Atmel and Gemplus to Promote Advanced GemCore One-Chip Smart Card Interface
NANTES, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2002--Atmel®
Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML - news) announced today the strengthening of its
partnership with Gemplus, to promote the new monolithic GemCore Pro®
smart card interface, which integrates, the new Atmel T83C5121
microcontroller into their one-chip secure smart card reader.
The improved GemCore one chip solution based on T83C5121 Atmel
microcontroller, offers set-top box, PDA, EFT-POS terminal and mobile
phone manufacturers a unique opportunity to quickly and easily
integrate a universal smart card interface into their devices.
GemCore architectures have all received mandatory certifications
for electronic payment from EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa), ZKA
(Zentraler Kreditausschuss, for the German GeldKarte e-purse system),
Mondex, GIE Cartes Bancaires and Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality
Labs (WHQL) to name but a few. Smart card based applications allow
unrivaled security and are thus perfect for performing secure payments
and transactions from any communicating equipment.
The Atmel T83C5121 integrates a 16-Kbyte on-chip ROM memory, a
DC/DC converter with very high efficiency (75 up to 98%), an ISO7816
UART for easy data transfer to the card and dual slot capability to
address another card (3 volt SIM card). The DC/DC converter powers the
inserted card with the appropriate voltage (5, 3 or 1.8 volt)
regardless of the input voltage. The T83C5121 also includes a unique
power management unit which handles wake up, reset and power fail.
Power down consumption has been optimized to 20 microampere maximum
for mobile applications.
In addition, the T83C5121 contains all the improvements of Atmel's
new C51 core, especially the X2 feature which helps reduce
electro-magnetic emissions, by dividing the crystal frequency by two,
while maintaining the same computing power. For ESD protection card
I/O's have been especially designed to be resistant to 4,000 volts.
Manish Vadher, marketing director for Standard Microcontrollers at
Atmel said, "GemCore including T83C5121 is a definitive step forward
in the innovation of smart card reader applications helping to reduce
time to market for our customers."
Alexandre Lorenzi, Smart Card Interfaces Division director at
Gemplus confirmed, "This cooperation will develop business for both
companies in the fast growing smart card interface market. Gemplus'
expertise in smart card and Atmel's knowledge of the consumer and
telecom markets will help to develop and promote the right solutions
at optimized costs, opening consumer electronics to the promising
world of smart card based applications."
A full set of support tools is also available. It includes a
hardware emulator and a software compiler/simulator and starter kit.
Available in industrial and commercial temperature range, the T83C5121
is packaged in SSOP24, PLCC52 or VQFP44.
Samples with GemCore firmware, complete integration documentation
as well as Gemplus expert services to ensure a smooth certification
process will be available from Gemplus in Q1 2002. Production in
volume will start in Q2 2002. GemCore including T83C5121 achieves a
significant 30% cost reduction which has already convinced major
consumer electronics goods manufacturers to select GemCore as their
preferred smart card interface solution.
About Atmel
Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose,
Calif., with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe.
Atmel designs, manufactures and markets worldwide, advanced logic,
mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also
a leading provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions
using CMOS, BiCMOS, SiGe, and high-voltage BCDMOS process
technologies.
Information
For more information on the T83C5121, go to:
http://www.atmel.com/atmel/acrobat/doc3bd4292684864.pdf
Requests may be sent via e-mail to literature@atmel.com or by
visiting Atmel's website at www.atmel.com.
Note to Editors: Atmel, the Atmel logo and combinations thereof
are registered trademarks and others contained herein, are trademarks
of Atmel Corporation. Terms and product names in this document may be
the trademarks of others.
Contact:
Atmel (Europe)
Arnaud Ruchon, +33 2 40 06 60 23
(Product Marketing manager)
arnaud.ruchon@atmel-wm.com
Veronique Sablereau, +33 1 30 60 70 68
(Corporate Communications Manager)
veronique.sablereau@atmel.com
or
Atmel (U.S. and Asia)
Clive Over, 408/451-2855 (Director of Public Relations)
cliveover@atmel.com
