Capacity and performance characterize Atmel’s megaAVR

Our ongoing coverage of Atmel’s comprehensive AVR portfolio has taken readers on a detailed MCU (microcontroller) tour this month. First, Bits & Pieces dove into the guts of Atmel’s AVR UC3 which is built around high-performance 32-bit AVR architecture and optimized for highly integrated applications.

We then spent some time with Atmel’s AVR XMEGA, an MCU designed for real-time performance, high integration and ultra-low power. And today we want to properly acquaint our readers with Atmel’s megaAVR microcontroller, which is well known for both capacity and performance.

“When your designs need some extra muscle, you need the megaAVR. Ideal for applications requiring large amounts of code, the megaAVR offers substantial program and data memories with performance up to 20 MIPS, with picoPower technology minimizing power consumption,” an Atmel engineering rep told Bits & Pieces. “All megaAVRs offer self-programmability for fast, secure, cost-effective in-circuit upgrades. You can even upgrade the flash while running your application.”

Indeed, the megaAVR family offers Atmel’s widest selection of devices in terms of memories, pin counts and peripherals. Meaning, engineers can choose from general-purpose devices to models with specialized peripherals like USB, or LCD controllers, or CAN, LIN and Power Stage Controllers.

More specifically, Atmel’s megaAVR family is equipped with on-chip flash, SRAM, internal EEPROM, SPI, TWI, USART, USB, CAN, LIN, watchdog timer, a choice of internal or external precision oscillator and general purpose I/O pins.

In terms of analog functions, the megaAVR boasts advanced analog capabilities, such as ADC, DAC, built-in temperature sensor and internal voltage reference, brown out detector, a fast analog comparator and a programmable analog gain amplifier. Simply put, the high level of integration allows designs with fewer external analog components.

And last, but certainly not least, megaAVR microcontrollers help accelerate the development process with advanced in-system programming and on-chip debug, while in-system programming works to simplify production line programming and field upgrades.

Interested in learning more? A full breakdown of our AVR portfolio is available here.

Low-power design in the age of IoT

Facilitating low-power designs for electronic devices is more important than ever before as we move toward a world dominated by the Internet of Things (IoT).

Essentially, the IoT refers a future scenario in which all types of electronic devices link to each other via the Internet. Today, it’s estimated that there are nearly 10 billion devices in the world connected to the Internet, a figure expected to triple to nearly 30 billion by 2020.

The challenge? Reducing power consumption (to extend battery life) while simultaneously maintaining acceptable levels of performance. Fortunately, Atmel has been focusing on low power consumption for more than ten years across its extensive portfolio of AVR and ARM-based microcontrollers and embedded microprocessors.

Design techniques employed to achieve the critical balance between power consumption and performance include:

• Use of hardware DMA and event system to offload the CPU
• Cut clock or supply on device portions not in use
• Careful balance of high performance and low leakage transistors
• Fast wake up from low power modes
• Low voltage operation

“With the Atmel picoPower technology found in our AVR 8-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers, we’ve even gone one step further. All picoPower devices are designed from the ground up for lowest possible power consumption – all the way from transistor design and process geometry, to sleepmodes and flexible clocking options,” an Atmel engineering rep told Bits & Pieces.

“Atmel picoPower devices can operate down to 1.62V while still maintaining all functionality, including analog functions. They have short wake-up time, with multiple wake-up sources from even the deepest sleep modes.”

Although certain elements of picoPower tech cannot be directly configured by the user, they do form a solid base that facilitates ultra-low-power application development without compromising functionality. On the user level, flexible and powerful features and peripherals allow engineers to more easily apply a wide range of techniques to reduce a system’s total power consumption even further. As expected, picoPower technology is also relatively simple to deploy, with both basic and advanced techniques reducing the power consumption of an application even further.

A perfect example of Atmel’s commitment to low-power devices is the 0.7V tinyAVR. Remember, a typical microcontroller requires at least 1.8V to operate – while the voltage of a single battery-cell ranges from 1.2V to 1.5V when fully charged, dropping gradually below 1V during use (yet still holding a reasonable amount of charge). This means the average microcontroller requires at least two battery cells.

“We have solved this problem by integrating a boost converter inside the ATtiny43U, converting a DC voltage to a higher level and bridging the gap between minimum supply voltage of the microcontroller and the typical output voltages of a standard single cell battery,” the Atmel engineering rep explained. “The boost converter provides the microcontroller with a fixed supply voltage of 3.0V from a single battery cell even when the battery voltage drops down to 0.7V.”

Simply put, this extends battery life by allowing non-rechargeable batteries to be drained to the minimum, while programmable shut-off levels above the critical minimum voltage level avoid damaging the battery cell of rechargeable batteries.

Interested in learning more about Atmel’s low-power, high performance portfolio? Be sure to check out our extensive ARM and AVR product lineups here.

Accessing your vehicle with Atmel

The automotive industry has certainly come a long way since Henry Ford’s Model T first rolled off the assembly line in 1908. To be sure, car (access) keys have radically evolved from the simple, unassuming steel key of yore to acting as the human interface to a vehicle.

Photographed at the Bay State Antique Automobile Club’s July 10, 2005 show at the Endicott Estate in Dedham, MA by Sfoskett

Similarly, Atmel’s automotive portfolio has also rapidly evolved since 1997 when we introduced our very first dedicated car access transmitter.

Indeed, Atmel now offers a wide range of car access devices that are ideal for developing complete system solutions with the highest levels of security and convenience, supporting remote keyless entry, immobilizer, passive entry/go or combi key applications.

“Remember, providing a high level of security is a must for car access applications, something which is also required by insurance companies worldwide,” an Atmel automotive engineering rep told Bits & Pieces.

“And that is why Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) systems combined with immobilizers are standard in nearly all cars today, while passive Entry/Go (PEG) applications offer the ultimate convenience for car users and are well-established in current luxury vehicles.”

Unsurprisingly, such features are increasingly making their way into medium-class cars. To meet these demands, developers require cost-efficient electronic system solutions that support a high level of integration.

As such, Atmel offers a comprehensive line of ICs (RF, LF, Atmel AVR microcontrollers) to create complete car access and remote start systems, along with dedicated RF transmitters, receivers and transceivers, as well as microcontrollers.

In addition, Atmel enables a uni-directional RF link for the keyless entry function to open or lock the doors. The immobilizer system is built with a bi-directional LF link operating with the AUT64 crypto algorithm.

And last, but certainly not least, Atmel supports a bi-directional RF link for the RKE function as well as for the extremely secure duplex RF link in a Passive Entry Go system. The lF link is used for the wake- up channel in a PEG system and the immobilizer function to start the RF communication.

Interested in learning more about Atmel’s expansive automotive portfolio? Be sure to check out some of our related blog posts from earlier this week, including “A closer look at Atmel’s vehicle portfolio,” “Atmel expands MaXTouch auto lineup,” and “LIN networking for the automotive masses.”

A sure touch with buttons, sliders and wheels

Yesterday, we discussed Atmel’s comprehensive QTouch Library, which makes it easier for developers to embed capacitive-touch button, slider and wheel functionality into general-purpose AT91SAM and AVR microcontroller (MCU) applications.

And today we’re going to take a closer look at Atmel’s touch portfolio by focusing on said buttons, sliders and wheels. To be sure, Atmel offers versatile tech for the implementation of buttons, sliders and wheels on any touch-sensitive device.

As an Atmel engineering rep told Bits & Pieces, these integrated circuits (ICs) enhance the user experience with excellent precision and reliability.

“They also deliver superb low-power characteristics, a critical requirement for today’s battery-powered handheld and mobile devices,” the engineering rep explained.

“The technology supports simple 1–10 button configurations as well as more complex scanned-matrix configurations of up to 48 buttons — at very low cost per button.”

Atmel also offers the above-mentioned QTouch Suite for embedding buttons, sliders, and wheels into the the AT91SAM and AVR microcontrollers.

Additional key specs? Long-range proximity sensing (enables capacitive proximity range over 10-inches), cutting-edge interfaces, design flexibility, low power consumption and robust operation.

Interested in learning more about what Atmel can offer you in terms of buttons, sliders and wheels?  Additional information can be found here.

Embedding touch tech in MCU firmware

Atmel’s comprehensive QTouch Library makes it simple for developers to embed capacitive-touch button, slider and wheel functionality into general-purpose AT91SAM and AVR microcontroller (MCU) applications.

To be sure, Atmel’s royalty-free QTouch Library offers several library files for each device, while supporting various numbers of touch channels – thereby enabling both flexibility and efficiency in touch apps. And by selecting the library file supporting the exact number of channels needed, devs can achieve a more compact and efficient code using less RAM.

Simply put, Atmel’s QTouch Library can be used to develop single-chip solutions for many control applications, or to reduce chip count in more complex applications. Meanwhile, the library offers devs the latitude to implement buttons sliders and wheels in a variety of combinations on a single interface.

There is also broad controller support for Atmel MCUs: AT91SAM, tinyAVR, megaAVR, XMEGA, UC3A and UC3B. Up to 64 sense channels are supported for maximum interface sensitivity ( 256-level sliders and wheels require only three channels), while the QTouch Library supports three patented capacitive touch acquisition methods: QTouch, QTouchADC and QMatrix.

In addition, Atmel Adjacent Key Suppression (AKS) technology enables unambiguous detection of button touches for maximum precision, with full debouncing reports for touch buttons helping to ensure single, clean contacts. And last, but certainly not least, a common API across all library versions simplifies development.

Interested in learning more? Additional information about Atmel’s QTouch library can be found here.

LIN networking for the automotive masses

LIN (Local Interconnect Network) is a serial network protocol used for communication between various vehicle components. The LIN Consortium was founded by five automakers (BMW, Volkswagen Audi Group, Volvo Cars, DaimlerChrysler) in the late 1990s, with the first fully implemented version of the new LIN specification (1.3) published in November 2002. Version 2.0 was introduced in September 2003, offering expanded capabilities and support for additional diagnostics features.

Specifically, low-cost local interconnect networking (LIN) systems are used throughout the automobile in comfort, powertrain, sensor and actuator applications. Vehicular LIN applications include roofs (sensors), steering wheels (cruise control, wiper, turning light, climate control, radio), seats (position motors, occupant sensors, control panels), engines (sensors), climate control (small motors, control panel) and doors (mirror, central ECU, mirror switch, window lift, seat control switch, door lock).

Atmel offers unique BCD-on-SOI technology for LIN, which combines high-voltage capability with the benefits of rugged SOI technology: high temperature resistance (T-junctions up to 200°C), optimized radiation hardness, very low leakage currents, low parasitics, high switching frequency and latch-up immunity.

“Our LIN devices operate in standard temperature environments to support roof, door, and car body sensors among others. They also perform flawlessly in very hot engine environments, up to 150°C/302°F ambient air temperatures,” an Atmel engineer told Bits & Pieces.

“The modular Atmel LIN family ranges from simple transceiver ICs to complex system basis chips with LIN transceiver and voltage regulator. At higher integration levels, our System-in-Package (SIP) solutions feature an Atmel AVR microcontroller, LIN transceiver, voltage regulator and watchdog in a single package.”

Interested in learning more about Atmel’s LIN solutions? Additional information is available here.

Cooking with Atmel MCUs

Did you know that some scientists believe the advent of cooking played an important role in human evolution? Indeed, most anthropologists theorize that cooking fires first developed around 250,000 years ago, with the rise of agriculture, commerce and transportation between civilizations in different regions offering cooks many new ingredients.

Clearly, we’ve come a long way since the days when humans roasted meat on a spit over an open fire without any utensils, appliances or kitchens to be seen. Today, however, cooking appliances such as stoves, microwave ovens and conventional ovens typically require a combination of temperature and mass sensors, programmable timers and sophisticated motor control for relevant components. A number of current-gen units include remote controls, as well as rich, responsive touch control interfaces which are key for ease of use.

Now we’ve discussed quite a number of use cases for Atmel MCUs over the past few days, including automotive, lighting, telecare and even washing machines. So it shouldn’t come as much surprise to readers of Bits & Pieces that Atmel also offers a lineup of touch solutions and customizable microcontrollers which are ideal to power a wide range of cooking appliances.

Indeed, AVR microcontrollers are available in 105°C versions, as well as models up to 150°C, which are perfect for high temperature cooking requirements. Plus, Atmel offers a wide range of 8- and 32-bit microcontrollers dedicated to motor control – providing support for BLDC motors, AC motors and switched reluctance motors.

AVR 32-bit microcontrollers also feature a multi-layer databus and DMA controller that make them a perfect fit for HMI applications where high bandwidth is required. Meanwhile, robust touch sensor technology, coupled with Atmel’s QTouch library, allows designers to add capacitive touch buttons, sliders and wheels – without additional cost.

In addition, native 5 volts support is available on the Atmel megaAVR and Atmel tinyAVR microcontrollers (MCUs), with high integration solutions, such as motor control and HMI touch in a single-chip, helping to reduce BOM. ZigBee PRO compatibility enables standards-compliant connectivity and smart metering, with node authentication capability supports smart meter infrastructure connections.

And last, but certainly not least, Atmel’s QMatrix technology offers a robust method to implement buttons and sliders in capacitive touch-technology, while built-in support for water rejection makes the QTouch solutions ideal for demanding environments.

Interested in learning more? Additional information about Atmel MCUs targeting various cooking appliances can be found here.

Atmel lights up fluorescent ballasts

Microcontrollers (MCUs) might not instantly spring to mind when one thinks of fluorescent ballasts – which are used to produce warm and inviting light without flickering or humming.

But they can be found in high-frequency electronic ballasts, such as the full-featured single-chip Atmel AVR especially designed for lighting applications, or a general microcontroller with range of standard-compliant transceiver options. Meanwhile, the embedded EEPROM stores tube wattages and parameters for accurate wattage detection and parameter adjustment without the need for separate components.

In addition, Integrated Power Stage Controllers (PSCs) help to reduce electrical magnetic interference (EFI), manage lamp power and control voltage to ensure lighting stability in dimmable fluorescent lamps.

“Dimmable fluorescent ballasts are a natural fit for the Atmel AT90PWM microcontroller, which supports the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI),” an Atmel engineering rep told Bits & Pieces.

“Non-dimmable fluorescent ballasts benefit from the flexible Atmel AT83EB5114 microcontroller with integrated Power Factor Corrected (PFC) capability, which eliminates the need for additional components.”

And last, but certainly not least, the Atmel AT90PWM microcontroller supports the DALI standard to network multiple ballasts to a centralized system for tighter light level control and big energy savings.

Want to learn more about Atmel’s lighting solutions? Check out Atmel’s official page here.

Washing your clothes with Atmel MCUs

Washing machines. We all have them, or at the very least, use them to clean our clothes every so often. And yes, we’ve clearly come quite a long way since the very first electric washing machines were advertised in national newspapers during the early 1900’s.

Indeed, current-gen washing machines require support for motor controls, water level and temperature sensing, as well as an advanced UI (user interface) capable of withstanding harsh environments. And although one might not think it critical, standards-based, secure connectivity is also a must for appliances tapping into a home network.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel’s extensive lineup of MCUs and touchscreen solutions are quite versatile and can be used for a number of applications, including washing machines.

First off, Atmel offers up a wide range of 8- and 32-bit microcontrollers that are dedicated to motor control – providing the appropriate support for BLDC motors, AC motors and switched reluctance motors.

Secondly, AVR 32-bit microcontrollers embed a digital signal processor (DSP) and a floating point unit (FPU) in select models, delivering the high performance required in advanced motor control solutions. Thirdly, many AVR microcontrollers include high-end PWM modules with dead-time insertion, fault management, synchronization with analog – making them a perfect choice for motor control.

In addition, AVR microcontrollers are offered in 105°C versions, as well as models up to 150°C, for a perfect match for washers with challenging temperature requirements. Meanwhile, Atmel provides an IEC 60730 Class B Library to support customers in the certification process, which dramatically speeds time to market. Plus, AVR 32-bit microcontrollers feature a multi-layer databus and DMA controller that make them a perfect fit for HMI applications where high bandwidth is required.

On the touch side, Atmel’s QTouch library offer designers the ability to easily add capacitive touch buttons, wheels and sliders – at no additional cost. In terms of reducing BOM, Atmel offers motor control and HMI touch in a single-chip, along with high power IOs that can directly drive LEDs and buzzers.

And last, but certainly not least, ZigBee PRO compatibility enables standards-compliant connectivity and smart metering, while node authentication capability supports smart meter infrastructure connections.

Interested in learning more? Additional information is available here.

Atmel’s maXTouch powers Galaxy S4 Mini’s touchscreen

Samsung has selected Atmel’s maXTouch mXT336S controller to power the touchscreen of its recently launched Galaxy S4 Mini.

Powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and running Google’s Android 4.2.2 operating system, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini also boasts a 4.3-inch high-definition super AMOLED display.

“The mXT336S controller delivers the ultimate human touch interface with its feature-rich solution by enabling thinner stylus and thicker glove support,” an Atmel spokesperson told Bits & Pieces. “It also facilitates more touch precision and fewer unintended touches, along with lower power consumption for longer battery life, brighter displays and faster response times.”

Additional key Galaxy S4 Mini features include:

• 4G LTE in addition to 3G and 3G dual-SIM versions
• 8-megapixel rear camera and recording
• 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
• 1.7GHz dual-core processor
• 1,900 mAh battery

It should be noted that Atmel technology can be found in a number of Samsung mobile devices, including the full-sized Galaxy S4. As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the Galaxy S4 is fitted with Atmel’s sensor hub management MCU (microcontroller unit) which collects and processes data from all connected sensors in real-time, optimizing multiple user experiences, such as gaming, navigation and virtual reality. In addition, the sensor hub MCU lowers the overall system power consumption via picoPower technology to prevent drain and enable longer battery life.