SAN JOSE, California, May 6 /PRNewswire/ --

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), announced today the AVRUSBRF01
reference design for development with AVR(R) microcontrollers in the
un-licensed 2.4 GHz ISM band and connection to PCs with USB.

USB is the standard interface for connecting PC peripherals but wireless
is becoming increasingly popular for peripherals like mice, keyboards, audio
headsets or personal portable devices. Many desktops now offer WLAN and
Bluetooth is on most laptops. Both wireless standards come with a power
consumption which is not compatible with devices operating from simple
batteries for several months or years. Existing transceivers operating in the
2.4GHz ISM band can achieve low power consumption with short range transfer
speeds exceeding 1Mbit/s and rely on lightweight ad-hoc protocols.

The AVRUSBRF01 enables the PC-Wireless connectivity using AVR USB
microcontrollers. Designers can then develop battery-based, wireless
peripheral applications using Atmel's 1.8V picoPower(TM) AVR microcontrollers
that feature industry-best low power consumption. By using the same
architecture and development platform for a complete project, designers can
concentrate on end-product optimization and get to the market faster.

Atmel's picoPower AVR features in-system programmable Flash and true
EEPROM with the largest choice of package and memory ranges. This gives the
best flexibility to meet with changing requirements and to develop a range of
products based on the same architecture.

The AVRUSBRF01 is based on the Atmel AT90USB162 microcontroller, which
allows connection to a PC through the USB. This kit can be programmed through
the USB in half a second and implement various standard USB device classes
for input devices (Human Interface Device), generic HID I/O, communication
(Communication Device Class), etc. The AVR USB can also support composite
device classes, combining for instance and HID interface for remote control
and an Audio interface for audio streaming. It offers 16 Kbyte of Flash for
USB and RF protocol as well as on-chip EEPROM for pairing with wireless
devices. AT90USB82 is a pin to pin compatible 8 Kbyte variant of AT90USB162,
which can be used for application requiring less than 16 Kbyte. Conversely,
the AVR USB family also offers Flash sizes up to 128 Kbyte for the most
demanding applications.

The kit contains two identical AVR USB RF modules and can connect to two
different USB ports to establish wireless communication and evaluate the
solution. They can also communicate with wireless peripherals derived from
this reference design. To help with evaluation and development, the modules
include two push buttons for hardware reset, in-system programming and extra
functions, two LEDs for monitoring activity and a 6-pin header to connect
development tools or other peripheral functions. The PCB size is only
3.8x1.6 cm, which is small enough to be used without change for many
applications. If necessary, size can be further reduced by removing the extra
features provided for evaluation and development.

"The nRF24L01 RF transceiver we have selected for the AVRUSBRF01 can
directly connect to our AVR microcontrollers and provide ready-to-use
solutions for consumer applications," said Jean-Christophe Lawson, Atmel
Product Marketing Manager.

"Our nRF24L01 transceiver is going very well with Atmel AVR
microcontrollers," said Thomas Embla Bonnerud, Nordic Semiconductor's Product
Manager for Standard Components. "We are very happy with the speed and power
consumption they can achieve," he continued.

Availability and Pricing

The AVR USB 2.4GHz RF transceiver kit is available from Atmel's
franchised distributors at a suggested retail price of US$69. The order code 
is ATAVRUSBRF01. All documentation and software updates are provided on 
Atmel's web site.

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) 2008 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), logo and
combinations thereof, AVR(R), and others, are registered trademarks,
picoPower(TM) and others are trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its
subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

Information:

Atmel's AVRUSBRF01 information may be retrieved at:
http://www.atmel.com/AVRUSBRF01.

Press Contacts:

    Philippe Faure, Marketing Communications Director - Microcontrollers
    Tel: +33-2-40-18-18-87, Email: philippe.faure@atmel.com

    Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
    Tel: +1-408-487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com

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