DETROIT, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Convergence Show 2008 -- Atmel(R) Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) announced today the availability of two new automotive-grade GPS devices featuring excellent navigation performance. The new ICs ATR0630P1 and ATR0635P1 are based on Atmel's well-known and industry-proven standard GPS receiver devices ATR0630 and ATR0635, which have shipped in their millions since 2005. Measuring just 7 x 10 mm, they incorporate a complete GPS receiver. Their small size, unsurpassed navigation accuracy and AEC-Q100 automotive quality make the ATR0630P1 and ATR0635P1 a perfect option for automotive applications such as In-Vehicle Navigation Systems (IVNS), telematics, fleet management, dynamic car insurance fee systems, e.g., pay-as-drive, and after-market navigation products.

Like the well-known ATR0630 and ATR0635 devices, the new P1 versions boast maximum chipset integration, resulting in an excellent cost-performance ratio. Lower system costs are achieved thanks to not only a 45% reduction in footprint, a simplified board layout, minimal external component count, but also by reduced costs in purchasing, stocking, and mounting. The ATR0635P1's high sensitivity of -158 dBm allows weak-signal acquisition and tracking in urban canyons. This excellent tracking sensitivity is especially beneficial when using a dashboard antenna instead of an external one.

Due to their full pin-to-pin and functional compatibility to the industrial-graded standard variants ATR0630 and ATR0635, the new P1 versions enable the re-use of existing designs.

"Combining highest navigation accuracy with automotive quality, these single-chip GPS receivers perfectly meet the needs of our customers and enable them to address the steadily growing automobile navigation market", said Atmel's BU RF & Automotive Marketing Director, Matthias Kaestner. "The ATR0630P1 and ATR0635P1 are exciting GPS OEM solutions for next-generation navigation systems that require high performance, low power, and small size. Reliable operation without tracking interruptions using antennas inside of the car and under other difficult receiving conditions are possible with these automotive-qualified GPS ICs."

Availability and Pricing

Samples of the automotive-grade GPS receiver ICs ATR0630P1 and ATR0635P1 are available now in small-outline 7 x 10-mm 96-pin BGA packages. Pricing starts at US $13.00 for the ATR0630P1, and at US $15.00 for the ATR0635P1 for 10k-piece quantities each. A complete evaluation kit including ultra-small footprint sample designs, which dramatically shorten development cycle times, is also available.

    Footnote
    BGA = Ball Grid Array
    GPS = Global Positioning Systems
    OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer
    PCB = Printed Circuit Board
    IVNS = In-Vehicle Navigation Systems

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.

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Information

Product information on Atmel's automotive-grade GPS receiver ICs ATR0630P1/ATR0635P1 may be retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4250 (ATR0630P1) http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=4417 (ATR0635P1)

     Press Contacts
     Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
      Products
     Tel: +49 7131 67-2081, Email:  susanne.van-clewe@atmel.com
     Helen Perlegos, Public Relations
     Tel: +1 408 487-2963, Email: hperlegos@atmel.com

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