ATSAM3N0CA-CU - ARM Cortex-M3 48MHz MCU 32KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM3N0CA-CU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.42 | $6.42 |
| 10 | $5.78 | $57.80 |
| 100 | $5.12 | $512.00 |
| 500 | $4.63 | $2,315.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.21 | $4,210.00 |
ATSAM3N0CA-CU Overview
A flash microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip embedded processor that integrates a CPU core, non-volatile program memory, SRAM data memory, and a rich set of peripherals onto one die. MCUs sit at the device level of the embedded-system hierarchy: microcontroller -> embedded processor -> system-on-chip, and they directly drive sensors, actuators, and communication links in end equipment.
Key features of the ATSAM3N0CA-CU 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). Peripherals and clocking support deterministic real-time behavior, while the green, halogen-free, RoHS-compliant TFBGA package conserves board area in dense layouts.
The SAM3N series is pin-to-pin compatible with the legacy SAM7S (48- and 64-pin versions) and with the SAM3S series (48-, 64- and 100-pin versions), enabling firmware and board reuse across migration paths. Microchip supports the family with a complete set of software libraries, project examples, and development tools, shortening design cycles.
Typical applications include consumer appliances, industrial sensing nodes, metering front ends, and PC peripherals where a balance of 48 MHz performance, low cost, and compact 100-ball packaging is required.
Design consideration: the 9x9 mm TFBGA requires controlled-impedance PCB fan-out and reflow assembly; verify your CMOS process capability and plan power decoupling on all VDD/VDDIO ball pairs before layout.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing context, drop-in same-family alternatives, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM3N0CA-CU β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with ATSAM3N0CA-CU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in SRAM, Core Processor, Mounting Type, Instruction Set, Maximum Clock Speed.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM3N1CA-CU
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N2CA-CU
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N4CA-CU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet βATSAM3S4CA-CU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$4.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM3S2CA-CU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$3.6 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM3N0CA-CU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M3 (revision 2.0) |
| Core Size | 32-bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 48 MHz |
| Flash Program Memory | 32KB (32K x 8) |
| SRAM | 8KB |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Typical Supply Rails | 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Series | SAM3N |
| Instruction Set | Thumb-2 |
| SysTick Timer | 24-bit |
| Interrupt Controller | NVIC (Nested Vector Interrupt Controller) |
| Package | 100-TFBGA (9x9 mm) |
| Pin-to-Pin Compatibility | SAM7S (48/64-pin) and SAM3S (48/64/100-pin) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Green) |
| Supplier Device Package | TFBGA-100 |
ATSAM3N0CA-CU tfbga-100 Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM3N0CA-CU (tfbga-100 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 ATSAM3N0CA-CU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM3N0CA-CU is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Sensing Nodes, Consumer Appliances, Metering Front Ends, PC Peripherals and HID Devices, Building Automation Actuators, Handheld Instrumentation.
Industrial Sensing Nodes
The ATSAM3N0CA-CU fits industrial sensor acquisition nodes that need deterministic 32-bit processing in a compact footprint. Its 48 MHz ARM Cortex-M3 core with Thumb-2 instructions and the nested vector interrupt controller provide responsive, prioritized interrupt handling for periodic ADC sampling and communication stacks, while the 32KB Flash and 8KB SRAM are sufficient for a slim RTOS-free control loop with a protocol stack. In a typical node the MCU polls analog front ends, applies filtering, and forwards data over UART/SPI/I2C links. The 9x9 mm 100-TFBGA conserves PCB area in dense DIN-rail or wall-mounted sensor housings, and the 1.62V-3.6V supply range tolerates industrial 3.3V rail variation.
Recommended
Consumer Appliances
White goods and small appliances need a low-cost controller that manages user interfaces, motor start logic, and safety interlocks. The ATSAM3N0CA-CU serves this role with its 48 MHz Cortex-M3 core delivering headroom over 8-bit MCUs while remaining at the entry level of the SAM3N cost ladder. The 32KB Flash holds a UI state machine, button/encoder scanning, and display driving code, and the 8KB SRAM accommodates buffering without external memory. Its green, RoHS-compliant TFBGA-100 package meets consumer environmental directives, and pin-to-pin compatibility with SAM3S lets one PCB platform scale across appliance tiers by swapping memory-graded variants without layout changes.
Recommended
Metering Front Ends
Electricity and utility meters benefit from the ATSAM3N0CA-CU's combination of 32-bit computation and small footprint. The Cortex-M3 core at 48 MHz executes metrology-related math, such as RMS accumulation and tariff accounting, faster than comparable low-cost MCUs, and the 24-bit SysTick timer provides a deterministic tick for sampling schedules. The 32KB Flash stores metrology firmware and calibration tables, and SRAM-backed accumulators survive normal operation. Because the SAM3N series is pin-to-pin compatible with SAM3S in the 100-pin version, meter platforms can migrate to analog-enhanced SAM3S variants as metrology requirements grow, protecting the PCB investment across product generations.
Recommended
PC Peripherals and HID Devices
Keyboards, presentation controllers, and other HID-class peripherals need quiet, efficient firmware execution with minimal board space. The ATSAM3N0CA-CU's 48 MHz Cortex-M3 handles scan matrices, debouncing, and report assembly with large timing margins, while its 32KB/8KB memory pair matches the footprint of lean USB-class firmware. The 100-ball TFBGA allows routing beneath the device, freeing outer board layers for the USB differential pair and LED driving circuitry. The industrial temperature grade provides margin for peripherals that sit near warm host electronics, and the device's low-cost tier keeps the bill of materials competitive in consumer accessory markets.
Recommended
Building Automation Actuators
Dampers, valve actuators, and relay-control nodes in building automation use the ATSAM3N0CA-CU as the local control processor. The NVIC-based interrupt architecture supports precise PWM generation for motor drive and periodic scheduling of bus communication, while the 48 MHz core executes PID loops with ample cycle margin. Its 1.62V-3.6V operating range aligns with 3.3V logic used by RS-485 transceivers and room-controller links. The compact 9x9 mm TFBGA enables dense actuator PCBs, and the SAM3N-to-SAM3S pin compatibility documented by Microchip allows a single actuator board design to serve economy (SAM3N0) and premium (SAM3S4, richer analog) product lines.
Recommended
Handheld Instrumentation
Portable meters and diagnostic tools pair the ATSAM3N0CA-CU with battery-fed 3.3V rails. The device's supply range of 1.62V-3.6V maximizes usable battery voltage span, and the efficient Cortex-M3 core with Thumb-2 code density extends runtime compared with wider-instruction cores at equal performance. The 24-bit SysTick supports precise measurement timing, and the 32KB Flash accommodates data-logging plus display-driving firmware typical of handheld instruments. The 100-TFBGA's small 9x9 mm body helps meet slim enclosure targets, though designers must budget for BGA assembly in low-volume production, or use pin-compatible QFP SAM3N siblings for hand-assembly prototypes.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM3N0CA-CU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM3N1CA-CU | ATSAM3N2CA-CU | ATSAM3N4CA-CU | ATSAM3S4CA-CU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 100-TFBGA (9x9 mm) | 100-TFBGA (9x9 mm) - same | 100-TFBGA (9x9 mm) - same | 100-TFBGA (9x9 mm) - same | 100-TFBGA (9x9 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core / Max Speed | ARM Cortex-M3, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M3, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M3, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M3, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M3, 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 32KB | 64KB | 128KB | 256KB | 256KB |
| Series / Analog Features | SAM3N (entry level) | SAM3N (entry level) | SAM3N (entry level) | SAM3N (top grade) | SAM3S (enhanced analog) |
| Pin-to-Pin Compatibility | SAM7S / SAM3S compatible | Yes - same SAM3N family | Yes - same SAM3N family | Yes - same SAM3N family | Yes - SAM3N pin-to-pin compatible with SAM3S 100-pin |
| RoHS / Green Package | Compliant (Grn) | Compliant (Grn, -CU suffix) | Compliant (Grn, -CU suffix) | Compliant (Grn, -CU suffix) | Compliant (Grn, -CU suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-cost memory grade with 100-pin scalability (vs ATSAM3N4CA-CU)
- Pin-to-pin migration from legacy ARM7 designs (vs AT91SAM7X128B-CU)
- Upgrade path with enhanced analog (vs ATSAM3S4CA-CU)
Design Notes
The 100-TFBGA (9x9 mm) uses a fine ball pitch that requires a 4-layer PCB with dedicated power and ground planes for reliable fan-out. Use dog-bone escapes or via-in-pad (with fill and plating) beneath the array, and confirm your fabricator's BGA capability and IPC-compliant reflow profile. BGA rework is expensive, so prototype the land pattern against the SAM3N datasheet package drawing before committing to the panel. If hand assembly or low-volume prototyping is planned, consider the pin-compatible SAM3N QFP siblings instead of the -CU BGA variant.
Power the ATSAM3N0CA-CU from a regulated 3.3V rail within the 1.62V-3.6V datasheet range. Decouple every VDD/VDDIO ball pair with 100 nF ceramics placed as close to the balls as the escape routing allows, and add 4.7 uF-10 uF of bulk capacitance near the device. Distribute ground return vias across the array so that I/O switching currents do not share high-impedance return paths. Verify brown-out detector thresholds against your supply's ramp and transient behavior so the core never executes from Flash during an undervoltage event.
A frequent migration mistake is assuming any 'BGA-100 Cortex-M3' shares the SAM3N ball map: devices such as the AT91SAM7X128B-CU or SAM E70 in TFBGA-100 are package-similar only and are NOT drop-ins. Restrict substitutions to SAM3N 100-pin family members or the datasheet-confirmed SAM3S 100-pin compatible parts. Also budget firmware size against the 32KB Flash with at least 20% headroom, and remember that -CU suffix ordering codes must match exactly, as other suffix letters denote different packages or temperature grades.
Compliance Information
Mouser lists the part as 'BGA, Grn, IT, MRL A' - Grn indicates green (halogen-free/lead-free) packaging and IT indicates industrial temperature. REACH and conflict-minerals status not stated in provided data.
