Atmel achieves UL certification for QTouch capacitive-touch controllers for household appliances

Atmel Corporation and UL (Underwriters Laboratories) have announced that Atmel has achieved certification for the UL 60730-1, a standard for automatic electrical controls for household and similar use, for the AT42QT1244/5 and AT42QT1481 capacitive touch controllers. Atmel received a certification for functional safety for the Class B and C requirements related to control functions for integrated circuits with capacitive touch capabilities for button, slider, and wheel functionality. Atmel have optimized these controllers for household appliances such as stovetops, microwave ovens, coffee makers, and clothes washers and dryers. The UL 60730-1 certification applies to the electrical and functional safety of automatic electrical controls for all applications including household equipment, from simple individual controls to those with multiple functions, touch enabled or not. Since UL 60730-1 and associated part 2 standards are harmonized to their IEC equivalents, certification for these standards will allow OEMs to achieve the appropriate certification for their products and facilitate global market access. The AT42QT1244/5 and AT42QT1481 UL-certified capacitive touch controllers have also achieved VDE (Verband der Elektrotechnik) certification to help OEMs achieve IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and EN (European Standards) certifications for household appliances. "UL is committed to meeting the business needs of all component manufacturers in the safety supply chain for safety critical systems and sub-systems. This certification gives OEMs the confidence that an ATQT1244/5 or ATQT1481 capacitive touch controller meets the functional safety requirements corresponding to Class B or C control functions," said Kevin Connelly, functional safety business development manager for UL LLC. "More simply put, when designing a safety-related control in an application that requires UL60730-1 compliance, the fact that UL has already determined compliance for these controls will greatly reduce design time and effort in every downstream link in the supply chain." "OEMs selecting Atmel UL-certified devices now achieve system-level certifications faster, helping them bring attractive products to market faster while conforming to stringent safety regulations required for home appliance user interfaces," said Patrick Hanley, marketing manager for touch controllers, Atmel Corporation. "For end users, certifications help ensure safety, quality and integrity in their household products. As a touch leader, Atmel is committed to innovation that fuels the ongoing accelerated proliferation of touch capability in the household appliances market." Atmel