Atmel Introduces an AVR USB 2.4GHz Wireless Reference Design for Battery-based PC Peripherals

Atmel Introduces an AVR USB 2.4GHz Wireless Reference Design for Battery-based PC Peripherals

Atmel Corporation, announced the AVRUSBRF01 reference design for development with AVR® microcontrollers in the un-licensed 2.4 GHz ISM band and connection to PCs with USB. USB is the standard interface for connecting PC peripherals but wireless is becoming increasingly popular for peripherals like mice, keyboards, etc. Many desktops now offer WLAN and Bluetooth is on most laptops. Both wireless standards come with a power consumption, which is not compatible with devices operating from simple batteries for prolonged periods. The AVRUSBRF01 enables the PC-Wireless connectivity using AVR USB microcontrollers. Designers can then develop battery-based, wireless peripheral applications using Atmel's 1.8V picoPower™ AVR microcontrollers that feature low power consumption. By using the same architecture and development platform for a complete project, designers can concentrate on end-product optimization and get to the market faster.

The AVRUSBRF01 is based on the Atmel AT90USB162 microcontroller, which allows connection to a PC through the USB. This kit can be programmed through the USB and implement various standard USB device classes for input devices (Human Interface Device), generic HID I/O, communication (Communication Device Class), etc. The AVR USB can also support composite device classes, combining for instance and HID interface for remote control and an Audio interface for audio streaming.

The kit contains two identical AVR USB RF modules and can connect to two different USB ports to establish wireless communication and evaluate the solution. They can also communicate with wireless peripherals derived from this reference design.