Atmel Announces the Availability of an All-Format DVD-SoC for Next Generation of Blue Laser-Based Optical Storage at CeBIT

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

- The Industry's Most Integrated and Powerful Single Chip DVD
Device Enables DVD Manufacturers to Develop Smaller, More Innovative
Systems to Support Emerging Consumer Trends

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a global leader in the
development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions,
announced today its AT78C4050 "All-Format DVD" System-on-Chip
(AFDVD(TM) SoC), the industry's highest level, integrated optical
system based on 0.13 micron technology. The AT78C4050 is capable of
supporting both blue and red laser technologies including all
DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW and the next- generation
HD-DVD and Blue-ray Disc(R) DVD formats.

This new SoC for an "All-Format DVD" is designed for consumer
electronics as well as the PC market and is the first DVD front end
device that integrates PRML data channel, DVD ECC, CD CIRC C3, buffer
management, DVD CD 1.7PP, EFM+, EFM Endec, and ATAPI interface logic
on a single chip. The AT78C4050 integrates all necessary components
for a DVD and CD re-writable drive as well as a DVD recorder.

Atmel's AT78C4050 AFDVD SoC is backward compatible with every
format that uses a red laser and can achieve DVD read and write
speeds of up to 16x and CD-ROM disc read and write speeds of up to
54x. The AT78C4050 for blue laser DVDs can implement speeds of up to
8x making it an ideal system-on-chip for use in the next generation
of DVD products including both HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats which use
the blue laser-based technology.

Atmel offers complete development platforms for blue and red laser
OPUs (Optical Pick-Up Units), enabling customers to start system
development with their own preferred OPU hardware. Development
platforms include the Atmel AT78C4050 and AT78C3007 Motor Driver,
Flash memory, Laser Diode Driver Integrated Circuit (LDDIC) and Photo
Detector Integrated Circuit (PDIC). Complete reference design
platforms, including firmware and board support packages, provide a
complete tool for accelerated customer development.

"Our complete development solution enables Atmel to reduce risk,
accelerate time-to-market, and produce cost-effective solutions for
all companies involved in the development of both competing formats
of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Discs," said Max Bathaee, Atmel's Director of
Marketing for Network Storage Products. "With the new Atmel AFDVD SoC
we are able to provide VLSI solutions in technologies such as
portable recorders and digital DVD camcorders in addition to consumer
electronics and the PC market."

Atmel's optical storage design team shared its design information
at ISSCC last month to enable engineers and designers around the
world to take advantage of Atmel's breakthrough design for the next
generation of the blue laser DVD products. Atmel's AFDVD SoC is an
advanced architecture taking advantage of a Partial Response, Maximum
Likelihood (PRML) read channel which uses advanced mixed-signal and
digital signal processing (DSP), optical disc controller, servo logic
and two 32-bit embedded microprocessors offering superior
performance, scalability, integration and power efficiency for
DVD-recorder applications. And, this SoC was recently nominated as
one of the finalists for the EDN innovation product of the year.

The AT78C4050 is now available at a unit cost of US$8.00 in
quantities of 100. A hardware and firmware reference design is also
available.

The Atmel AT78C4050 is also available with an optional Serial ATA
IC, which leverages the Company's transceiver (PHY) technology. This
product provides DVD-storage OEMs the ability to develop mainstream
PC DVD storage, high-performance set-top boxes and recorder
subsystems.

Footnote
AFDVD(TM) = All Format DVD
SoC = System-on-Chip
PRML = Partial Response Maximum likelihood
ECC = Error correction code
CD = Compact Disc
DVD = Digital Versatile Disc
CIRC = Cross Interleaved Reed-Solomon Code
1.7PP = 1.7 Parity preserve/Prohibit Repeated Minimum Transition Run
length
EFM+ = Eight to Fourteen Modulation Plus
EFM = Eight to Fourteen Modulation
ATAPI = Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface
DVD-ROM = Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only Memory
DVD-R/RW = Digital Versatile Disc Minus Recordable/Re-Writable
DVD+R/RW = Digital Versatile Disc Plus Recordable/Re-Writable
CD-ROM = Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
CD-R/RW = Compact Disc Recordable/Re-Writable
HD-DVD = High Definition Digital Versatile Disc

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, AFDVD(TM) and others
are trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms
and product names may be trademarks of others.

Information:

Atmel's AT78C4050 product information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/datasheets.asp?family_id=677 .

For further information on Data Storage, go to
http://www.atmel.com/products/DataS/ .

Press Contacts:
Max Bathaee, Marketing Director
Phone: +1-408-487-2938, Email: maxb@atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific Rim,
Phone: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com
Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe
Phone: +33-1-30-60-70-68, Fax: + 49-71-31-67-24-23
Email: veronique.sablereau@atmel.com

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

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

Contact:
Max Bathaee, Marketing Director, +1-408-487-2938, or maxb@atmel.com,
or Helen Perlegos, Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific Rim,
+1-408-487-2963, or hperlegos@atmel.com, or Veronique Sablereau,
Corporate Communications Manager - Europe, +33-1-30-60-70-68, or fax,
+ 49-71-31-67-24-23, or veronique.sablereau@atmel.com, all of Atmel
Corporation