Atmel Announces WiMAX Transceiver With Low RF Cost

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

- MAX-Link Solution Uses Impressive Integration Techniques to
Support WiMAX Applications

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the second of
its MAX-Link(TM) series of transceivers designed specifically for
WiMAX applications. Along with enhanced WiMAX system functionality,
the AT86RF535B enables one of the lowest component costs of any RF
reference design on the market today. This frequency-agile,
single-chip transceiver operates at 3.5 GHz with multiple bandwidth
options addressing the requirements of WiMAX base stations and
subscriber equipment. Internal configuration and control registers
can be programmed to integrate with new and existing baseband devices
from different vendors. All of the MAX-Link transceivers provide
excellent RF performance with low current consumption, low cost, and
only a minimum of external components for the RF design.

On-chip integration techniques combine a low-noise amplifier,
power amplifier driver, receive/transmit mixer, receive/transmit
filters, voltage-controlled oscillator, synthesizer, receive gain
control, and transmit power control all completely digitally
controlled. The fully differential design of the transceiver can be
configured for either low-IF or zero-IF applications and requires no
external filters. The RF reference design incorporates power
efficiency circuitry and antenna diversity all in a footprint of 40
mm x 35 mm on a 4-layer PCB with components on one side only.

The AT86RF535B uses a proprietary internal calibration algorithm
decreasing product cost and improving manufacturability. The
calibration routine is performed between transmit and receive data
frames, totally independent from the baseband and MAC processor, to
optimize the image and local oscillator (LO) leakage performance
characteristics.

The fractional-N synthesizer in the AT86RF535B utilizes a unique
phase interpolation divider (PID) rather than the more conventional
modulus divider architecture. The PID allows for very good frequency
resolution and fast tuning speed. The calibrated VCO can be tuned in
less than 10 us to support 100 MHz HFDD operations. The synthesizer
has the speed and power advantages of an asynchronous divider and is
fully programmable within the frequency range of the radio.

Atmel has been working with HULU, a leading OEM/ODM of WiMAX
mass-market subscriber units. HULU has included Atmel's transceiver
in its interoperability studies with great success.

"HULU has chosen the Atmel transceiver due to several technical
reasons," said Maurizio Hublitz, CTO, HULU AB. "The AT86RF535B has
the lowest power consumption on the market. This is very important to
us as we are developing nomadic OFDM equipment. The Atmel device is
technologically sound. We have tested the complete radio in the
smallest form-factor using several different base stations and we are
very pleased with its performance and cost effectiveness."

Vice President and General Manager of Atmel's RF and automotive
business unit, Bob McConnell, commented, "Atmel's proprietary SiGe
BiCMOS process technology provides our designers with the capability
to build a better WiMAX radio. You can see the results in the 535."

Availability and Pricing

The AT86RF535B is available now. Pricing starts at US$14.95 in
quantities of 10K. Modules incorporating the AT86RF535B transceiver,
baseband, and MAC are included in the roadmap. For more information
please send your request to: wimax@atmel.com.

Footnote:
HFDD = Hybrid Frequency Division Duplexing
OFDM = Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
IF = Intermediate Frequency
MAC = Media Access Control
Rx = Receive
Tx = Transmit
VCO = Voltage Control Oscillator

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).

About Hulu AB

Founded in 2004, HULU is a world leader in the supply of WiMAX
mass-market products for desktop, workstation and notebook PCs;
digital televisions and VoIP phones. A pioneer, innovator and market
leader in the WiMAX industry, HULU is built upon the strength of its
people, products and technology excellence. HULU's appointed customer
focus is ability to identify and capitalize on key inflection points
where new technologies and markets converge.

(C) 2007 Atmel Corporation. All rights reserved. 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 AT86RF535B product information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/products/wimax/

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 fax,
+49-71-31-67-24-23, or veronique.sablereau@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 fax,
+ 49-71-31-67-24-23, or veronique.sablereau@atmel.com