Atmel Announces the Only WiMAX Transceiver with Internal Calibration

San Jose, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Transparent Internal Calibration Improves Performance without
Disrupting Operation and Cuts Cost by Eliminating the Need for
External Calibration Circuitry or Calibration Software

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) announced today the third of
its MAX-Link(TM) series of transceivers designed specifically for
WiMAX applications. AT86RF525B and its predecessor, the AT86RF535B,
use a proprietary internal calibration algorithm eliminating the
need for an external calibration circuit or calibration software.
The MAX-Link(TM) transceivers are the only WiMAX specific
transceivers on the market today with internal calibration. Initial
startup calibration captures mismatch effects resulting in lower
local oscillator leakage and improved image rejection. Changes in
temperature, supply voltage, or frequency during operation will
cause RF performance degradation and necessitates recalibration. The
calibration routine is continuously performed between transmit and
receive data frames, totally independent from the baseband and media
access control (MAC) processor, to optimize the image rejection and
LO leakage performance characteristics.

Along with enhanced WiMAX system functionality, the AT86RF525B
enables one of the lowest component costs of any RF reference design
on the market today. This frequency-agile, single-chip transceiver
operates at 2.5GHz 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 a power
amplifier including antenna diversity in a footprint of 40 mm x 35 mm
on a 4-layer PCB with components on only one side.

The fractional-N synthesizer in the AT86RF525B 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 voltage control
oscillator (VCO) can be tuned in less than 10 us to support 100 MHz
hybrid frequency division duplexing (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.

Availability and Pricing

The AT86RF525B is available now. Pricing starts at US$14.50 in
quantities of 10K. For more information please send your request to:
wimax@atmel.com.

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) 2007 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), logo
and combinations thereof, and Max-Link, are registered trademarks, or
trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and
product names may be trademarks of others.

Information

Atmel's AT86RF525B product information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/products/wimax/

Press Contacts
Vicki McCann, Director Marketing Communications - USA
Phone: +1-719-540-1724, Email: vmccann@cso.atmel.com
Helen Perlegos, Public Relations Phone: +1-408-487-2963, Email:
hperlegos@atmel.com

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

ots Originaltext: Atmel Corporation
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Contact:
Vicki McCann, Director Marketing Communications - USA,
+1-719-540-1724, vmccann@cso.atmel.com, or Helen Perlegos, Public
Relations, +1-408-487-2963, hperlegos@atmel.com, both of Atmel
Corporation