26.02.2007 – 14:14

Atmel Corporation

Atmel Launches RF Chipset with Industry's Highest Integration Level for 5.8 GHz Cordless Phone Applications

Heilbronn, Germany (ots/PRNewswire)

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a global leader in the
development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions,
announced today the availability of a new RF chipset combining the
ATR2820 SiGe transceiver IC and the ATR7040 high-gain power amplifier
(PA), providing the industry's highest integration level for cordless
telephone applications in the 5.8 GHz frequency band.

The ATR2820 fully-integrated one-chip 5.8 GHz transceiver ATR2820
has been designed using Atmel's advanced SiGe BICMOS process and
combines low power consumption and high frequency. The new device
contains a fully-integrated low-IF receiver, VCO, PLL, and a transmit
output with 3 dBm output power. It is extremely flexible and can be
programmed via a 3-wire serial bus to integrate with any cordless
telephone baseband available on the market as well as standard
microcontrollers for gaming and other consumer applications. The
ATR2820's high data-rate capability (1.152 Mbit/s) allows the support
of up to six handsets, using the standard DECT protocol via the same
base station, or more than six game pads with a game controller.

The ATR7040 power amplifier boosts the power to the optimum of 25
dBm with a supply voltage of 3.6V. Taking into consideration the lack
of an antenna filter and the transmit/receive switch of 2 dB, the
coverage distance is about 1600 ft (typically, in free space). The
output power can be increased by applying a higher supply voltage.

The new chipset provides excellent technical performance at the
lowest manufacturing cost, two key issues in the consumer electronics
market. The extremely low current consumption (the average RF module
consumes 26.5 mA with one voice link active) allows cordless phone
manufacturers to save cost by using smaller capacity batteries. Also,
the bill of materials, and thus system costs, are low because very
few external components are needed to complete a cordless phone
design. The new RF chipset is very production friendly -- no software
or mechanical tuning is needed. Simple ISM applications using the
ATR2820 as a stand-alone device can be realized on a small 2-layer
printed circuit board.

Pricing and Availability

Samples of the ATR2820 in QFN32 (5 x 5 mm) and the ATR7040 PA in
QFN16  (3 x 3 mm) packages are available now with pricing starting at
US $5.70 for  10k piece quantities.

Footnote
    IF = Intermediate Frequency
    PA = Power Amplifier
    PLL = Phase-Locked Loop
    SiGe = Silicon Germanium Technology
    VCO = Voltage-Controlled Oscillator

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) 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 SiGe transceiver IC ATR2820 and the
high-gain PA ATR7040 may be retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/pr
oducts/product_card.asp?family_id=660&family_name=
Cordless+Phone+ICs&part_id=4078 (ATR2820) http://www.atmel.com/dyn/pr
oducts/product_card.asp?family_id=660&family_n
ame=Cordless+Phone+ICs&part_id=4077 (ATR7040)

    Press Contacts
    Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
     Products
     Phone: +49-7131-67-2081, Email:  susanne.van-clewe@hno.atmel.com
    Helen Perlegos, Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific
     Phone: +1-408-487-2963, Email:  hperlegos@atmel.com
    Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe
     Phone: +33-1-30-60-70-68, Fax: +49-7131-67-2423, Email:
      veronique.sablereau@atmel.com

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

Contact:

Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
Products, +49-7131-67-2081, or susanne.van-clewe@hno.atmel.com, or
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific,
+1-408-487-2963, or hperlegos@atmel.com, or Veronique Sablereau,
Corporate Communications Manager - Europe, +33-1-30-60-70-68, or fax,
+49-7131-67-2423, or
veronique.sablereau@atmel.com, all for Atmel