LIN Networking

LIN (Local Interconnect Network) is now firmly established in the automobile industry as a low-cost networking solution. LIN networks are used throughout the automobile for comfort electronics as well as powertrain and sensor or actuator node applications. Atmel® have recently released a second generation family of highly integrated LIN system basis chips (SBC), which comply with all LIN standards and boast outstanding ESD protection (6 kV) and EMI performance. Maximum integration will be soon possible with Atmel's forthcoming MCMs (Multi Chip Modules), where the system basis chip is combined, in a single package, with Atmel's own small 8-bit AVR microcontroller.

Atmel offers, alongside the standard LIN transceiver with its best-in-class EMC performance, further SOI-fabricated system-basis ICs, incorporating, a LIN transceiver with integrated voltage regulator with an output voltage of 3.3V/5V. The next integration level introduces the system basis chips. These chips contain an integrated watchdog in addition to a voltage regulator. These ICs, besides the previously mentioned functions, also have an integrated AVR® microcontroller with LIN-compatible UART, a 10-bit ADC with 8 channels, 512 byte EEPROM, and 1 Kbyte SRAM.