Atmel Reduces Total System Cost by Integrating LCD Controller into Popular AVR XMEGA Family

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch solutions, today announced it is adding an LCD controller to devices in the popular AVR® XMEGA® microcontroller (MCU) family. The integration of an LCD controller offers designers reduced design complexity and lower overall system cost, while providing ultra-low power consumption for applications including smart meters, home automation, power tools and other applications that require a user interface.

The integrated LCD controller in the AVR XMEGA family reduces the overall design complexity by integrating all the features required to run a segment in an LCD display. The devices also include an innovative SWAP mode that enables internal re-routing of the LCD signals and makes PCB design easier and less complex for developers. These AVR XMEGA microcontrollers utilize Atmel picoPower® technology, resulting in ultra-low power consumption. The new devices use less than a third of the current compared to existing megaAVR® LCD controllers, requiring only 3µA to run the LCD display in sleep mode. The integrated LCD controller supports up to 4x40 and 4x25 segments on the 100-pin and 64-pin AVR XMEGA microcontrollers, respectively. For designs that do not require all the LCD segments, up to 16 segment pins can be used as general-purpose I/O pins.

"Integration and lower system cost are key differentiators for MCU designers in a variety of applications," said Ingar Fredriksen, sr. director of AVR products, Atmel Corporation. "The new features in the latest AVR XMEGA devices address these needs by including an LCD controller and USB to offer designers a higher level of integration and reduced complexity, resulting in overall lower system cost. Several of the new devices also include two 12-bit analog-to-digital converters that can be synchronized, making the devices ideal for electricity metering and other high-precision applications."

The new AVR XMEGA family with integrated LCD and USB capabilities include all the same features of the existing AVR XMEGA family including high-precision 12-bit analog, real-time performance, and Atmel-patented ultra-low picoPower technology. The AVR XMEGA devices are also designed to enable a simple and intuitive migration between devices with identical peripheral modules and a linear address map. For more information about the AVR XMEGA family with integrated LCD, please visit: http://www.atmel.com/microsite/xmega_lcd.

Atmel AVR XMEGA Family

The Atmel AVR XMEGA family is the only 8/16-bit MCU in the market with DMA Controller and Event System. Peripherals and communication modules can utilize the DMA system to move data so the AVR XMEGA CPU has more idle time to save power or to perform other tasks. The innovative event system enables direct inter-peripheral signaling for short and 100% predictable response time without interrupt and CPU usage. Designers can now develop a solution with predictable real-time performance and data throughput even under a high system load. Other functions such as hardware AES and DES encryption and decryption ensure fast and low-power secure communication. Cryptography protects important intellectual software property during remote programming and firmware distribution. Atmel AVR XMEGA can also easily realize robust touch-sensing interfaces through the Atmel QTouch®  Library, enabling capacitive buttons, sliders, and wheels for user interfaces. For more information, visit www.atmel.com/xmega.

Pricing and Availability

The new Atmel AVR XMEGA devices with an integrated LCD controller and USB are available in production quantities in 64- and 100-pin TQFP packages. Pricing for 10,000-piece quantities follow:

• ATxmega64B1 - $2.90 USD
• ATxmega128B1 - $3.10 USD
• ATxmega64B3 - $2.70 USD
• ATxmega128B3 - $2.90 USD

The XMEGA-B1 Xplained evaluation kit is also available for USD $29. The XMEGA-B1 Xplained kit is a complete reference design demonstrating the LCD, USB and the ultra-low power consumption of the AVR XMEGA B devices. The kit comes pre-loaded with software, is fully supported by Atmel AVR Software Framework and Atmel AVR Studio, and is easily reprogrammable with no additional tools. To purchase an evaluation kit, please go to the Atmel Store at http://store.atmel.com.

About Atmel

Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, 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 industrial, consumer, communications, computing and automotive markets.

©2011 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel®, Atmel logo and combinations thereof, AVR®, XMEGA®, QTouch®, picoPower® and others are registered trademarks or trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

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SOURCE Atmel Corporation