NANTES, France, (BUSINESS WIRE), Nov. 7, 2002–Atmel® Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML) announced today the expansion of its C51 microcontroller family dedicated to advanced smart card readers. Designed in partnership with key-players in the smart card reader market, Atmel’s new reader ICs address any application using a serial, USB or PCMCIA smart card reader.

The new AT8xC5122 and AT83C5123 join Atmel’s line up of AT8xC5121 C51-based one-chip solutions currently used in serial smart card readers for mobile phones, PDAs and energy meters and are available in Flash, RAM or ROM versions. These new devices offer greater flexibility to optimize USB smart card keyboards and PClink smart card readers, respective to target applications.

Additionally, the AT83C25 provide solutions for PCMCIA readers and the AT83C24, a cost-effective level shifter solution for set top boxes and EFT/POS.

To help customers reduce time-to-market, Atmel and its partners have also developed ready-to-use solutions. Including specific software, they are pre-certified by major industry standards (EMV 2000, PC/SC, ISO7816, WHQL).

All devices retain a fully integrated DC/DC converter with 75 to 98% efficiency, which powers the target card with the appropriate 5, 3 or 1.8 Voltage regardless of the voltage source. An ISO7816 UART is also integrated for easy data transfer to the card (except for AT83C24). A unique on-chip power management unit handles wake-up, reset/power-fail and short-circuit detection. For ESD protection, card I/O’s have been especially designed to be resistant to 4 kV.

“The introduction of these new devices puts Atmel among the major suppliers of smart card reader ICs,” said Manish Vadher, marketing director for C51 Microcontrollers. “Embedded in the final application, Atmel ICs offer keyboards, set-top boxes, PDAs, EFT-POS terminals, mobile phone and energy-meters manufacturers a unique opportunity to quickly and easily integrate a universal smart card reader interface.”

Small footprint and low-profile packages such as SSOP24, PLCC28, VQFP32, PLCC52, VQFP64, PLCC68 are available, both in industrial and commercial temperature ranges.

Production volumes of AT8xC5121 are available now. Pricing is $4 for 10,000-unit quantity for the AT8xC5121 Flash version and $2.50 for the ROM version. Samples of AT8xC5122 and AT83C5123 are available today.

A full set of support tools is available, including a hardware emulator, a software compiler/simulator and starter kits.

About Atmel

Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets worldwide, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions using CMOS, BiCMOS, SiGe, and high-voltage BCDMOS process technologies.

Information

Atmel’s AT89C5121, AT89C5122, ATC895123, AT83C24 and AT83C25 product information may be retrieved at http://www.atmel.com/atmel/products/prod71.htm#Smart_Card_Readers.

Requests may be sent via e-mail to [email protected] or by visiting Atmel’s website at http://www.atmel.com.

Note to Editors: Atmel, the Atmel logo and combinations thereof are registered trademarks and others contained herein, are trademarks of Atmel Corporation. Terms and product names in this document may be the trademarks of others.

Contact

Atmel Corporation
Arnaud Ruchon, +33 2 40 18 18 01
Product Marketing Manager for Smart Card Reader ICs
arnaud.ruchon@nto.atmel.com

Philippe Faure, +33 2 40 18 18 87
Marketing Communications Manager
Philippe.faure@nto.atmel.com

Veronique Sablereau, +33 1 30 60 70 68
Corporate Communications Manager–Europe
veronique.sablereau@atmel.com

Clive Over, 408/451-2855
Director of Press Relations–USA and Asia
cliveover@atmel.com