ATSAM4L-EK - SAM4L Cortex-M4 Evaluation Kit | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4L-EK ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $210 | $210.00 |
| 10 | $210 | $2,100.00 |
| 100 | $210 | $21,000.00 |
| 500 | $210 | $105,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $210 | $210,000.00 |
ATSAM4L-EK Overview
An MCU evaluation kit is a complete hardware development platform that mounts the target microcontroller together with on-board peripherals, a debugger, and demonstration firmware, allowing engineers to assess silicon behavior before committing to a custom PCB. Evaluation kits sit at the top of the embedded development hierarchy: silicon -> MCU -> evaluation kit -> custom application board.
Key features of the ATSAM4L-EK include the ATSAM4LC4C Cortex-M4 device built on Atmel picoPower technology, which delivers the lowest active and sleep-mode power with the shortest wake-up time in its class. The board integrates a board monitor subsystem with an OLED color display and a dedicated power-measurement stage for profiling ATSAM4LC4C consumption in real time, a capacitive QTouch slider and button, a 4x40 segment LCD, a joystick, and 5 user LEDs.
The embedded Segger J-Link OB module provides debug and programming over USB without any external tools, and the kit is fully supported by Atmel Studio / Microchip Studio with the Atmel AVR32850 User Guide and Zephyr RTOS board support (sam4l_ek). The Peripheral Event System and SleepWalking capabilities of the SAM4L series can be exercised directly on this platform.
Typical applications for evaluation include ultra-low-power battery-powered devices, LCD-based metering and human-machine interfaces, and capacitive-touch control panels.
When evaluating, use the on-board power measurement stage to correlate firmware sleep policies with measured current draw.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, related-kit comparisons, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer user guide.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4L-EK — 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 ATSAM4L-EK (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC Resolution, Active Mode Current, Core, Debug Interface, Flash Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4L-XPRO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$71.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4LC8BA-UUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMDA1-XPRO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM3S-EK
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →ATSAM4E16CB-CN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.79 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4L-EK Specifications (manufacturer-published)
| Product Type | MCU Evaluation Kit |
| Target MCU | ATSAM4LC4C |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit |
| Target MCU Flash | 256 KB |
| Target MCU SRAM | 32 KB |
| Clock Sources On Board | 32.768 kHz / 12 MHz |
| Data Bus Width | 32 bit |
| Debug Interface | Segger J-Link OB (embedded debugger), USB |
| Display | Board monitor OLED color display |
| Segment LCD | 4x40 segment LCD |
| Touch Interface | QTouch slider and button (capacitive) |
| User Inputs | Joystick |
| User Indicators | 5 x LEDs |
| Power Measurement | Dedicated power measurement stage for ATSAM4LC4C |
| Interface Type | USB |
| Contents | Board, Cables |
| Supported Toolchain | Microchip/Atmel Studio, Zephyr RTOS (sam4l_ek board) |
| Low Power Technology | Atmel picoPower |
ATSAM4L-EK Interfaces & Connectors
No manufacturer-published interface list is available for ATSAM4L-EK. Refer to the manufacturer documentation for connector and header details.
Refer to the manufacturer documentation for the full expansion header pinout and connector pin numbering.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4L-EK is suitable for 6 applications: Ultra-Low-Power Battery Device Evaluation, Segment LCD Human-Machine Interfaces, Capacitive Touch Control Panels, Cortex-M4 Firmware Prototyping, Metering and Data Logger Prototypes, Education and Embedded Training Labs.
Ultra-Low-Power Battery Device Evaluation
The ATSAM4L-EK is purpose-built to evaluate battery-powered designs based on the SAM4L family, whose picoPower technology delivers the lowest active and sleep mode power and the shortest wake-up time in its class. The on-board power measurement stage, monitored through the OLED color display, lets engineers measure real ATSAM4LC4C supply current under different firmware sleep policies. Developers can validate sleep-current budgets, wake-up latency from the 32.768kHz clock domain, and SleepWalking peripheral behavior before designing a custom PCB. The trade-off is that the kit draws its own overhead current, so final current profiling should be repeated on the production board with the measurement stage disconnected.
Recommended
Segment LCD Human-Machine Interfaces
The 4x40 segment LCD on the ATSAM4L-EK directly exercises the SAM4L series segment LCD controller, a peripheral that drives glass directly without external drivers. Engineers developing utility meters, thermostats, and panel meters can prototype contrast, frame rates, and low-power LCD biasing on this kit and measure the LCD controller contribution to total system current via the power measurement stage. Because the segment LCD controller can run while the CPU sleeps using SleepWalking, the kit demonstrates how display refresh continues at microamp-level system current. Designs validated here port directly to ATSAM4LC4C-based production boards using the same LCD driver APIs in Microchip Studio.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch Control Panels
The ATSAM4L-EK integrates a QTouch capacitive slider and button driven by the SAM4L embedded hardware capacitive touch peripheral, enabling evaluation of touch sensitivity, drift compensation, and water-tolerance algorithms without external touch ICs. Developers can run QTouch library projects in Microchip Studio and tune threshold parameters in real time through the embedded Segger J-Link OB debugger. Because touch acquisition is hardware-based, the CPU can remain asleep between scans, and the on-board power measurement stage quantifies the energy cost per touch scan. This workflow is ideal for appliance, lighting, and industrial control panels where the ATSAM4LC4C will replace discrete touch controllers.
Recommended
Cortex-M4 Firmware Prototyping
With an ARM Cortex-M4 core, 256KB Flash, 32KB SRAM, and 12MHz / 32.768kHz clock sources, the ATSAM4L-EK is a complete prototyping target for general 32-bit embedded firmware. The embedded Segger J-Link OB debugger supports flash programming, breakpoints, and instruction trace over a single USB cable, while official Zephyr RTOS board support (sam4l_ek) allows modern RTOS-based development. The Peripheral Event System, USART, SPI, and I2C peripherals of the SAM4L series can be exercised with the kit's headers and demonstration firmware. This makes the kit an efficient way to qualify code architecture before committing to custom hardware or to the bare ATSAM4LC8BA-UUR component.
Recommended
Metering and Data Logger Prototypes
Combining the segment LCD, low-power sleep modes, and serial peripherals (USART, SPI, I2C per the SAM4L datasheet summary), the ATSAM4L-EK suits prototyping of utility meters, loggers, and panel instruments. The 128-bit AES engine of the SAM4L series supports secure data handling in metering topologies, and the Peripheral Event System allows sensor data to move between peripherals without CPU intervention, reducing active duty cycle. Engineers can log measured current consumption alongside firmware events using the board monitor OLED power stage, then scale the validated power budget to a production ATSAM4LC4C design. External sensor boards connect through the kit headers over USB-powered bench setups.
Recommended
Education and Embedded Training Labs
The ATSAM4L-EK is well suited to university labs and corporate training because it combines a mainstream ARM Cortex-M4 MCU with visible, self-contained peripherals: OLED display, segment LCD, joystick, LEDs, and a touch slider, all debuggable through the on-board Segger J-Link OB. A single USB cable powers, programs, and debugs the board, minimizing lab setup cost. Official documentation, including the Atmel AVR32850 user guide and Zephyr sam4l_ek board support, provides structured learning paths from blinky to power measurement exercises. At approximately $210.00 per kit, institutions can equip benches without separate debugger purchases required by bare ATSAM4LC4C-based designs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4L-EK — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4L-XPRO | ATSAMDA1-XPRO | ATSAM3S-EK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | ATSAM4L-EK full-featured evaluation board | Xplained Pro evaluation board | Xplained Pro evaluation board | Atmel EK evaluation board |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) |
| Target Core | ARM Cortex-M4 (ATSAM4LC4C) | ARM Cortex-M4 (SAM4L) | ARM Cortex-M0+ (SAM DA1) | ARM Cortex-M3 (SAM3S) |
Key Differentiators
- Dedicated power measurement stage with OLED board monitor (vs ATSAM4L-XPRO)
- Richer display peripheral set (vs ATSAMDA1-XPRO)
- Cortex-M4 core with picoPower benchmarking (vs ATSAM3S-EK)
Design Notes
Use the dedicated power measurement stage for the ATSAM4LC4C when profiling firmware sleep behavior. Remember that measurement-stage shunt resistance and kit overhead add to readings; per the Atmel AVR32850 user guide, correlate OLED board-monitor readings with an external precision ammeter for sub-10 uA sleep currents. Validate final budgets on the production PCB, since the 32.768kHz crystal and decoupling on the EK may differ from your layout.
Do not treat the kit as a drop-in component replacement: the ATSAM4L-EK evaluates the ATSAM4LC4C (256KB Flash / 32KB SRAM), while production parts such as the ATSAM4LC8BA-UUR carry different memory sizes. Confirm that Flash/RAM occupancy measured on the EK fits the specific production SAM4L variant ordered. Also verify clock configuration, since the kit provides 32.768kHz and 12MHz sources that may not match your board's oscillator choice.
When porting a design validated on the ATSAM4L-EK, replicate the kit's QTouch electrode geometry and ground practices before trusting slider/button sensitivity results; capacitive touch performance is layout-dependent. Similarly, the segment LCD bias network and glass capacitance on the EK (4x40 segments) should be matched in your custom LCD selection, or contrast and power figures measured on the kit will not transfer directly.
Compliance Information
Compliance data for this evaluation kit was not stated in the provided web data. Evaluation kits are typically exempt from RoHS marking requirements applicable to components; confirm with Microchip.