Atmel Launches BCDMOS Fail-Safe System IC ATA6814 Designed for Safety-Critical Automotive Applications

Unique Combination of Functions Within One IC

HEILBRONN, Germany, Nov. 22 -- Atmel(R) Corporation , a global leader in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced today the availability of the new monolithically integrated fail-safe system IC, the ATA6814, manufactured using Atmel's state-of-the-art 0.8-um BCDMOS technology. With its built-in driver functions and complete monitoring system, the ATA6814 is a unique solution beneficial for all safety-relevant automotive electronics, such as DC motor controls that can be found in electric parking brake systems, power steering, chassis and powertrains. The ATA6814 combines various functions into one single IC, an improvement over competing solutions requiring the addition of several standard components such as stand-alone voltage regulators and watchdogs. This leads to significant board space reduction and smaller, more cost-efficient designs.

The ATA6814 is ideally suited to safety-critical automotive applications, since the watchdog is completely separate from the system microcontroller and operates with its own dedicated oscillator, which in turn is monitored by a second oscillator.

The fail-safe system IC ATA6814 is highly integrated, including voltage regulators, driver stages, an SPI interface, as well as watchdog and monitoring functional blocks. Two separate voltage regulators and band gaps enable high flexibility, while still maintaining a high safety level, thanks to the mutual monitoring. Power consumption reduction down to 80 uA in standby mode is achieved since one of the voltage regulators can be switched off. The fully integrated, 250-mA low-side relay drivers do not need any additional external circuitry and thus help to further save cost and space on the PC board.

The independent watchdog circuitry -- the heart of the fail-safe concept -- monitors the microcontroller's operation. In addition, the monitoring function covers the battery voltage, all internally generated voltages, and the chip temperature in two stages, and it can disable the different IC blocks.

The fail-safe IC ATA6814 fulfills the requirements according to ISO/TR7637; in addition, all pins are protected against 2 KV ESD (HBM). The device can be operated within a wide ambient temperature range (from -40 degrees C up to 105 degrees C), and withstands load-dump pulses up to 45V.

Samples of the new fail-safe system IC ATA6814 in RoHS-compatible QFN48 (7 mm x 7 mm) packages are available now. Pricing starts at US $2.70 (10 k).

   Footnote
   BCDMOS = Mixed-signal technology with Bipolar, CMOS and DMOS components
   DC = Direct Current
   PC board = Printed Circuit board
   SPI = Serial Peripheral Interface
   HBM = Human Body Model
   RoHS = Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances

  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).

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Information

Product information on Atmel's new BCDMOS Fail-safe System IC ATA6814 may be retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=3770

   Press Contacts
   Dr. Susanne van Clewe, Marcom Manager Communications and Automotive
   Products
   Phone:  +49-7131-67-2081, Email:  susanne.van-clewe@hno.atmel.com
   Helen Perlegos, Public Relations - USA and Asia Pacific Rim
   Phone:  +1-408-487-2963, Email:  hperlegos@atmel.com
   Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe
   Phone:  +33-1-30-60-70-68, Fax:  +49-7131-67-2423,
   Email:  veronique.sablereau@atmel.com