Atmel and u-blox Introduce Single-chip GPS Receiver with Highest Sensitivity and Low Power Consumption

Atmel and u-blox Introduce Single-chip GPS Receiver with Highest Sensitivity and Low Power Consumption

June 13, 2006

    HEILBRONN, Germany and THALWIL, Switzerland, June 13
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML),
a global leader in the development and fabrication of
advanced semiconductor solutions, and u-blox AG, a leading
provider of innovative GPS receiver technology, announced
today the availability of their latest weak-signal tracking
GPS technology in an ultra-small form factor. The new
single-chip ATR0635 measures just 7 x 10 mm, and integrates
a complete ANTARIS 4 GPS receiver including ROM-based
SuperSense(TM) software in a 96-pin BGA package. The small
size plus the extremely low power consumption (62 mW in
continuous power mode) make the ROM-based ATR0635 an
excellent fit for handheld and mobile applications such as
mobile phones, PDAs, smartphones, after-market navigational
products, and recreational consumer products. Other products
such as GPS "plug-in" accessories for PCs, small
GPS mice, Bluetooth(R) GPS devices, and other accessories
equipped with GPS functionality will also enjoy the single
chip's advantages in terms of small size, reduced power
needs, and built-in features such as the ANTARIS(TM) 4 USB
port. Its high tracking sensitivity of -158 dBm allows for
weak-signal tracking in urban canyons and even indoors.

    The 96-pin, ball-grid-array single chip has an
excellent cost-performance ratio due to needing only a few
external components. The ATR0635 also brings benefits such
as simplified chipset integration which accelerates design
projects for ANTARIS 4-based products. A shorter bill of
materials translates into lower design risks. Lower PCB
costs are achieved thanks to a 45% reduction in footprint
and a simplified board layout, but also by reducing costs
in purchasing, stocking and mounting due to the low number
of components. Like all ANTARIS 4 chipsets, the ATR0635
supports serial EEPROM memory, which is a cost- and
space-efficient alternative to Flash EPROMs for storing
custom configuration settings. The on-chip USB connectivity
eliminates the need for an expensive serial-to-USB
converter, which makes ANTARIS 4 products plug-and-play
devices for any PC environment by emulating a standard COM
port to the operating system.

    "Combining indoor GPS capability with a low-power,
single-chip GPS receiver perfectly fits the needs of our
customers and enables them to address new, fast-growing
market segments like PDAs and smartphones," said
Atmel's GPS Product Line Manager, Frank Gruson.

    "The ATR0635 opens exciting new avenues for OEMs
looking for high-performance GPS receivers to use in mass
market applications with low power and small size
requirements. SuperSense indoor GPS functionality means it
can be used inside buildings, cars and in other difficult
signal conditions without tracking interruptions, making
the ATR0635 ideal for personal navigation devices, for
instance," commented Georg zur Bonsen, Product Manager
at u-blox.

    The single-chip device is based on the 16-channel
ANTARIS 4 product generation, which comes with full
WAAS/EGNOS support and provides state-of-the-art
functionality such as Assisted GPS (A-GPS) with a TTFF as
low as four seconds. The ATR0635 operates on 62 mW, but its
power saving modes, together with built-in power management
capabilities, can bring power down to as low as 5
microamps, enabling power critical applications such as
mobile devices to operate longer without having to
compromise functionality. 

    As an optional extension to the ANTARIS 4 chipset, the
ATR0610, a fully integrated, low-noise amplifier
manufactured using Atmel's innovative Silicon-Germanium
(SiGe) process, is available for use in challenging
reception environments and enables cost-effective antenna
designs. 

    ATR0635 samples in 7 x 10-mm 96-pin BGA packages are
available now. Atmel and u-blox offer a complete evaluation
kit including ultra-small footprint example design which
helps to dramatically shorten development cycle times. 

     Footnote

     A-GPS = Assisted GPS
     EGNOS = European Geostationary Navigational Overlay
System
     GPS = Global Positioning Systems
     PDA = Personal Digital Assistant
     TTFF = Time to First Fix
     USB = Universal Serial Bus
     WAAS = Wide Area Augmentation System

    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).

    (C) 2006 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 

    Atmel(R), logo and combinations thereof, Everywhere You
Are(R) and others are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and
product names may be trademarks of others.

    Information

    Atmel's GPS ATR0635 product information may be
retrieved at: 
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=3932
.

    About u-blox

    u-blox is an international company headquartered in
Switzerland, with sales organizations in the Americas,
Europe and Asia.  Founded in 1997, u-blox develops leading
positioning technology and products based on the Global
Positioning System (GPS) for the automotive and mobile
communications markets.  For more information, please visit
http://www.u-blox.com/ .

    For more information, please contact:

    Atmel Press Contacts: 

     Dr. Susanne van Clewe
     Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive Products
     Tel:    [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

     Helen Perlegos
     Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific
     Tel:    [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

     Veronique Sablereau
     Corporate Communications Manager - Europe
     Tel:    [phone]
     Fax:    [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

    u-blox Press Contacts: 

     Georg zur Bonsen
     Product Management
     Tel:    [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

     Alicia Montoya
     Marketing Communications 
     Tel:    [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail] 

SOURCE  Atmel Corporation