Atmel Launches Highly-Integrated MotorDriver IC for Smaller Designs With Improved EMC Performance

Heilbronn, Germany (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Industry's First Wiper IC for Dual Front Wiper Systems Without
Mechanical Link

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a global leader in the
development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions,
announced today the availability of its highly-integrated ATA6026
motor driver IC, the first member of a new, upcoming motor driver
family. The ATA6026 is designed using Atmel's high-voltage BCDMOS
process and is ideal for applications in harsh environments. Due to
an optimized communication interface, the IC is well suited for
high-volume DC motor applications such as windshield wiper systems,
door locks, or seat position adjusters. It is used to drive
continuous-current motors in full H-bridge configurations, and
supports PWM and direction-controlled driving of four power MOSFETs.

The ATA6026 includes a differential SCI transceiver to reduce
radiation emission for improved EMC performance which is very
important since the device is usually located close to the car radio.
In a dual front wiper system, one ATA6026 motor driver is used for
the left wiper and a second for the right wiper. Since the SCI
interface handles the synchronization between the left and right
wiper, no mechanical link between the wipers is necessary as with
conventional wiper systems, achieving considerable noise reduction
and less space consumption. The SCI transceiver is a differential
device which can also operate in single-ended mode for systems with
only one wiper. The SCI functionality makes the ATA6026 very similar
to LIN devices; compared to standard LIN interfaces, however, a
faster data transfer of up to 100 Kbaud is possible.

The gate driver IC is highly integrated and includes a 5V/100 mA
voltage regulator plus a window watchdog resulting in fewer external
components for smaller designs requiring less PCB area -- a critical
issue with automotive applications. The motion control is carried out
by the IC so this function does not need additional memory in the
microcontroller. Due to the monolithic integration of the voltage
regulator, motion control, and the watchdog in one small QFN32
package, overall system costs can be reduced while maintaining the
flexibility of the output stages for plug-and-play use in almost any
kind of motor driver application without needing adaptation.

The low-power and low-drop on-chip regulator is used for both the
internal and external voltage supply. An external transistor helps to
reduce power dissipation. When inactive, the device's sleep mode
guarantees a low quiescent current of typically 35 microamps. The
fully integrated charge pump supplies the gates of the external power
MOSFETs of the high-side drivers in case of a permanent ON state
(100% PWM, the bootstrap function is not available). In addition, the
gate of the external power NMOS used for reverse battery protection
is supplied by the charge pump output.

"With this new motor driver it is now possible to create dual
wiper systems without mechanical linkage between the windshield
wipers. More space in the motor compartment and reduced mechanical
noises are the obvious benefits of this solution," said Hartmut
Fischer, Director of Business Center Automotive at Atmel.

The ATA6026 provides several protective features such as
over-temperature shutdown, overload, overvoltage and undervoltage
protection, as well as full protection against short circuits. The
device also meets strict automotive qualification demands (protection
against conducted interference, EMC and ESD protection) and can
withstand transients as specified in ISO/TR 7637/1.

Samples of the ATA6026 gate driver IC are available now in Pb-free
QFN32 packages with pricing starting at US $1.99 for 10k piece
quantities. Additional family members, including devices for
high-temperature applications of up to 150 degree Celsius ambient
temperatures, will be introduced in Q3 2006.

Footnote
BCDMOS = Mixed-signal technology with Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS components
EMC = Electro-Magnetic-Compatibility
ESD = Electronic Static Discharge
LIN = Local Interconnect Network
MOSFET = Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor
NMOS = N-Channel Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
PCB = Printed Circuit Board
PWM = Pulse Width Modulation
QFN = Quad Flat No-lead package
SCI = Serial Communication Interface

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 new motor-driver ATA6026 may be
retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?fami
ly_id=606&family_name= Automotive+Control&part_id=3865

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

ots Originaltext: Atmel Corporation
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

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 of Atmel
Corporation