Atmel Expands Award-Winning Bluetooth Portfolio, Launches World’s Lowest Power BLE Module for Space-Constrained Applications

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a global leader in microcontroller (MCU) and touch solutions, today announced the world’s lowest power Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity modules for small form factor applications. The ultra-low power Atmel SmartConnect XR and ZR modules consume less than 4mA in RX and less than 3mA in TX with 3.6V, and below 1.2µA in sleep mode, increasing battery life by up to 3X longer than other solutions on the market today.

Pushing the limits of space-constrained areas for tomorrow’s Bluetooth applications, the Atmel SmartConnect BTLC1000-XR and SAMB11-XR modules come in an extremely small 4.5×5.5mm LGA package with 40L, while the BTLC1000-ZR and SAMB11-ZR modules come in a 7.5×10.5mm package with 34-pins and a ground paddle. These new modules are ideal for space-constrained Internet of Things (IoT) applications including beacons, sensor tags door locks, wearables and much, much more.

All XR and ZR modules integrate the award-winning Atmel SmartConnect BTLC1000 solution, an ultra-low power Bluetooth SMART system-on-a-chip (SoC) with an integrated Atmel | SMART ARM® Cortex®-M0 MCU and Bluetooth transceiver. The cost-effective BTLC1000-XR and SAMB11-XR modules integrate all bill-of-material (BOM) components with the exception of an antenna and an optional 32kHz crystal, greatly enhancing the customers’ system assembly yield. The BTLC1000-ZR and SAMB11-ZR modules are fully FCC/CE/IC certified and integrate all BOM components including a chip antenna with an optional 32kHz crystal, allowing designers with no prior Bluetooth or Radio Frequency (RF) design experience to add BLE connectivity to their designs. The new modules add to Atmel’s existing industry-leading BLE solutions giving designers additional options to select from cost-effective, ultra-small modules that require an external antenna, or from fully FCC/CE/IC certified ZR modules with an integrated antenna. Both XR and ZR modules are fully-qualified Bluetooth Smart end products with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (BT SIG).

“We are excited to bring additional BLE solutions to the rapidly growing wearable and IoT markets,” said Bert Fransis, Sr. Product Marketing Manager of Bluetooth Solutions, Atmel Corporation. “Catering to wireless application designers of all levels, our new Atmel SmartConnect modules give these designers the critical tools to quickly and easily integrate Bluetooth Smart systems and connectivity. We look forward to bringing more innovative, industry-first BLE solutions to market.”

Atmel’s SmartConnect XR and ZR modules can be powered by a number of different battery types, ranging from coin cell, AA and AAA batteries to Lithium polymer batteries, without the need for external power management circuitry. The modules integrate an innovative Bluetooth Low Energy radio and DSP architecture that deliver extremely low-power consumption along with high performance, and provide a cost-effective solution for many Bluetooth Smart-based applications by integrating an ARM® Cortex®-M0-based application processor.

Availability
The Atmel SmartConnect XR and ZR modules will be commercially available in May 2016.