Atmel single- and dual-LIN transceivers offer smaller packaging and wettable flanks to enable overall lower system cost

HEILBRONN, Germany, Sept. 7, 2011 — (PRNewswire) — Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch solutions, today announced the availability of two stand-alone LIN (local interconnect network) transceiver ICs in DFN packages. Compared to standard SO8 packages at 5mm x 6.5mm, the DFN14 package for the ATA6670 measures at 3mm x 4.5mm, while the DFN8 package for the ATA6663 measures at 3mm x 3mm, saving about 75 percent of the overall PCB area. Space and cost savings are critical for LIN bus networking applications such as automotive body electronic systems, including door modules, seat control, intelligent sensors or powertrain applications. Since both DFN packages are pin-compatible, customers can use either the single- or the dual-LIN transceiver on the same PCB design without any changes.

Atmel is the industry's first company to provide LIN DFN packages with wettable flanks that make solder joints visible. This feature enables the use of automated optical inspection (AOI) tools during final quality tests at the system manufacturers' production line, which eliminates the need for X-ray inspections to therefore avoid cost-intensive tool investments. In addition, the wettable flanks enable improved soldering performance for temperature cycling.

Similar to all Atmel LIN family members, the new LIN devices are manufactured using Atmel's high-voltage BCD-on-SOI process, also known as SMART-I.S.™ technology, which is optimized for operations up to 40V for applications in harsh automotive environments. The results of manufacturing on the SMART-I.S. technology is industry-leading EMC robustness (EMC test and conformance test LIN2.1, Europe, and SAE J2602-2, US), and excellent ESD protection (exceeding 6kV).

Availability and Pricing

Samples of the ATA6670 and the ATA6663 are available now. Pricing starts at USD $0.45 (ATA6663) and USD $0.90 (ATA6670) for 10,000-piece quantities. To simplify and speed-up design-ins, evaluation kits are available for both devices starting at USD $50.00.

About Atmel

Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, 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 industrial, consumer, communications, computing and automotive markets.

© 2011 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel®, Atmel logo and combinations thereof, and others are registered trademarks, SMART-I.S.™ and others are trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

Information:

More information on the Atmel LIN transceivers ATA6663 and ATA6670 is available at:

http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4752&category_id=154&family_id=696&subfamily_id=2263 (ATA6663)

http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=17352&category_id=154&family_id=696&subfamily_id=2263 (ATA6670)

Press Contacts:
Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Director Automotive
Phone: +49 7131 67-2081, Email: susanne.van-clewe@atmel.com
Agnes Toan, Public Relations Manager
Tel: (+1) (408) 487-2963, Email: Email Contact

SOURCE Atmel Corporation

Contact:

Atmel Corporation Web: http://www.atmel.com