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Atmel Introduces Image Playback ICs for Display of Pictures or Clips stored in Digital Camera Flash Memory on TVs, Projectors and LCD Panels

Business Wire, August 27, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 2002

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML) today announced the introduction of a new family of products targeted for playing back images stored in flash cards and projecting them to a variety of display devices such as analog and digital TVs, digital cameras, LCD panels, projectors, etc. The first product in this line, AT76C112 has the ability to read images and video clips stored in flash cards, decompress them, and display them on the target display system. It supports SD(TM) (Secure Digital), MMC(TM) (MultiMedia Card), Memorystick(R), CompactFlash(R), SSFDC (Solid State Floppy Disk Card), and Atmel DataFlash(R) cards. Samples and software libraries are available now, evaluation boards will be available beginning of September. Production is now ramping up in support of several digital TV and multimedia projector manufacturers who are expected to announce end products this year.

AT76C112, which is the first of a family of products, is the most highly integrated flash card playback device in the market today. It requires fewer support chips than any other competitive product currently available. Based on an on-chip embedded ARM7(R) processor that controls the entire device, AT76C112 provides many hardware features, including compression/decompression engines, interfaces for all Flash cards, and system interfaces such as full speed USB and UART, as well as digital video output.

The device can be used in a variety of applications ranging from multimedia play back device, to flash card reader-assessor for PC applications.

Atmel's director of Multimedia Products, Tassos Markas remarked, "This technology enables consumers to view their pictures at a much higher resolution compared with traditional paper. Also, it can do it in a much more relaxed, user-friendly setting. With the rapid growth of digital still camera market and the high volume of digital imaging content, we expect that this new line of products will allow Atmel to grow our digital still camera IC business."

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.

Note to Editors: Atmel, the Atmel logo and combinations thereof are registered trademarks, and others contained herein are trademarks, of Atmel Corporation. Other terms and product names in this document may be the trademarks of others.

Information:

For more information on the AT76C112, go to: http://www.atmel.com/atmel/acrobat/2372s.pdf.> More information on Atmel's other imaging processors can be retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/atmel/acrobat/2372s.pdf.>