ATSAM3N00BA-MU - ARM Cortex-M3 48MHz 16KB MCU | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM3N00BA-MU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.2 | $4.20 |
| 10 | $3.82 | $38.20 |
| 100 | $3.45 | $345.00 |
| 500 | $3.1 | $1,550.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.78 | $2,780.00 |
ATSAM3N00BA-MU Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a processor core, program memory, data memory, and peripherals such as timers, serial interfaces, and analog-to-digital converters. Within the semiconductor hierarchy, the ATSAM3N00BA belongs to the microcontroller class, specifically the 32-bit ARM-based Flash MCU family, which sits above 8-bit MCUs in processing throughput while remaining below application processors in complexity. The SAM3N series targets cost-sensitive, low-power embedded control designs.
Key features include the ARM Cortex-M3 revision 2.0 core with Thumb-2 instruction set, a 24-bit SysTick counter, and a Nested Vector Interrupt Controller (NVIC) for deterministic interrupt handling. Per the Atmel/Microchip datasheet, the device is pin-to-pin compatible with SAM7S legacy products (48- and 64-pin versions) and SAM3S (48-, 64-, and 100-pin versions), which significantly eases migration between family members and legacy designs. The 128-bit wide Flash access with memory accelerator sustains near-zero-wait-state execution at 48 MHz.
The SAM3N architecture separates the core bus from the peripheral bus, so peripheral accesses do not stall core execution. The 16 KB Flash supports in-system programming, and the 4 KB SRAM handles application data and stacks for compact embedded firmware. Supply voltage ranges from 1.62 V to 3.6 V per distributor-verified specifications, supporting both Li-ion-tolerant and 3.3 V industrial rails. Industrial temperature grade operation supports harsh environments.
Typical applications include industrial automation nodes, consumer appliance control, metering front-ends, and legacy SAM7S redesigns where pin compatibility reduces PCB changes. The 64-QFN footprint with exposed pad also suits compact sensing and actuation boards.
A key design consideration is Flash density: at 16 KB, the ATSAM3N00BA suits RTOS-free or bare-metal firmware; if code grows, the pin-compatible ATSAM3N001BA/002BA/004BA offer 32/64/128 KB in the identical 64-QFN footprint.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-family alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM3N00BA-MU β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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ATSAM3N001BA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N002BA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N004BA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N1ABA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N1CBA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N00BA-MU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M3 revision 2.0 |
| Core Size | 32-bit |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 48 MHz |
| Program Memory Type | Flash |
| Program Memory Size | 16 KB (16K x 8) |
| RAM Size | 4 KB (4K x 8) |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Series | SAM3N |
| Instruction Set | Thumb-2 |
| SysTick Counter | 24-bit |
| Interrupt Controller | Nested Vector Interrupt Controller (NVIC) |
| Flash Access | 128-bit wide with memory accelerator |
| Pin Compatibility | SAM7S (48/64-pin), SAM3S (48/64/100-pin) |
| Package | 64-QFN (9x9 mm) |
| Package Code | HVQCCN (square, no-lead) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Number of Terminals | 64 |
| Terminal Form | No Lead |
ATSAM3N00BA-MU hvqccn (square, no-lead) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM3N00BA-MU (hvqccn (square, no-lead) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for ATSAM3N00BA-MU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM3N00BA-MU is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Automation Control Nodes, Legacy SAM7S Design Migration, Metering and Smart Utility Front-Ends, Consumer Appliance Control Boards, Sensor Acquisition and Data Loggers, Motor Control and Actuation Subsystems.
Industrial Automation Control Nodes
The ATSAM3N00BA-MU fits industrial automation control nodes because its 48 MHz ARM Cortex-M3 core with Thumb-2 instruction set delivers the deterministic interrupt latency that actuator and sensor-hub firmware requires, while the Nested Vector Interrupt Controller prioritizes time-critical tasks such as motor commutation loops and Modbus polling. Its 1.62 V to 3.6 V supply range connects directly to standard 3.3 V industrial rails, and the industrial temperature grade supports control cabinets and machine-mounted electronics. The 16 KB Flash accommodates compact polling-and-control firmware, and the pin-compatible ATSAM3N002BA/004BA variants provide an upgrade path to 64 KB or 128 KB on the same PCB if logic complexity grows. Placed as the local supervisory MCU beneath a PLC master, it handles I/O scanning, watchdog supervision, and serial fieldbus framing with no external glue logic.
Recommended
Legacy SAM7S Design Migration
The primary migration application for the ATSAM3N00BA-MU is refreshing designs built around Atmel SAM7S 64-pin microcontrollers. According to the datasheet, the SAM3N is pin-to-pin compatible with SAM7S in 48- and 64-pin versions, so the existing PCB land pattern, connector positions, and peripheral wiring remain unchanged when swapping the legacy part for the modern Cortex-M3 device. Engineers gain the Thumb-2 instruction set, a 24-bit SysTick timer, the memory-accelerated 128-bit Flash interface, and Microchip's current toolchain support while retaining every board-level design decision. The migration typically requires only recompiled firmware, since peripheral base addresses and some register maps differ from SAM7S. This lowers qualification risk for medical, metering, and industrial products with long service lifetimes whose original MCU is aging or facing supply constraints.
Recommended
Metering and Smart Utility Front-Ends
Electricity, water, and gas metering electronics benefit from the ATSAM3N00BA-MU's combination of low 1.62 V minimum supply, industrial temperature range, and 48 MHz Cortex-M3 throughput for real-time sample accumulation and protocol handling. The memory accelerator sustains near-zero-wait-state execution, so metrology accumulation loops run predictably alongside DLMS/COSEM or M-Bus framing in the 16 KB Flash for basic meter variants. The 64-QFN 9x9 mm package keeps the metering PCB compact behind the display, and the no-lead construction aids assembly yield in high-volume production. Because battery-backed or capacitor-ride-through operation is common in meters, the device's supply range tolerates a sagging rail during brownout events. For advanced meters needing larger firmware images, pin-compatible ATSAM3N002BA or ATSAM3N004BA parts drop onto the identical footprint without respin.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Boards
Consumer appliance control boards - washing machines, rice cookers, ventilation units - need a cost-effective 32-bit MCU with enough headroom for menu logic, touch/button scanning, and motor or heater control. The ATSAM3N00BA-MU's 48 MHz Cortex-M3 handles PID heater loops and PWM motor drive timing deterministically through the NVIC, while the GREEN RoHS-oriented package classification aligns with consumer compliance requirements. The 16 KB Flash suits appliances with fixed, well-tested control firmware, and the industrial temperature grade adds margin for hot enclosure environments near motors and heating elements. Its 1.62 V to 3.6 V operation allows direct powering from a 3.3 V regulator shared with the display driver. When feature upgrades demand more code space, the pin-compatible SAM3N family ladder (001BA through 004BA) lets one PCB layout serve multiple product tiers with only a BOM change.
Recommended
Sensor Acquisition and Data Loggers
Battery-powered sensor acquisition nodes and data loggers use the ATSAM3N00BA-MU to timestamp, scale, and buffer ADC readings from external sensor front-ends. The 48 MHz Cortex-M3 core processes filtering and averaging rapidly, then spends the majority of the cycle in low-power idle, extending battery life in 3 V lithium or 2x AA configurations supported by the 1.62 V to 3.6 V supply range. The 4 KB SRAM buffers a meaningful window of samples before a bulk write to external Flash or transmission over a serial link. The 24-bit SysTick counter provides drift-free timestamping for event logs. Industrial temperature grading permits deployment in unconditioned outdoor or cold-chain environments. Firmware for periodic logging typically fits comfortably in the 16 KB Flash, keeping the BOM at the entry point of the pin-compatible SAM3N family.
Recommended
Motor Control and Actuation Subsystems
Small motor control and actuation subsystems - fans, dampers, latches, and pumps - rely on the ATSAM3N00BA-MU's deterministic 48 MHz execution to generate precise PWM waveforms and close current or position loops at kilohertz rates. The Cortex-M3 NVIC allows the control ISR to preempt slower communication and housekeeping code, keeping PWM jitter low for acoustic and efficiency reasons. The industrial temperature rating supports motor-adjacent mounting where ambient temperatures exceed consumer limits, and the no-lead 64-QFN package provides short, low-inductance connections for gate-drive signaling. With 16 KB Flash, compact sensorless or Hall-based control firmware fits without compression, and the pin-compatible ATSAM3N001BA/002BA upgrade path supports adding fieldbus interfaces later on the same PCB. The 1.62 V minimum supply also enables direct interfacing with low-voltage gate-driver logic.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM3N00BA-MU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM3N001BA-MU | ATSAM3N002BA-MU | ATSAM3N004BA-MU | ATSAM3N1ABA-MU | ATSAM3N1CBA-MU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 64-QFN (9x9 mm) | 64-QFN (9x9 mm) - same | 64-QFN (9x9 mm) - same | 64-QFN (9x9 mm) - same | 64-QFN (9x9 mm) - same | 64-QFN (9x9 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M3 rev 2.0 | ARM Cortex-M3 | ARM Cortex-M3 | ARM Cortex-M3 | ARM Cortex-M3 | ARM Cortex-M3 |
| Max Clock Speed | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Pin Compatibility | SAM7S 64-pin, SAM3S 64-pin | Identical SAM3N BA footprint | Identical SAM3N BA footprint | Identical SAM3N BA footprint | Identical SAM3N BA footprint | Identical SAM3N BA footprint |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest Flash density in the pin-compatible SAM3N BA family (vs ATSAM3N004BA-MU)
- ARM Cortex-M3 performance retained at entry-level memory (vs ATSAM3N001BA-MU)
- Pin-to-pin compatibility with legacy SAM7S and SAM3S (vs Non-SAM alternatives (e.g., other vendors' Cortex-M MCUs))
Design Notes
Flash budget discipline: the ATSAM3N00BA-MU provides only 16 KB Flash and 4 KB SRAM. Compile with size optimization (-Os), avoid heavyweight RTOS kernels, and reserve at least 15-20% headroom for field firmware updates. Before finalizing the PCB, verify your worst-case code size against the pin-compatible ATSAM3N002BA/004BA ladder - because the BA (64-pin) footprint is shared across the SAM3N family per the datasheet, an upgrade is a BOM swap, not a respin.
Decouple the 1.62 V to 3.6 V supply with 100 nF ceramic capacitors at multiple VDD pins of the 64-QFN package, placed within 2 mm of each supply pin, plus one bulk 4.7-10 uF capacitor near the device. Because QFN parts have low internal inductance but the land-pattern vias dominate supply impedance, use short, wide traces or dedicated via pairs per supply pin group. Follow the SAM3N datasheet power distribution recommendations and Microchip SAM3N evaluation board layouts as reference patterns.
QFN land-pattern design determines both assembly yield and thermal/electrical performance. Follow IPC-recommended QFN footprint geometry (non-solder-mask-defined pads slightly extended beyond the package body) so solder fillets form on the perimeter terminals, and connect the exposed center pad to a grounded copper pour with an array of thermal vias. The 9x9 mm 64-QFN body tolerates standard reflow profiles, but paste stencil apertures of roughly 50-60% on the center pad prevent floating (Z-height) defects during assembly.
The ARM Cortex-M3 core switching at 48 MHz with a memory-accelerated Flash interface produces harmonics well into the tens of megahertz. Route the SWD debug lines (SWCLK/SWDIO) away from analog sensor traces, and keep crystal or oscillator connections as short as possible with guard ground. Per the datasheet the device is pin-compatible with SAM7S boards, but legacy SAM7S layouts optimized for 55 MHz operation should still be reviewed for return-current paths when reusing them with the SAM3N.
Compliance Information
Mouser lists the part as QFN, GREEN, IND TEMP, MRL A - Microchip's GREEN classification indicates lead-free RoHS-oriented packaging. Full RoHS/REACH certificates should be obtained from Microchip's official product page; exact compliance documents were not present in the verified data.
