that the LIN node's current consumption is well below 100 microampere in applications that are continuously connected to the battery, the ATA6616 provides several current saving modes where different functionalities are individually switched off or on, depending on the application requirements.

All pins of the LIN system basis chip and the microcontroller are bonded out, thus providing customers the same flexibility and performance for their applications as with discrete parts.

Thanks to the extremely small QFN38 package, measuring only 5 mm x 7 mm, designers can save more than 50% of PCB size compared to conventional solutions.

Availability and Pricing

Samples of the new LIN IC ATA6616 are now available in small QFN38 packages. Pricing starts at US $1.80 for 10k-piece quantities. Various cost-effective tools support designers with the development of LIN networks. A development board is available that enables a quick start with the IC and allows prototyping and testing of new designs. Certified LIN 2.0 and 2.1 protocol stacks from leading suppliers are also available. Atmel's AVR Studio(R) and AVR JTAGICE mkII development tools and the STK(R)600 with STK600-SOIC add-on starter kit are available for the AVR's used in the LIN SiP family.

    Footnote
    EMC = Electro-Magnetic-Compatibility
    ESD = Electronic Static Discharge
    IP = Intellectual Property
    LIN = Local Interconnect Network
    PCB = Printed Circuit Board
    QFN = Quad Flat No leads
    SBC = System Basis Chip
    SiP = System-in-Package
    UART = Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter

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) 2009 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), Atmel logo and combinations thereof, AVR(R), AVR Studio(R), STK(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 LIN SiP IC ATA6616 may be retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4576

    Press Contacts:
    Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Director Automotive
    Phone: +49 7131 67-2081, Email:  susanne.van-clewe@atmel.com
    Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
    Phone: +1 408 487-2963, Email: Helen.perlegos@atmel.com

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