EMBEDDED WORLD 2010, Nuremberg, Germany, March 4, 2010 – Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch solutions, today announced the availability of two new transceiver families for LIN automotive networking applications. Featuring the industry’s lowest power wake-up management (the power consumption of competing solutions is up to 10 times higher), the new Atmel LIN families serve automotive body electronics applications such as door modules, seat control or intelligent sensors, and powertrain applications such as engine control systems. In addition, Atmel’s ATA6663/64 transceivers are suited for other body electronic applications where low-speed data communication and low cost are important.
Atmel’s ATA6663 and ATA6664 are stand-alone LIN bus transceiver ICs, while the ATA6628/29/30/31 LIN transceivers are system basis chips (SBCs). When compared to a stand-alone LIN transceiver, SBCs are more integrated to include a voltage regulator, a Watchdog Timer (WDT), and high precise voltage divider for supply voltage measurements. The devices’ low-power management also enables mixed-supplied LIN bus systems and short circuit-to-ground at the LIN bus with a lower power consumption.
These new LIN devices are designed with Atmel’s high-voltage BCD-on-SOI (SMART-I.S.(TM)) process and optimized for operations up to 40V for applications in harsh environments. Combined with the industry’s leading EMC robustness (EMC test and conformance test LIN2.1, Europe, and SAE J2602-2, US), customers can benefit from lower bill of material as well as lower software costs. The excellent ESD protection (exceeding 6 kV) is beneficial for designing robust electronic units for the harsh automotive environment.
Product Details for Atmel’s ATA6628/29/30/31
With the monolithic integration of the voltage regulator (ATA6629: 3.3V, ATA6631: 5V), the WDT and high precise voltage divider functionality (ATA6628: 3.3V, ATA6630: 5V), system costs can be reduced by approximately 40 percent. These devices are also ideally suited for applications that have less board space and require a smaller footprint. Due to an implemented high-speed transmission mode, the ATA6628/30 devices also allow LIN bus programming at the band end test bench. These ICs provide several protective features such as over-temperature shut down and full protection against short circuits. Atmel’s ATA628/29/30/31 devices meet strict automotive qualification demands and can withstand transients according to ISO/TR 7637/1.
Product Details for Atmel’s ATA6663/4
Atmel’s ATA6663/64 comply with the LIN2.1 standard as well as the common EMC requirements V1.1, and can handle supply voltages of up to 40V. The fully integrated LIN transceiver interfaces to the LIN protocol handler (i.e., the local microcontroller) and the LIN bus. Improved slope control at the LIN bus ensures secure data communication of up to 20 kBaud using an RC oscillator for the protocol handling. Due to its disabled TxD dominant time-out timer, the ATA6664 enables ultra-low speed transmission and therefore is suited for MOST ECL bus systems. The sleep mode minimizes current consumption to typically 10 microampere. The ATA6663 and ATA6664 are compatible with the 3.3V and 5V devices and include a dominant time-out function on the TxD pin to prevent the bus line from being driven permanently in a dominant state.
To eliminate EMI problems, the ATA6663/64 incorporate a controlled slew rate. The receiver’s input filter helps minimize RF interference caused by signals on the bus line. Furthermore, the new devices provide several protection features such as over-temperature shutdown, full protection against short circuits, and high-voltage-bus-line protection up to 40V. Similar to the ATA628/29/30/31, these new devices meet the strict automotive qualification demands and can withstand transients according to ISO/TR 7637/1.
Availability, Pricing and Photo
Atmel’s ATA6628 and ATA6630 LIN SBC samples are available now in Pb-free QFN20 packages with pricing starting at $0.99 USD for 10k quantities. The ATA6629 and ATA6631 LIN SBC samples are available now in Pb-free SO8 packages with pricing starting at $0.89 USD for 10k quantities. Samples of the new LIN transceiver ICs ATA6663 and ATA6664 in SO8 packages are available now. Pricing starts at $ 0.45 USD for 10k units.
To download a high-resolution photo of the new LIN transceiver families, please click the following link: http://www.atmel.com/pressroom/ata66xlin.jpg
BCDMOS = Mixed-signal technology with Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS components
ECL = Electrical Control Line
ECU = Electronic Control Unit
EMC = Electro-Magnetic-Compatibility
EMI = Electromagnetic Interferences
ESD = Electronic Static Discharge
IP = Intellectual Property
LED = Light-Emitting Diode
LIN = Local Interconnect Network
PCB = Printed Circuit Board
QFN = Quad Flat No leads
SBC = System Basis Chip
SiP = System-in-Package
SOI = Silicon On Insulator technology
WDT = Watchdog Timer
About Atmel
Atmel is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of capacitive touch solutions, 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.
