Atmel Introduces an AVR USB 2.4GHz Wireless Reference Design for Battery-Based PC Peripherals

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), announced today the
AVRUSBRF01 reference design for development with AVR(R)
microcontrollers in the un-licensed 2.4 GHz ISM band and connection
to PCs with USB.

USB is the standard interface for connecting PC peripherals but
wireless is becoming increasingly popular for peripherals like mice,
keyboards, audio headsets or personal portable devices. Many desktops
now offer WLAN and Bluetooth is on most laptops. Both wireless
standards come with a power consumption which is not compatible with
devices operating from simple batteries for several months or years.
Existing transceivers operating in the 2.4GHz ISM band can achieve
low power consumption with short range transfer speeds exceeding
1Mbit/s and rely on lightweight ad-hoc protocols.

The AVRUSBRF01 enables the PC-Wireless connectivity using AVR USB
microcontrollers. Designers can then develop battery-based, wireless
peripheral applications using Atmel's 1.8V picoPower(TM) AVR
microcontrollers that feature industry-best low power consumption. By
using the same architecture and development platform for a complete
project, designers can concentrate on end-product optimization and
get to the market faster.

Atmel's picoPower AVR features in-system programmable Flash and
true EEPROM with the largest choice of package and memory ranges.
This gives the best flexibility to meet with changing requirements
and to develop a range of products based on the same architecture.

The AVRUSBRF01 is based on the Atmel AT90USB162 microcontroller,
which allows connection to a PC through the USB. This kit can be
programmed through the USB in half a second and implement various
standard USB device classes for input devices (Human Interface
Device), generic HID I/O, communication (Communication Device Class),
etc. The AVR USB can also support composite device classes, combining
for instance and HID interface for remote control and an Audio
interface for audio streaming. It offers 16 Kbyte of Flash for USB
and RF protocol as well as on-chip EEPROM for pairing with wireless
devices. AT90USB82 is a pin to pin compatible 8 Kbyte variant of
AT90USB162, which can be used for application requiring less than 16
Kbyte. Conversely, the AVR USB family also offers Flash sizes up to
128 Kbyte for the most demanding applications.

The kit contains two identical AVR USB RF modules and can connect
to two different USB ports to establish wireless communication and
evaluate the solution. They can also communicate with wireless
peripherals derived from this reference design. To help with
evaluation and development, the modules include two push buttons for
hardware reset, in-system programming and extra functions, two LEDs
for monitoring activity and a 6-pin header to connect development
tools or other peripheral functions. The PCB size is only 3.8x1.6 cm,
which is small enough to be used without change for many
applications. If necessary, size can be further reduced by removing
the extra features provided for evaluation and development.

"The nRF24L01 RF transceiver we have selected for the AVRUSBRF01
can directly connect to our AVR microcontrollers and provide
ready-to-use solutions for consumer applications," said
Jean-Christophe Lawson, Atmel Product Marketing Manager.

"Our nRF24L01 transceiver is going very well with Atmel AVR
microcontrollers," said Thomas Embla Bonnerud, Nordic Semiconductor's
Product Manager for Standard Components. "We are very happy with the
speed and power consumption they can achieve," he continued.

Availability and Pricing

The AVR USB 2.4GHz RF transceiver kit is available from Atmel's
franchised distributors at a suggested retail price of US$69. The
order code is ATAVRUSBRF01. All documentation and software updates
are provided on Atmel's web site.

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.

(C) 2008 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), logo
and combinations thereof, AVR(R), and others, are registered
trademarks, picoPower(TM) and others are trademarks of Atmel
Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be
trademarks of others.

Information:

Atmel's AVRUSBRF01 information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/AVRUSBRF01.

Press Contacts:
Philippe Faure, Marketing Communications Director - Microcontrollers
Tel: +33-2-40-18-18-87, Email: philippe.faure@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
Tel: +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:
Philippe Faure, Marketing Communications Director - Microcontrollers,
+33-2-40-18-18-87, philippe.faure@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos,
Public Relations, +1-408-487-2963, hperlegos@atmel.com, both of Atmel
Corporation