A closer look at Atmel’s LED drivers

Yesterday, we talked about Atmel microcontrollers (MCUs) being used to produce warm and inviting light without flickering or humming (fluorescent ballast). Today, we’re going to be taking a closer look at Atmel’s family of general illumination LED drivers which are designed to facilitate intelligent system control for multiple LED parallel arrays.

Atmel’s general illumination LED drivers are ideal for a number of applications, including street lighting, tunnel lights, parking garage lights, fluorescent tube replacements, solar/off-grid lighting, mood and architectural lighting, as well as other general lighting applications.

“With an adaptive power scheme and correlated color temperature (CCT) compensation circuitry, engineers will be well equipped to meet their requirements for power-efficient, high-performance lighting products,” an Atmel engineering rep told Bits & Pieces.

“Lighting OEMs can use white, RGB and white with red LEDs to achieve the desired white gamut and color control, while Atmel LED drivers are capable of setting an LED current to the desired peak and white point. Devices such as Atmel’s MSL2100 can also be used to individually program each string current to its targeted peak.”

Dimming is achieved by PWM or decreasing the LED constant current. Depending on the desired lighting requirements, one to 16 LED strings are employed in solid-state lighting (SSL) applications. Plus, external NFETs enables an application to sink from 350mA to 1A per string, all while supporting high-voltage LED supplies such as 260VDC.

“Atmel’s Adaptive Power Scaling technology results in significant power savings by automatically adjusting the LED supply to the lowest voltage to maintain regulation across all LED strings,” the engineering rep added.

“Atmel LED drivers offer two or three efficiency optimizers for each color power supply. These optimizers minimize power use while maintaining LED current accuracy, allowing up to 16 interconnected devices to automatically negotiate the optimum power supply voltages.”

Lastly, Atmel’s newest LED drivers feature correlated color temperature (CCT) compensation circuitry, making it easier for engineers to precisely maintain a desired CCT over an entire LED lamp temperature range.

Interested in learning more? A detailed list of Atmel’s LED drivers is available 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.

Optimizing charge cycles and battery life

Bits & Pieces has been on a roll this week with an automotive theme in honor of the latest additions to Atmel’s touch family: the mXT336S and mXT224S. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at how Atmel optimizes automotive charge cycles and battery life with its MCUs.

As automotive enthusiasts know, Li-ion technology is currently the first choice for modern high-performance batteries. To be sure, Li-ion batteries are up to 30 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter than conventional NiMH batteries – yet manage to store significantly more energy.

However, while the batteries do offer concrete advantages in terms of size, weight, recharge speed and resistance to memory effects, Li-ion has a higher cost compared to other battery types. Of course, this can definitely be improved by using a battery management system like Atmel’s which optimizes battery performance.

“Our Li-ion battery management solution offers high accuracy analog measurement functions in combination with efficient active cell balancing ensuring optimum usage of battery capacity,” an Atmel engineering rep told Bits & Pieces. “Specifically, the megaAVR, ATmega32HVE2 and ATmega64HVE2 microcontrollers (MCUs) can be used to improve the performance and longevity of 12V standard lead-acid batteries.”

As the engineering rep notes, the above-mentioned MCUs are designed for intelligent battery sensor applications – with the devices determining the state of charge and state of health for 12V standard lead-acid batteries by measuring the battery voltage, current and temperature.

“For cars with idle-stop-go function, this feature is mandatory to retain sufficient battery energy for a guaranteed engine start,” the engineering rep added. “Combined with the Atmel ATA6870 Li-ion battery monitor IC, it forms an ideal system solution for replacing 12V standard lead-acid batteries with Li-ion batteries.”

Additional key features of an Atmel-powered battery management system and components include:

• Active balancing – The industry’s first to feature active cell balancing for high cell count Li-ion batteries to prevent energy loss.
• Maximum safety – Highest accuracy due to simultaneous cell voltage measurement of the cells in the entire battery stack leading to precise state-of-charge and state-of health calculations.
• Smart sensing – Allows engineers to measure the battery voltage, current and temperature with up to 18-bit accuracy.
• Valuable development tools – PC-controlled development kits help devs easily build a battery management system and get the most of the battery management devices.

Interested in learning more? Detailed information about using Atmel’s powered system can be found here.

Putting Atmel AVR MCUs in your refrigerator

Power efficiency is an obvious, yet critical element of refrigeration design. To meet current green energy requirements, refrigerators and freezers are required to include support for global efficiency standards, as well as advanced communication capabilities for smart metering.

AVR MCUs can be used to provide flexible connectivity options and power efficient architectures that make them an excellent fit for refrigeration applications. Indeed, a variety of 8- and 32-bit Atmel microcontrollers are specifically optimized for motor control – providing full support for BLDC motors, AC motors and switched reluctance motors. As an added bonus, Atmel solutions meet energy efficiency requirements such as Energy Star and European regulations to deliver maximum efficiency.

“Atmel 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,” an engineering rep told Bits & Pieces.

“Robust touch sensor technology, featuring the Atmel QTouch library, allows designers to easily add capacitive touch buttons, wheels and sliders at no additional cost. Meanwhile, native 5 volts support is available on the Atmel megaAVR and Atmel tinyAVR microcontrollers, with node authentication capability supporting smart meter infrastructure connections. And last, but certainly not least, ZigBee Pro compatibility enables standards-compliant connectivity and smart metering.”

Refrigerators are an N1 energy consumer – understandably requiring power-efficient technology. In short, Atmel microcontrollers and wireless products are a perfect fit to help engineers design related products with granular energy control and optimized efficiency.

Interested in learning more? Additional information about the use of Atmel MCUs in refrigeration design can be found here.

A closer look at Atmel’s vehicle portfolio

Earlier this morning, Atmel announced the expansion of an already formidable automotive maXTouch lineup with the mXT336S (optimized for 7-inch touchscreens) and mXT224S (targeted at smaller touchscreens and tablets).

In addition to touchscreens, Atmel boasts an extensive automotive ecosystem that meets strict quality demands, helping to make vehicles more safe and affordable. Primary solutions include battery management (Li-ion), car access, radio, networking, motor control systems and microcontrollers.

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel’s versatile AVR microcontrollers deliver power, performance and flexibility – making them appropriate for a wide range of automotive applications.

So what differentiates AVR microcontrollers from the competition in the automotive sphere? Well, according to an engineering rep, Atmel offers functionality and high temperature capabilities in its vehicle-oriented chip designs.

“Plus, complete system-in-package (SIP) solutions integrate components such as an AVR microcontroller, LIN and CAN interfaces, voltage regulator, watchdog, floating point unit (FPU), FlashVault code protection, high-speed Ethernet and USB with OTG connectivity in a single cost-effective package,” the engineering rep told Bits & Pieces. “In fact, Atmel’s highly integrated designs can reduce system costs by up to 60 percent, while saving time in development, integration and prototyping.”

Key specs include:

• High performance – Executing powerful instructions in a single clock cycle, Atmel’s 8-bit automotive AVR MCUs achieve throughputs approaching 1 MIPS per MHz, balancing power consumption with processing speed.
• Code protection – Atmel FlashVault allows devs to partially program and lock flash memory for secure on-chip storage. Code stored in FlashVault will execute as normal, but cannot be read, copied or debugged. It is also capable of carrying software such as math libraries or encryption algorithms to potentially untrustworthy environments where the rest of the source code can be developed and debugged.
• Built-in voltage protection – The on-chip voltage regulator with short-circuit monitoring interface featured in several 8-bit microcontrollers ensures reliable operation and extends the useful life of the device and the product it controls.
• Optimized power efficiency – Thanks to more than a decade of research, Atmel picoPower technology reduces microcontroller power usage in both sleep and active mode to achieve the industry’s lowest power consumption numbers.

Interested in learning more? Additional information about Atmel’s expansive automotive portfolio is available here and here.

MCU maestro talks ARM and Atmel’s SAM D20

Atmel Sr. Product Marketing Manager Andreas Eieland (@AndreasMCUguy) recently sat down with ARM’s Andrew Frame to discuss the recently launched SAM D20 family of products.

As Eieland notes, the first ARM Cortex-M0+ powered lineup from Atmel is the general purpose SAM D20 family – ranging all the way from 32 pin devices with 16KB of embedded Flash to 64 pin 256KB devices.

“We have learnt a lot about microcontrollers (MCUs) since Atmel launched the first 8051 micro in 1995 and the first AVR in 1996,” Eieland explained. “A lot of this know-how is included in the new SAM D20 family: from simple things that make the devices easy to develop with like making the devices pin and code compatible, to more advanced system integration technologies.”

According to Eieland, there are a number of reasons why Atmel decided to move forward and bring a Cortex-M0+ based family to the market.

“First of all, we are a dedicated ARM partner and already have Cortex-M3, Cortex-M4 and Cortex-A5 products available, as well as products based on the ARM9 and ARM7 cores, so ensuring a complete ARM portfolio for our customers by extending the product offering downwards with a Cortex-M0+ was a natural thing to do,” he said.

“Secondly, the Cortex-M0+  market space is growing and we want to make sure that those developers who need more computational power than what you find in an 8 or 16-bit solution can find a product fit with Atmel. And last, but certainly not least, we are confident that mixing our AVR knowledge with an industry standard core allows us to bring a really good, unique and easy to use product to the market.”

The full text of the latest ARM-Atmel interview can be read here.

A closer look at Atmel’s Xplained Pro kits

Atmel’s comprehensive lineup of Xplained Pro boards offers engineers everything they need to start designing microcontroller (MCU) applications in minutes. First off, the boards are quite easy to connect, linking to PCs with just a USB cable.

As expected, the boards are automatically recognized by Atmel Studio, facilitating direct access to example projects and documentation. Meanwhile, hardware extension boards provide easy access to all functionality of the MCU.

Currently, Xplained Pro kits are grouped into three primary categories:

• Evaluation kits – Lowest cost kits starting at $39 for evaluating MCUs and developing with example projects in Atmel Studio.
• Starter kits – Low-cost bundle of MCU and extension boards starting at $99 for rapid application prototyping and development with Atmel Studio and Atmel Software Framework.
• Extension kits – Boards with additional functionality, connecting to Xplained Pro MCU boards through standardized connectors.

On the evaluation side, Atmel offers the SAM D20 Xplained Pro, SAM4N Xplained Pro, SAM4S Xplained Pro, SAM4L Xplained Pro and the ATmega256RFR2 Xplained Pro.

In terms of extension boards, there is the I/O1 Xplained Pro, OLED1 Xplained Pro, SLCD1 Xplained Pro and the PROTO1 Xplained Pro.

Interested in learning more? Be sure to stay tuned, because next time we’ll be getting up close and personal with Atmel’s MCU Xplained (evaluation) kits.