Atmel and Wavesat Collaborate to Offer WiMAX Mini-PCI Reference Design to Volume Customers

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Low IF 802.16-2004 Transceiver Cuts BOM to Under US$100

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today a
collaboration with Wavesat to offer a WiMAX mini-PCI reference
design, that provides the industry's lowest cost WiMAX-compliant
customer premise equipment (CPE). Developed to provide OEMs with a
quickly deployable WiMAX end-product, the reference design will
include Atmel's MAX-Link(TM) AT86RF535A 3.5 GHz WiMAX-specific
transceiver, Wavesat's DM256 baseband, interfaces, all external
filters and components and software in a mini-PCI module. With an
expected BOM of under US$100, this design is projected to save OEMs
25% in cost compared to competing WiMAX CPE solutions and will be
available in July.

The low bill of materials (BOM) cost of the reference design is
largely attributable to Atmel's AT86RF535A MAX-Link low IF
transceiver. The MAX-Link transceiver achieves -34 dBm of TX-EVM,
including Balun, exceeding the requirement for WiMAX certification,
and has fewer external components than conventional, off-the-shelf
802.16 radios. It includes a bandwidth-programmable integrated
channel filter for receive and transmit, complete integrated
synthesizer, digital gain setting for the receive path with 96 dB
gain range, digital transmit power control with more than 50 dB
control range, integrated image rejection and LO leakage digital
control settings and detectors. It does not require any external SAW
filters.

Unlike dual conversion radios, the AT86RF535A does not require
offset cancellation circuitry, a high resolution controlled TCVCXCO,
or a high-resolution synthesizer. It requires only 10 us to switch
between TX and RX modes -- a significant savings over the 100us
typically required by dual conversion radios. An integrated on-chip
programmable synthesizer provides frequency resolution up to the
required -30 dB subcarrier certification limit. The 10us settling
time supports RX/TX frequency switching in hybrid frequency division
duplexing (HFDD) systems.

The AT86RF535A's supply current is 200 mA in receive mode and 320
mA in transmit mode at -5 dBm including Balun. This comparatively low
power consumption reduces the average power requirement of the
mini-PCI by more than 30% to just 3.2W.

The high level of integration of the AT86RF535A, combined with its
low IF architecture, result in a miniPCI WiMAX end-product that has
20% fewer components and US$30 less cost in the BOM than any
currently-available reference design.

The mini-PCI board with Atmel RF will be included in Wavesat(R)
WiMAX reference kits. Kits will include a complete WiMAX system,
software license with full maintenance contract, and reference design
including BOM and Gerber files.

Atmel's AT86RF535A MAX-Link radio is available now in an 8x8 mm
56-lead QFN package and is priced at US$18 in quantities of 10k.
Atmel is developing additional MAX-Link radios to be introduced in
2006 and 2007 that will cover the full range of WiMAX frequency
profiles. Evaluation kits for the AT86RF535A MAX-Link transceiver are
available from Atmel for US$2500.

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).

Atmel is a Principal member of the WiMAX Forum.

About WiMAX.

WiMAX is a standards-based technology based on IEEE802.16. One of
the primary applications of this technology is enabling the delivery
of "last mile" wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable
and DSL. WiMAX will provide fixed nomadic, portable and, eventually,
mobile wireless broadband connectivity without the need for direct
line-of-sight with a base station. In a typical cell radius
deployment of three to ten kilometers, WiMAX Forum Certified(TM)
systems can be expected to deliver capacity of up to 40 Mbps per
channel, for fixed and portable access applications. This is enough
bandwidth to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses with T-1
speed connectivity and thousands of residences with DSL speed
connectivity. Mobile network deployments are expected to provide up
to 15 Mbps of capacity within a typical cell radius deployment of up
to three kilometers. It is expected that WiMAX technology will be
incorporated in notebook computers and PDAs by 2007, allowing for
urban areas and cities to become "metro zones" for portable outdoor
broadband wireless access.

About Wavesat

Founded in 1993, Wavesat Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company
focused on the development and supply of baseband chips for WiMAX
compliant systems. Wavesat is headquartered in Montreal, Canada where
it conducts research and development activities. Wavesat is a
privately held company. Key investors include BDC Venture Capital,
Monet Capital, Lothian Partners, Multiple Capital, Pac-Link
Management Corp., Skypoint Capital Corporation, Solidarity Fund QFL
and Sunsino Ventures Group. Wavesat is a Principal member of the
WiMAX Forum(TM).

Wavesat received the first WiMAX Forum Certification for a CPE
Design. Wavesat was awarded the 2005 Frost&Sullivan Technology
Leadership Award and 2005 InfoVision Award for its unique
Evolutive(TM) WiMAX Series.

About the WiMAX Forum

The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, non-profit corporation formed
to promote and certify the compatibility and interoperability of
broadband wireless products using the IEEE(R) 802.16 and ETSI
HiperMAN wireless MAN specifications. The forum's goal is to
accelerate the introduction of these devices into the marketplace.
WiMAX Forum Certified(TM) products will be fully interoperable and
support Metropolitan Broadband Fixed, Portable and Mobile
Applications. For more information about the WiMAX Forum and its
activities, please visit www.WiMAXForum.org.

NOTE: Atmel(R), logo and combinations thereof, Everywhere You
Are(R) and others are registered trademarks, Max-Link(TM), and others
are trademarks of Atmel Corporation. Other terms and product names
may be the trademarks of others.

Information:

Atmel's WiMAX product information may be retrieved at
http://www.atmel.com/products/wimax/

Additional information may be obtained at: wimax@atmel.com.

Atmel Press Contacts:
Vicki McCann, Director Marketing Communications - USA
Phone: +1-719-540-1724, Email: vmccann@cso.atmel.com
Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe,
Phone: +33-1-30-60-70-68, Email: veronique.sablereau@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific Rim,
Phone: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com

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

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

Contact:
Vicki McCann, Director Marketing Communications - USA,
+1-719-540-1724, or vmccann@cso.atmel.com, or Veronique Sablereau,
Corporate Communications Manager - Europe, +33-1-30-60-70-68, or
veronique.sablereau@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos, Public Relations -
USA and Asia Pacific Rim, +1-408-487-2963, or hperlegos@atmel.com