ATSAM3N1AA-MU - 48MHz ARM Cortex-M3 MCU 64KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM3N1AA-MU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.85 | $4.85 |
| 10 | $4.42 | $44.20 |
| 100 | $3.95 | $395.00 |
| 500 | $3.55 | $1,775.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.18 | $3,180.00 |
ATSAM3N1AA-MU Overview
A microcontroller unit (MCU) is a single integrated circuit that combines a processor core, memory, and peripherals into one chip, sitting at the heart of embedded systems within the broader hierarchy of semiconductor devices: ARM Cortex-M3 core, 32-bit RISC microcontroller, flash MCU, system-on-chip. MCUs replace multi-chip processor-plus-peripheral designs, reducing BOM cost and board area in embedded products.
Key features include the ARM Cortex-M3 revision 2.0 core with Thumb-2 instruction set, a 24-bit SysTick timer, and a nested vector interrupt controller (NVIC) for deterministic interrupt handling. The ATSAM3N1AA-MU integrates a rich peripheral set typical of the SAM3N series, including UART/USART serial ports, SPI, TWI (I2C), a general-purpose clock-capable timer/counter block, an ADC, and a watchdog timer, enabling single-chip control of cost-sensitive systems.
Technically, the SAM3N series is positioned as the ideal migration path from the SAM3S series for applications that require reduced BOM cost, and it is pin-to-pin compatible with SAM3S parts. Its aggressive price point and high level of integration push its scope of use into cost-sensitive, high-volume applications while preserving the Cortex-M3 tool chain and software reuse of the Atmel/Microchip ARM ecosystem.
Typical applications include industrial control and automation nodes, consumer appliance interfaces, and embedded monitoring or metering systems that need 32-bit performance at 8-bit-class pricing. The 48 MHz core and hardware dividers handle control loops and communication stacks that would overload smaller 8-bit MCUs.
A key design consideration: power the device from a clean 1.8V or 3.3V rail, decouple all supply pins with 100 nF ceramics placed close to the exposed-pad QFN, and solder the exposed pad to a ground plane for thermal and signal integrity.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, pin-to-pin drop-in alternatives within the SAM3N and SAM3S families, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM3N1AA-MU 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 ATSAM3N1AA-MU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in SRAM, Package, Flash Memory, Pin Compatibility, Core Processor.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM3N1BA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3N0AA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3S1AA-MU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$3.34 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM3S4AA-MU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$3.85 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM3N4AA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$4.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM3N1AA-MU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M3 (revision 2.0) |
| Core Size | 32-bit |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 48 MHz |
| Flash Program Memory | 64 KB (64K x 8) |
| SRAM | 8 KB (8K x 8) |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Number of I/O | 47 |
| Instruction Set | Thumb-2 |
| SysTick Counter | 24-bit |
| Interrupt Controller | NVIC (Nested Vector Interrupt Controller) |
| Oscillator Type | Internal |
| Package / Case | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Series | SAM3N |
| Connectivity Peripherals | UART/USART, SPI, TWI (I2C) |
| Pin Compatibility | Pin-to-pin compatible with SAM3S series |
ATSAM3N1AA-MU 48-qfn (7x7 mm) with exposed pad Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM3N1AA-MU (48-qfn (7x7 mm) with exposed pad 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 ATSAM3N1AA-MU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM3N1AA-MU is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Automation Nodes, Consumer Appliance Interfaces, Metering and Smart Monitoring, Embedded Security and Access Control, Portable and Battery-Powered Devices, IoT Sensor Nodes and Edge Interfaces.
Industrial Control and Automation Nodes
The ATSAM3N1AA-MU fits industrial control nodes that need 32-bit headroom at 8-bit-class cost. Its 48 MHz Cortex-M3 core with Thumb-2 instructions executes PID control loops and Modbus or CAN-gateway communication stacks faster than any 8-bit MCU in the same price band, while the NVIC provides deterministic interrupt latency for time-critical I/O. Typically used as a sensor-scan and relay-control controller, reading analog channels via the on-chip ADC and driving outputs through UART, SPI, or TWI links. Because it draws a single 1.62V-3.6V rail, it integrates cleanly on standard 3.3V industrial boards, and its pin-to-pin SAM3S compatibility gives a no-redesign upgrade path when more peripherals are needed.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Interfaces
In consumer appliances - coffee machines, air conditioners, small kitchen devices - the ATSAM3N1AA-MU drives button matrices, LED/LCD indication, and buzzer feedback while managing a temperature sensor on the ADC. The Atmel datasheet explicitly targets the SAM3N series at cost-sensitive, high-volume applications, and its aggressive price point makes 64 KB of Cortex-M3 flash affordable in millions of units. The internal oscillator option removes the need for an external crystal in non-timing-critical designs, cutting BOM further, and the 47 GPIOs cover front-panel and actuator needs without port expanders. Firmware written for SAM3S appliances ports directly thanks to the shared Cortex-M3 toolchain and pin compatibility.
Recommended
Metering and Smart Monitoring
Energy meters, water meters, and environmental monitoring nodes benefit from the ATSAM3N1AA-MU's combination of ADC input, low-power supply range (1.62V-3.6V), and 64 KB flash that accommodates measurement, scaling, and communication firmware together. The MCU samples analog front-ends via the on-chip ADC, accumulates consumption records in SRAM, and reports over UART or TWI to a modem or display driver. The 24-bit SysTick provides stable timebases for tariff clocking. Because the part is pin-to-pin compatible with the SAM3S series, meter platforms can migrate between the cost-optimized SAM3N and the peripheral-richer SAM3S on one PCB as product tiers demand.
Recommended
Embedded Security and Access Control
Access-control panels, card readers, and door controllers use the ATSAM3N1AA-MU to scan keypads, drive Wiegand or UART readers, and manage relay outputs. The Cortex-M3 core at 48 MHz handles protocol framing and simple cryptographic routines (CRC and AES software implementations fit in 64 KB flash), while the NVIC prioritizes tamper-switch interrupts over background housekeeping. The 47 GPIO lines support multiple reader and lock channels from one chip. Designs originally built on SAM3S can drop in this part without layout changes, and the exposed-pad 48-QFN (7x7 mm) keeps the controller small enough to mount inside door-reader enclosures.
Recommended
Portable and Battery-Powered Devices
Handheld instruments and battery-powered dataloggers exploit the ATSAM3N1AA-MU's 1.62V-3.6V supply range, which allows direct operation from two alkaline cells or a single Li-ion rail. The internal oscillator removes crystal cost in non-precise timing roles, and the Cortex-M3's Thumb-2 density means application code finishes faster, letting the firmware spend more time in low-power idle modes between samples. A typical design samples a sensor with the ADC, stores results in the 8 KB SRAM buffer, and periodically uploads over UART. The 48-QFN (7x7 mm) exposed-pad package supports compact, thermally efficient handheld PCBs with minimal external components.
Recommended
IoT Sensor Nodes and Edge Interfaces
The ATSAM3N1AA-MU serves as the local intelligence in IoT sensor nodes, interfacing analog and digital sensors to a wireless module over UART, SPI, or TWI (I2C). Its 48 MHz Cortex-M3 core preprocesses data - filtering, scaling, thresholding - so the radio link carries compact, meaningful payloads, and the 64 KB flash holds the sensor driver stack plus a simple protocol stack. The wide 1.62V-3.6V supply range suits both regulated and battery-fed nodes, and 47 GPIOs accommodate multiple sensor buses. Since it is pin-to-pin compatible with the SAM3S series, edge platforms can scale memory and peripherals up without changing the PCB.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM3N1AA-MU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM3N1BA-MU | ATSAM3N0AA-MU | ATSAM3S1AA-MU | ATSAM3S4AA-MU | ATSAM3N4AA-MU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) |
| 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 | ARM Cortex-M3, 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB | 64 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB |
| SRAM | 8 KB | 16 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 24 KB | 24 KB |
| 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 with SAM3N1AA | Native | Pin-to-pin (same family) | Pin-to-pin (same family) | Pin-to-pin (documented SAM3S/SAM3N compatibility) | Pin-to-pin (documented SAM3S/SAM3N compatibility) | Pin-to-pin (same family) |
| Peripheral Set | SAM3N cost-reduced set | SAM3N cost-reduced set | SAM3N cost-reduced set | SAM3S fuller peripheral set | SAM3S fuller peripheral set | SAM3N cost-reduced set |
Key Differentiators
- Documented pin-to-pin compatibility with the higher-integration SAM3S series (vs ATSAM3S1AA-MU)
- Cost-optimized BOM position (vs ATSAM3S4AA-MU)
- SRAM upgrade without PCB change (vs ATSAM3N1BA-MU)
Design Notes
The 48-QFN (7x7 mm) package includes an exposed pad that must be soldered to a grounded PCB pad array. Use a 4x4 via pattern under the pad to tie it to the ground plane: this provides the primary thermal path and improves signal integrity for the high-speed Cortex-M3 core. Place 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitors within 2 mm of each supply pin pair, plus one 4.7 uF bulk capacitor near the regulator. Follow Atmel/Microchip SAM3N hardware design guidance for the crystal layout if an external crystal is used.
Power the ATSAM3N1AA-MU from a regulated 3.3V or 1.8V rail within the 1.62V-3.6V datasheet range. Use a regulator with under-voltage monitoring or add a supervisor so the MCU does not execute from flash below the minimum voltage - brown-out during flash writes can corrupt non-volatile data. Enable the on-chip brown-out detector in firmware as a second layer of protection. The internal oscillator removes external clock cost for non-precise timing; add a crystal only where UART baud accuracy or measurement timing requires it.
SAM3N and SAM3S are documented as pin-to-pin compatible, but they are not peripheral-identical: before substituting ATSAM3S1AA-MU or ATSAM3S4AA-MU onto a SAM3N board, verify every peripheral register map and clock-tree setting in firmware - code written for SAM3N peripheral addresses may need recompilation and retesting. Similarly, 8 KB SRAM is tight for protocol stacks; monitor stack usage with the linker map. Also note the same family includes memory-scaling variants (N0/N1/N4, A/B suffixes) - select the smallest memory option that fits to preserve BOM headroom.
Compliance Information
Compliance data was not present in the verified web data retrieved for this part. Modern Microchip SAM3N production parts are generally RoHS compliant, but this must be confirmed on the official Microchip product page before design-in.