ATSAM4L8-XSTK - SAM4L8 Cortex-M4 Eval Starter Kit | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4L8-XSTK β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $189.65 | $189.65 |
| 10 | $180.17 | $1,801.70 |
| 25 | $170.69 | $4,267.25 |
| 50 | $161.2 | $8,060.00 |
| 100 | $151.72 | $15,172.00 |
ATSAM4L8-XSTK Overview
An MCU evaluation board is a printed-circuit development platform that exposes all key peripherals of a target microcontroller - GPIO, ADC, DAC, communication interfaces, and debugging circuitry - so firmware engineers can prototype, benchmark, and validate designs before committing to custom hardware. Within the product hierarchy, the ATSAM4L8-XSTK belongs to embedded MCU/DSP evaluation boards, a subcategory of development tools for ARM Cortex-M based microcontrollers.
The kit's headline strengths center on the SAM4L series' ultra-low-power design philosophy: the ATSAM4LC8 MCU integrates a Cortex-M4 core with flexible low-power modes, event system, and peripheral-to-peripheral interconnect that allows peripherals to operate while the CPU sleeps. The Xplained Pro ecosystem adds standardized extension-board connectors, an embedded debugger (EDBG) with virtual COM port and data gateway, and one-click integration with Atmel Studio / Microchip Studio and Atmel START configuration tools.
Because the starter kit bundles the base ATSAM4L8 Xplained Pro board plus SLCD1, I/O1, OLED1, and PROTO1 extension boards, it delivers a ready-to-go out-of-box experience: segment LCD driving, capacitive touch sensing, OLED user interface prototyping, and free-form solder prototyping are all supported without additional purchases. This makes it especially efficient for evaluating the SAM4L family for battery-powered metering, portable sensing, and human-interface products.
Typical applications include low-power embedded system prototyping, LCD and touch user-interface development, sensor node firmware bring-up, and academic embedded-systems teaching labs built on the ARM Cortex-M4 architecture.
A key design consideration: the included extension boards are Xplained Pro format only - they will not mate with Xplained (non-Pro) base boards, so verify ecosystem compatibility when mixing kits.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, availability from 9 distributors, comparison data against other Microchip Xplained kits, and practical evaluation guidance not found in the manufacturer datasheet. Pricing shown as of 2026-09-20.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4L8-XSTK 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 ATSAM4L8-XSTK (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Debug Interface, Product Type.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4L8-XPRO
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$66.19 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAML21-XPRO-B
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAME70-XPLD
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAMA5D35-EK
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4S-XPRO
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4L8-XSTK Specifications (manufacturer-published)
| Manufacturer Part Number | ATSAM4L8-XSTK |
| Product Type | MCU 32-Bit Embedded Evaluation Board (Starter Kit) |
| Target MCU Family | SAM4L (ATSAM4LC8) |
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit |
| Kit Contents | SAM4L8 Xplained Pro board + SLCD1, I/O1, OLED1, PROTO1 Xplained Pro extension kits |
| Debug Interface | Embedded debugger (EDBG) with virtual COM port and data gateway |
| Extension Board Standard | Xplained Pro |
| Supported IDE | Microchip Studio (Atmel Studio), Atmel START |
| Display Peripherals | Segment LCD (SLCD1), OLED display (OLED1) |
| Touch Support | QTouch capacitive touch via I/O1 Xplained Pro |
| Prototyping Area | PROTO1 Xplained Pro extension board |
| Packaging | Box |
| Product Status | Active |
| Distributor Availability | In stock at multiple distributors (6095 pcs reported, Feb 2026) |
ATSAM4L8-XSTK Interfaces & Connectors
No manufacturer-published interface list is available for ATSAM4L8-XSTK. 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
ATSAM4L8-XSTK is suitable for 6 applications: Low-Power Embedded Prototyping, Segment LCD User Interface Development, Capacitive Touch Interface Evaluation, Sensor Node Firmware Bring-Up, Embedded Systems Education and Training, Portable Medical and Metering Device Feasibility.
Low-Power Embedded Prototyping
The ATSAM4L8-XSTK is purpose-built for evaluating battery-powered embedded designs on the SAM4LC8 Cortex-M4 MCU, whose SAM4L architecture provides low-power sleep modes and a peripheral event system that keeps data moving while the CPU sleeps. The EDBG embedded debugger measures power consumption at the board level and streams virtual COM data, letting engineers quantify energy per task directly from Microchip Studio. The PROTO1 extension board allows rapid attachment of external sensors and analog front ends without custom PCBs. For designs targeting coin-cell or single-cell Li-ion products, this kit shortens the low-power firmware bring-up cycle from weeks to days by providing verified reference hardware with documented current-measurement points and out-of-box example projects.
Recommended
Segment LCD User Interface Development
With the SLCD1 Xplained Pro extension board included, the ATSAM4L8-XSTK is a ready-made bench for developing segment LCD user interfaces, which are standard in utility meters, thermostats, and battery-powered instruments. The SAM4LC8 integrates an LCD controller that drives the SLCD1 glass directly, and Microchip Studio example projects demonstrate frame-buffer updates, blinking fields, and bias configuration. Because LCD driving consumes measurable current, engineers can use the kit's EDBG data gateway to correlate display refresh strategies with battery life. This complete hardware-plus-software path lets UI firmware be validated on real glass before committing to a custom LCD layout, reducing respins in metering and appliance products.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch Interface Evaluation
The bundled I/O1 Xplained Pro extension board brings QTouch capacitive touch channels to the ATSAM4L8-XSTK, enabling evaluation of Microchip's QTouch library on the SAM4LC8 Cortex-M4 MCU. QTouch Composer tooling guides sensitivity tuning, drift compensation, and self/mutual-capacitance mode selection, while the OLED1 board's buttons and LEDs provide immediate visual feedback for touch events. Touch sensing quality depends heavily on electrode geometry and shielding, so the PROTO1 prototyping board permits rapid trial of alternative electrode layouts with jumper wires and copper tape. This workflow lets consumer-appliance and industrial-HMI teams tune touch performance on representative hardware before electrode designs are frozen into the production PCB.
Recommended
Sensor Node Firmware Bring-Up
For IoT and industrial sensor nodes, the ATSAM4L8-XSTK provides the SAM4LC8's ADC, DAC, and serial interfaces (USART, TWI/I2C, SPI) on accessible Xplained Pro headers, making it a practical host for sensor driver development. The EDBG debugger's data gateway streams sensor data to a PC in real time, accelerating algorithm validation for filtering and thresholding firmware. The event system under evaluation allows peripherals such as ADC conversions to trigger DMA transfers without CPU intervention - a key technique for extending battery life in duty-cycled nodes. Teams prototyping wireless sensor modules can validate the sensor chain on this kit, then port the verified driver code directly to the production SAM4L-based PCB with minimal rework.
Recommended
Embedded Systems Education and Training
The ATSAM4L8-XSTK is well suited to university labs and corporate training on 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 development. One kit covers the full teaching arc: the OLED1 board gives immediate visual feedback for first blinking-LED exercises, the segment LCD and QTouch I/O1 boards support peripheral-driver coursework, and the PROTO1 board hosts analog lab experiments on the ADC and DAC. The embedded EDBG debugger works with Microchip Studio's full IDE and debugger views, exposing registers, call stacks, and variable watches that reinforce conceptual understanding. At roughly $189.65 per kit as of 2026-09-20, a complete lab bench with display, touch, and prototyping capability costs a fraction of assembling equivalent boards individually.
Recommended
Portable Medical and Metering Device Feasibility
Battery-operated medical monitors and utility metering products demand both computation and multi-year battery life - a combination the SAM4L platform targets directly. The ATSAM4L8-XSTK lets feasibility teams benchmark the SAM4LC8's Cortex-M4 throughput for signal processing (filtering, FFT-based analysis) against measured sleep-state current using the EDBG power profiling workflow. The segment LCD covers meter-style readouts while the QTouch I/O1 board validates user-input reliability, both common requirements in these products. Because the kit's MCU matches production SAM4L devices, feasibility results - current profiles, peripheral configurations, and driver code - transfer to custom hardware with high fidelity, reducing program risk before industrial-design and certification spending begins.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4L8-XSTK β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4L8-XPRO | ATSAML21-XPRO-B | ATSAME70-XPLD | ATSAMA5D35-EK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | Box (Xplained Pro starter kit) | Box (evaluation board) | Box (evaluation board) | Bag (evaluation board) | Box (evaluation kit) |
| Target MCU Family | SAM4L (ATSAM4LC8) | SAM4L (ATSAM4LC8) - same | SAM L21 | SAM E70 | SAMA5D35 |
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M7 | ARM Cortex-A5 |
| Supported IDE | Microchip Studio / Atmel START | Microchip Studio / Atmel START | Microchip Studio / Atmel START | Microchip Studio | Linux BSP / Yocto |
Key Differentiators
- Complete out-of-box bundle (vs ATSAM4L8-XPRO)
- Cortex-M4 compute with low-power architecture (vs ATSAML21-XPRO-B)
- Active lifecycle status (vs ATSAME70-XPLD)
Design Notes
Extension-board compatibility is the most common sourcing mistake: the SLCD1, I/O1, OLED1, and PROTO1 boards bundled with the ATSAM4L8-XSTK use the Xplained Pro 20-pin extension connector standard and will NOT mate with the older non-Pro Xplained boards (e.g., ATSAM4L4-XPLD family). If you plan to expand later, standardize on Xplained Pro SKUs only. Also note that the ATSAM4L8-XPRO base board omits all four extension boards - budget for them separately if touch, LCD, or prototyping capability is required.
For accurate low-power benchmarking, use the EDBG debugger's current-measurement capability described in the kit user guide rather than the USB supply path, and remove or disable power-consuming peripherals (OLED1 display, SLCD1 glass) from the measurement domain when profiling sleep modes. Measure with the debug data gateway disconnected from active streaming to avoid inflating current figures. Typical workflow: profile each sleep mode with peripheral event system active, then extrapolate battery life for your duty cycle before porting firmware to custom hardware.
When moving from the kit to production hardware, reproduce the Xplained Pro board's QTouch electrode grounding and shielding topology documented in the I/O1 reference design; touch sensitivity tuned on the kit's standard electrode shapes will shift on different PCB stack-ups (thicker overlays, different ground planes). Re-run QTouch Composer tuning on your first production PCB revision. Keep the SAM4LC8's LCD driver traces routed per the SLCD1 reference layout to avoid ghost segments at high multiplex rates.
Compliance Information
Compliance declarations for development boards are typically provided on the Microchip development tool product page; the verified web data did not include explicit RoHS/REACH statements for this kit.