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The AS3977, the world´s first automotive-qualified ARIB transmitter ASSP (Application Specific Standard Product), was introduced by austriamicrosystems at Convergence 2004. The AS3977 multi-channel narrow band RF transmitter offers increased reliability of data transfer with support of FDMA and TDMA modes for redundant data transmission over distances up to one mile. It is optimal for use in RKE (Remote Keyless Entry) car access control systems and, due to its temperature resistance up to 125oC combined with low power operation modes, also for TPM (Tire Pressure Monitoring) applications. In addition it can be employed in numerous other applications such as SRD (Short Range Devices) digital radio transmission, remote control units, cordless alarm systems, remote metering and low-power telemetry. ARIB (The Association of Radio Industries and Businesses) is Japan's standards development organization for radio technology. AS3977 is the world´s first automotive-qualified transmitter ASSP compliant to ARIB standard STD-T67 for multi-channel narrow band applications in Japan, while in addition also supporting all FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) standards relevant for use in the USA and Europe. The AS3977 is a low-power, fully-integrated Frequency Shift Key (FSK)/Amplitude Shift Key (ASK) transmitter capable of operating at any user-selected ISM frequency from 300 to 1,000MHz. FSK capabilities offer enhanced reliability in data transmission due to increased noise and interference resistance. The AS3977 is based on a sigma-delta controlled fractional-n synthesizer phase locked loop with fully-integrated voltage-controlled oscillator. The power amplifier output is programmable, capable of delivering from -20 dBm to 8 dBm. An on-chip, low drop-out regulator is available for accurate output power independent of supply voltage variation. It can support data rates up to 100kbps, depending on required filtering. The AS3977 includes a reference frequency generator including a crystal oscillator providing the comparison frequency of the PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) and a high-precision clock output. A programmable fractional-n synthesizer with a stepwidth of less than 100Hz generates the RF output frequency. The output signal can be shaped by a Gaussian filter to minimize the occupied bandwidth and adjacent channel power. A subsequent power amplifier amplifies the RF signal and delivers the RF to a single-ended antenna. Additional on-chip antenna tuning capacitors optimize the output power. "With the proliferation of radio and data transmission applications in today's automotive designs, the AS3977 offers designers a single transmitter option for worldwide usage, supporting various ISM bands (Industrial, Scientific, Medical radio bands reserved for non-commercial use of RF communication) according to international standards established by ETSI, ARIB and the FCC," said Bernhard Czar, Director Marketing Automotive for austriamicrosystems. "It is a high-performance transmitter available at a truly competitive price for a wide variety of applications." Additional features include 2.0-3.6V power supply, 4 kV ESD protection (2kV for the RF pins), filtered FSK or ASK, FSK deviation programmable up to 64 kHz, integrated loop filter, 12-20MHz crystal oscillator, digital lock detector and low power-down current consumption.The AS3977 is available in ultra-small QFN16 packages. About austriamicrosystems
austriamicrosystems AG is a leading designer and manufacturer of highly integrated analog intensive mixed signal ICs. austriamicrosystems combines more than 20 years of design capabilities, product and marketing know-how with its own cutting edge analog manufacturing and test facilities. Operating worldwide with more than 800 employees, austriamicrosystems serves four strategic markets: Communications, Industry & Medical, Automotive and Full-Service Foundry. austriamicrosystems AG is listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (ticker symbol: AMS). | 
