Leading microcontroller and touch solutions provider Atmel Corporation (ATML) unveiled a new family of wireless transceivers and also announced the launch of two new Power-line Communication (G3-PLC) solutions.

Utility companies globally are evolving rapidly and transitioning to smart grid solutions, and Atmel's industry-leading products are well suited to cater to the growing demand from the smart energy market.

Wireless Transceivers

Atmel extended its SMART metering portfolio with the launch of a new family of wireless transceivers. Products include dual-band sub-1GHz / 2.4GHz transceiver AT86RF215, single band sub-1GHz transceiver AT86RF215M and dual-band I/Q radio AT86RF215IQ.

The transceivers support a range of data rates, thus providing advanced flexibility. Simultaneous functions at sub-1GHz and 2.4GHz can unlock new potential and provide the optimum cost structure with relevance in smart metering, smart lighting, home energy gateways and other automation and industrial equipment.

Atmel transceivers offer optimum RF (Radio Frequency) link budget combined with the industry’s lowest power consumption. The new smart metering solutions enrich Atmel’s offerings to the global utility industry and enable it to capitalize on the extensive adoption of standards-based connectivity solutions.

G3-PLC Solutions

The new Power-line Communication solutions expand and are compatible with Atmel’s smart family of G3-PLC-compliant solutions. The products – SAM4CP16C System-on-Chip (SoC) and ATPL250A modem – add to Atmel’s portfolio of energy metering solutions and are pin-compatible with its PRIME-compliant members.

The SAM4CP16C SoC is a part of Atmel’s distinctive and highly adaptable SAM4Cx platform that provides original equipment manufacturers (:OEM) an ideal and cost-effective integrated solution for advanced smart metering uses. It also accelerates time-to-market, reduces bill of materials and tackles OEM’s need for flexible system partitioning.

Both ATPL250A and SAM4CP16C boast a distinctive integrated Class-D line driver, which provides higher reliability with enhanced thermal characteristics.

OEMs strive to meet high reliability criteria for smart meters at competitive costs. Atmel's solutions are an ideal blend of performance, interoperability, reliability and cost efficiency, thus perfect for catering to OEM requirements.

Utility Market

The utility industry is seeing rapid evolution as environmental and conservation regulations and concerns revolutionize the market for energy, water, and gas metering systems. Conventional meters are being substituted with complex networked systems with a range of communication methods. Atmel’s smart grid solutions are well-placed to attend to the needs of the utility market with its leading-edge connectivity, excellent metrology, highly developed security and flexibility.

Atmel currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Better-ranked stocks in the semiconductor industry that are worth a look include Ambarella, Inc. (AMBA), AXT Inc. (AXTI) and Pericom Semiconductor Corp. (PSEM), each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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