The Atmel Automotive Commitment

Automotive electronics are a demanding application, encompassing a wide range of products, from body electronics, engine components, and access systems to lighting and entertainment components. They must support small designs and offer a high level of integration, to fit the limited space available in automotive environments. To meet the diverse needs of a variety of automotive applications, developers need solutions that offer:

• Compliance with strict automotive qualification demands, including industry standards and automotive-qualified fabs
• Flexible interface options for a variety of HMI capabilities
• Standards-based connectivity for intelligent networked solutions
• Protection and compatibility for high-voltage products, including robust electromagnetic compatibility (EMC); electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection; and OEM approvals
• Resistance to high temperatures for trouble-free operation in automotive environments
• Maximum safety for automobile access
• Low power consumption for maximum efficiency

A Complete Set of Solutions for Automobiles

Atmel® provides a broad product portfolio for automotive applications that meet the strict automotive quality demands and that make vehicles more safe, economical and convenient. Our solutions include:

• Automotive Control — The Atmel® automotive electronic efforts are not only focused on large complex electronic systems, but also on smaller independent applications. Atmel builds on decades of experience in automotive electronic designs, and offers a wide range of uniquely tailored standalone solutions.
• Battery Management — Battery efficiency and lifespan are key elements for automotive battery applications. Li-ion batteries are based on advanced technology that makes them the first choice for modern high-performance batteries. They are up to 30 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter than conventional NiMH batteries, yet store considerably more energy. While Li-ion batteries offer concrete advantages in terms of size, weight, recharge speed, life span, and resistance to memory effects, they also quickly lose capacity, and are potentially unsafe if overcharged or discharged too deeply. A battery management system is required to avoid this to happen.
• Car Access — The Atmel® automotive electronic efforts are not only focused on large complex electronic systems, but also on smaller independent applications. Atmel builds on decades of experience in automotive electronic designs, and offers a wide range of uniquely tailored standalone solutions.
• Infotainment — The Atmel® automotive electronic efforts are not only focused on large complex electronic systems, but also on smaller independent applications. Atmel builds on decades of experience in automotive electronic designs, and offers a wide range of uniquely tailored standalone solutions.
• Networking — The Atmel® automotive electronic efforts are not only focused on large complex electronic systems, but also on smaller independent applications. Atmel builds on decades of experience in automotive electronic designs, and offers a wide range of uniquely tailored standalone solutions.
• Microcontrollers — The Atmel® automotive electronic efforts are not only focused on large complex electronic systems, but also on smaller independent applications. Atmel builds on decades of experience in automotive electronic designs, and offers a wide range of uniquely tailored standalone solutions.
• Motor Control Systems — Atmel® has more than 15 years' experience with driver ICs for DC motors. We supply products at a high-volume for a variety of common body electronic applications, including mirror control and flap control in HVACs. Although the Atmel driver ICs are equipped with a variety of types of driver stages, they all share the same protection features – short-circuit protection, temperature warning and switch off, low voltage protection, and open load detection – all of which are a must for automotive electronics.

The Atmel Advantage

Atmel has demonstrated its strong commitment to the automotive market. Our company has more than 25 years of automotive electronics design expertise and is a market leader in several automotive areas. We offer a broad scope of automotive-dedicated technologies such as BCDMOS, BCD-on-SOI and non-volatile CMOS, and automotive- qualified fabs (ISO 9001:2000, ISO TS 16949:2002, ISO 14001:2004).

• Extensive Portfolio — The Atmel extensive portfolio ranges from car radio and navigation devices, ICs for standard body electronics, including high-temperature, LIN/CAN and motor driver ICs, solutions for car access systems, RKE/immobilizer and key fobs to our Atmel AVR® automotive microcontrollers, memories, capacitive touch and customer-specific ICs.
• Advanced Touch Solutions — From the proximity sensor for keyless door entry to the touchscreen of the GPS system, touch interfaces give the driver and passengers a sense of luxury, quality, and differentiation. With the industry's most comprehensive portfolio, Atmel provides a touch solution for virtually any automotive microcontroller.
• Development Support — Design-ins are supported by our application engineers, demonstration and evaluation kits, reference boards, software and detailed documentation.