System Basis Chip features silent mode operation.
Press Release Summary:
Designed with high-voltage BCDMOS process, Model ATA6621 integrates 5 V voltage regulator and watchdog, and is optimized for operation up to 40 V for applications in harsh environments. Unit features low quiescent current consumption of 10 µA in standby mode. To minimize EMC problems, chip incorporates controlled slew rate complying with LIN 2.0 specification. To meet 42 V power net requirements, bus output can tolerate short circuits up to 60 V.
Original Press Release:
Atmel Expands LIN Portfolio With New LIN2.0 System Basis Chip Featuring Silent Mode Operation
HEILBRONN, Germany, Jan. 23 - Atmel(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:ATML), a global leader in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced today the availability of its ATA6621 LIN system basis chip (SBC) which complies with the new LIN2.0 standard. Compared to stand-alone LIN transceivers, system basis chips such as the ATA6621 are highly integrated and include a voltage regulator plus a watchdog. The new SBC device is designed with Atmel's high-voltage BCDMOS process and is optimized for operation up to 40V for applications in harsh environments. This includes high-volume automotive comfort applications such as door modules, seat control or intelligent sensors, and also powertrain applications such as engine control systems.
Due to the monolithic integration of the 5V voltage regulator and the watchdog, system costs can be reduced by approximately 25% since the discrete components required by other solutions, not using SBC chips, are not needed. As a result, the ATA6621 also needs less board space, which makes it ideally suited for applications requiring very small footprints. Another outstanding feature of the new LIN SBC is its extremely low quiescent current consumption of typically 10 uA in standby mode. If the microcontroller is in sleep mode, a reduced voltage regulator accuracy is sufficient to scan switches or supply flashing LEDs. The additional silent mode has been implemented to achieve quiescent currents as low as 40 uA, whereas normal mode would require 50 mA.
"Today's applications are getting smaller and smaller. Sensor LIN slave nodes, for example, provide ever-decreasing PCB area. Such applications will benefit from the high integration of this new LIN system basis chip," said Torsten Mann, Atmel's Marketing Director for Automotive and Control products. "An important feature is the silent mode that our SBC chip provides. Due to the increasing number of ECUs in a vehicle and the communication via the bus systems, the overall current consumption of the ECUs needs to be kept as low as possible due to the permanent power requirements placed on the vehicle's battery."
To minimize EMC problems, the ATA6621 incorporates a controlled slew rate complying with the LIN 2.0 specification. The receiver's input filter helps to minimize RF interference caused by signals on the bus line. To meet the 42V power net requirements, the bus output can tolerate short circuits of up to 60V. Furthermore, the ATA6621 LIN IC provides several protective features such as over-temperature shut down and full protection against short circuits.
The dominant time-out function on the transmit pin prevents the bus line from being driven permanently in a dominant state. Furthermore, the ATA6621 has an additional WAKE pin, which is not provided by all LIN SBCs on the market. A wake-up source recognition indicates at the transmit and receive pins which wake-up has occurred: the local wake-up via pin WAKE or the remote wake-up via the LIN bus line. Depending on the recognized wake-up source, the microcontroller selects the appropriate routines.
The device also meets strict automotive qualification demands (protection against conducted interference, EMC and 6-kV ESD protection at the Supply and LIN pins) and can withstand transients as specified in ISO/TR 7637/1.
ATA6621 LIN SBC IC samples are available now in Pb-free QFN20 packages with pricing starting at US $0.83 for 10k piece quantities. Additional LIN SBC family members and versions with integrated microcontroller for optimized performance and further PCB area reduction will be introduced in Q1 2006.
BCDMOS = Mixed-signal technology with Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS components
ECU = Electronic Control Unit
EMC = Electro-Magnetic-Compatibility
ESD = Electronic Static Discharge
LED = Ligh-Emitting Diode
LIN = Local Interface Network
PCB = Printed Circuit Board
SBC = System Basis Chip
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).
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Information
Product information on Atmel's new LIN system basis chip (SBC) ATA6621 may be retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=3812
