Atmel Introduces a Touch Controller for Slider and Buttons With Integrated LED Control and GPIO Functions

Southampton, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

- First of a new generation of capacitive touch sense ICs

Atmel(C) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the
AT42QT2160 -- a touch controller IC combining touch key and touch
slider functions in a single device. The AT42QT2160 can control up to
16 individual touch keys with a slider comprising between 2 and 8 of
the touch key channels. In addition, the chip can also control up to
11 LEDs through a PWM output function that is controlled by the host,
eliminating the need for an external LED controller.

With this combination of functions, this device is ideal for use
as a multimedia HMI controller in mobile phones and consumer
applications, such as personal media players, where it saves space,
minimizes design time and allows the designer creative flexibility in
laying out control keys. With its wide voltage range (1.8V to 5.5V
DC) and low power requirements, it is well suited for other
battery-driven applications, such as digital still cameras, PDA's or
handheld gaming devices.

The AT42QT2160 uses Quantum Research Group's (acquired by Atmel
in March 2008) patented charge-transfer technology. This provides
robust and reliable performance, high immunity to EMI through
spread-spectrum modulation and filtering algorithms, calibration of
the device over life and user-defined sensitivity thresholds for
individual keys. An additional patented function, adjacent key
suppression (AKS), intelligently suppresses signals present from
nearby keys so that only intended keys register a touch.

The AT42QT2160 has 3 GPIOs with PWM capability and a further 8
shared ports that provide additional standard outputs for the host
without adding cost or using an extra I/O expansion device with PWM
capability. Host configurability is achieved via a 2-wire interface
(I(2)C compatible). To save system power, the chip provides a system
Multi-Input Wake-up (MIWU) function. This can trigger a reaction from
the host or other system components via the 2-wire interface, or
using a dedicated output pin, when pre-defined input signals levels
are reached. Touch button sensor electrodes, of arbitrary size (>6 x
6 mm) and shape, are usually formed from copper pads on the printed
circuit board or a flexible circuit. The touch surface can be made
from glass up to 3mm in thickness or plastic, up to 2.5mm thick.

Peter Jones, Managing Director of Atmel's MCU Business Unit,
commented, "This is the first of many new products that we will
launch in the next year as we accelerate our R&D in touch technology
to capitalize on one of the fastest growing embedded applications. We
expect to see up to 60 models of mobile phones adopting our
technology over the next 12 months and the increasing use of touch
controls in everything from laptop PCs to consumer electronics. It's
a very exciting time to be in this business."

The AT42QT2160 is the latest addition to Atmel's comprehensive
range of capacitive touch controllers based on Quantum Research
Group's charge-transfer technology. These include QTouch(TM)
controllers for single and multiple touch buttons, touch sliders and
touch wheels, together with QMatrix(TM) devices for higher density
matrix key panels.

Availability and Pricing

Samples of the AT42QT2160 IC are available now in a 28-pin, 4 x
4mm QFN package. Pricing for the part is US$0.98 each for quantities
of 100ku per year. A demonstration board for development support is
also available.

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.

With its new touch technology division, formerly known as Quantum
Research Group, the company now offers dedicated touch sense
controllers addressing applications in the mobile communication and
entertainment markets as well as in PC, appliances and automotive
applications.

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

Information:

Atmel's AT42QT2160 product information may be retrieved at
http://www.qprox.com.

Press Contacts:
Stephan Thaler, Marketing Director - Touch Technology Division
Tel: +44-23-8056-5604, Email: stephan.thaler@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
Tel: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com
Robert Huntley, Publitek (PR agency)
Tel: +44-1225-470000, Email: robert.huntley@publitek.com
Web site: http://www.atmel.com
http://www.qprox.com

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

Contact:
Stephan Thaler, Marketing Director - Touch Technology Division,
+44-23-8056-5604, stephan.thaler@atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos, Public
Relations, +1-408-487-2963, hperlegos@atmel.com, both of Atmel
Corporation; or Robert Huntley of Publitek, +44-1225-470000,
robert.huntley@publitek.com, for Atmel Corporation