The AVR family of microcontrollers has two new siblings targeting high-volume USB applications ranging from high-performance human-interface devices to wireless adapters. Based on the 8-bit AVR core, the AT90USB82 and AT90USB162 from Atmel Corp. feature a full-speed (12-Mbit/s) controller. They incorporate 8 and 16 kbytes of flash memory, respectively, allowing in-system programming directly through their USB interface. An on-chip 512-byte EEPROM allows users to set parameters without interfering with the application.
SPI and UART interfaces permit communication with external components. A 100-mA voltage regulator on the chips can power companion devices like laser sensors for high-performance mice or RF transceivers for wireless adapters. The devices also offer 21 general-purpose I/Os that can be used to detect interrupts. This is very useful for applications like high-end mice or joysticks, which have an increasing number of switches. The full-speed USB bandwidth allows the flash memory to be programmed in 0.5 s. The program can be loaded at the end of the manufacturing line without the need for a dedicated connector, which reduces cost and the space needed.
Evaluation and debugging tools are available now. The STK development kit costs $199. The AT 90USB162 comes in a 32-pin QFN or TQFP package. It’s available now and costs $1.65 in lots of 10,000. The AT90USB82 comes in a QFN package. It will be available in 3Q 2007 at a cost of $1.45 in lots of 10,000. For more information, go to www.atmel.com/products/AVR/USB/.