Atmel Introduces a Ready-to-Use Ultra-Low-Power MP3 Decoder for Mobile Phones

New Chip Provides Increased Functions, Optimized System Size, Cost and Time-to-Market

July 18, 2005 --Nantes, France -- Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML), a global leader in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced today a new ready-to-use single-chip MP3 decoder combining all the features to allow a mobile phone to play MP3 music and ring tones and to convert it into a pen drive.

With time-to-market being key in the mobile phone market, the AT83SND2CMP3 requires minimal firmware development. An easy-to-implement protocol can be added to the baseband firmware. The baseband processor, acting as a master, controls the slave player with simple commands such as: Play, Pause, Stop, Next, Copy File, Get File. In case of a call, the player is stopped and any MP3 ring tones can be activated. The call is directed by the AT83SND2CMP3 to the earphone or to the speaker. Its low power consumption down to 37 mA offers longer battery life compared to currently available MP3 decoder solutions.

The AT83SND2CMP3 can also act as a mass storage controller for NAND Flash, MultiMediaCard (MMC), Xd-Picture Card, Secure Digital, allowing phones using this chip to play MP3 files or store pictures from a mobile phone-camera.

"The AT83SND2CMP3 converts your mobile phone into a versatile, portable multimedia player," said Bernard Bancelin, Marketing Manager of Audio Line at Atmel. "You can quickly create two products in one: a mobile phone and a pen drive. It can be implemented in less than a month by adding basic commands to the baseband protocol. While other MP3 decoder suppliers offer more expensive solutions, Atmel lets mobile phone manufacturers eliminate the MIDI generator and combine USB-Disk, MP3 Player and MMC/SD Card Reader into the same housing for only an extra dollar," he added.

The 9mm x 9mm BGA 100-pin package allows it to easily fit into the limited space of mobile phone systems.

The AT83SND2CMP3 is available in industrial temperature range. Pricing in 500,000-unit quantities is US$3.85.

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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