Atmel and Melexis Introduce a Highly Secure Cryptographic RFID Development Kit

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) and Melexis Microelectronic
Integrated Systems N.V. (Euronext Brussels: MELE) announced today
their innovative development kit, Yuma+, for contactless, highly
secure RFID transactions. The Yuma+ solution is based on Atmel's
secure CryptoRF(R) chips, with 64-bit embedded cryptographic engines.
Atmel's AVR(R) microcontroller and the Melexis MLX90121 reader IC.

With the Yuma+ kit, developers of secure RFID systems no longer
need an in-depth understanding of the complex details of cryptography
in order to deploy secure host-client RFID systems that depend on
mutual authentication and data encryption. Yuma+ also eliminates the
need to dive deeply into the details of the ISO14443B RFID standard,
providing a fully turnkey reader and tag solution. Developers of
secure RFID systems can now spend less time worrying about the
intricacies of security and RFID and focus instead on fast deployment
of their secure contactless applications.

Yuma+ includes a module board and an interface board. The module
board which contains an AVR ATMega168 microcontroller, an MLX90121
RFID transceiver chip, and simple SPI connectivity is internally
matched to connect to any 50 Ohm antenna for seamless incorporation
into any system. The interface board connects to a PC through USB to
provide an evaluation platform for the module. Yuma+ also comes with
an assortment of CryptoRF tags, software CD with schematics, board
layout files and a binary image of the firmware for quick and easy
integration.

"Atmel and Melexis are collaborating on today's applications and
actual market needs," said Gilles Cerede, product marketing manager
for Melexis. "CryptoRF, now available in a variety of shapes and
sizes of robust tags, is the best solution for high security at a low
cost compared to contactless microcontrollers. For Melexis, CryptoRF
is a great complement and at the right price."

"Yuma+ offers customers an attractive alternative to current
market solutions," stated Jean-Pierre Benhammou, business development
manager for Atmel. "Thanks to their extensive RF experience and their
proven design capability in the contactless reader area, Melexis has
been able to design the best reader solution for our CryptoRF chip."

Availability and Pricing

CryptoRF devices, ATMega168 microcontroller and Yuma+
(AT88SCRF-ADK1) development kits are now available through Atmel's
normal sales channel. MLX90121 is available through the Melexis sales
channel. The Yuma+ kit sells for US$99.95.

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.

About Melexis

Melexis Microelectronic Integrated Systems N.V. (Euronext
Brussels: MELE) is a mixed signal semiconductor manufacturer. Our
core experience supplying ICs for automotive electronics sustains the
expansion into Application Specific Standard Products for industrial
and consumer product applications. Melexis' enthusiastically pursues
its role as a component supplier whose innovations, while physically
small, are the essential element in nearly every one of our
customers' extraordinary systems. At Melexis we believe that "Small
things make a big difference". Melexis' products include sensor,
communication, actuator ICs and Application Specific Integrated
Circuits (ASICs).

(C) 2008 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), logo
and combinations thereof, AVR (R), CryptoRF(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:

MLX90121 product information may be retrieved on the Melexis web
site at:
http://www.melexis.com/Wireless_ICs/RFID_Transceivers_1356MHz/
MLX90121_78.aspx

Atmel's CryptoRF(R) product information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/products/SecureRF/

Atmel Press Contacts:
Sharon Harnisch, Marketing Communications manager
Tel: +1-719-540-1723, Email: Sharon.Harnisch@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
Tel: +1-408-487-2963, Email: Helen.Perlegos@atmel.com
Melexis Press Contacts :
Rick Moens Marketing Communications Specialist
Tel: +32-13-67-07-95, E-mail: rmo@melexis.com
Peter Riendeau Marketing Communications Manager
Tel: +1-603-223-2362, Email: pre@melexis.com

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

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

Contact:
Sharon Harnisch, Marketing Communications manager, +1-719-540-1723,
Sharon.Harnisch@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos, Public Relations,
+1-408-487-2963, Helen.Perlegos@atmel.com, both of Atmel Corporation;
or Rick Moens, Marketing Communications Specialist, +32-13-67-07-95,
rmo@melexis.com, or Peter Riendeau, Marketing Communications Manager,
+1-603-223-2362, pre@melexis.com, both of Melexis