ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU - 48MHz Cortex-M4 MCU, 128KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5.42 | $5.42 |
| 10 | $4.88 | $48.80 |
| 100 | $4.35 | $435.00 |
| 500 | $3.91 | $1,955.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.52 | $3,520.00 |
ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single integrated circuit that combines a processor core, program memory, data memory, and peripherals into one chip, forming the lowest tier of the embedded computing hierarchy (MCU -> embedded processor -> system-on-chip -> semiconductor). The SAM4L family belongs to Microchip (formerly Atmel) ARM-based flash MCU lineup, positioned for low-power embedded control applications.
Key features include ultra-low active-mode consumption of 90 uA/MHz, sleep mode current as low as 1.5 uA, and wake-up time down to 1.5 us - among the fastest in any Cortex-M4 device. The integrated USB device controller, Peripheral Event System, and SleepWalking peripherals allow data transfer and peripheral operation while the CPU sleeps, dramatically reducing average system power.
Technically, the device implements the ARM Cortex-M4 RISC architecture with a 3-stage pipeline, nested vectored interrupt controller, and supply voltage from 1.68 V to 3.6 V. The flash controller supports zero-wait-state execution at reduced frequencies, and the Peripheral Event System routes signals between peripherals without CPU intervention, while SleepWalking lets peripherals wake selectively on qualifying events.
Typical applications include battery-powered sensor nodes, portable medical instruments, low-power industrial sensing, and USB-connected human interface devices - anywhere battery life and fast wake-up dominate the design envelope.
When designing, exploit SleepWalking and the event system early: architectures that poll in active mode forfeit the SAM4L power advantage, so budget firmware effort for event-driven firmware design.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family drop-in alternatives, and practical low-power design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU 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 ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Series, Core Processor, Package, Flash Memory, Supplier Device Package.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
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Request AlternativesATSAM4LS2CA-CFU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| Core Size | 32-bit |
| Max Clock Speed | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB (128K x 8) |
| SRAM | 32 KB (32K x 8) |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.68 V to 3.6 V |
| Active Mode Current | 90 uA/MHz |
| Sleep Mode Current | 1.5 uA |
| Wake-up Time | 1.5 us (min) |
| Package | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) |
| Number of Terminals | 100 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Series | SAM4L |
| USB | USB Device |
| Peripheral Features | Peripheral Event System, SleepWalking |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Green), MRL A |
ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU 100-vfbga (7x7 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU (100-vfbga (7x7 mm) 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 ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes, Portable Medical Instruments, USB Human Interface Devices, Low-Power Industrial Sensing, Wearable and IoT Edge Devices, Test and Measurement Probes.
Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes
The ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU fits wireless and wired battery sensor nodes because its 90 uA/MHz active current and 1.5 uA sleep current minimize average draw between sampling events. The 1.5 us wake-up time lets the node sleep between sensor reads and respond to radio or timer events almost instantly, unlike MCUs requiring millisecond-level wake-ups. Using SleepWalking, the ADC or TWI peripheral can acquire a sensor reading while the Cortex-M4 core remains in sleep, waking the CPU only when a threshold is crossed. This event-driven pattern can cut average consumption by an order of magnitude versus polled firmware, directly translating coin-cell or AA battery budgets into years of field life.
Recommended
Portable Medical Instruments
Portable diagnostic instruments benefit from the ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU's balance of 32-bit signal processing and ultra-low power. The Cortex-M4's DSP-oriented instruction set accelerates filtering of biopotential or pressure-waveform samples, while the 100-VFBGA 7x7 mm footprint supports compact handheld enclosures. Wake-up in 1.5 us allows instant response to a user pressing the measurement button even after deep sleep, an important user-experience criterion in medical devices. SleepWalking peripherals can maintain continuous sensor polling at 1.5 uA background current during monitoring intervals. Designs should budget the 1.68 V to 3.6 V supply window against single-cell Li battery discharge curves and use the event system to avoid CPU polling during long acquisition sessions.
Recommended
USB Human Interface Devices
With an integrated USB device controller, the ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU implements HID keyboards, mice, and custom-class accessories without an external USB chip. The 48 MHz Cortex-M4 core handles USB protocol servicing plus application logic such as matrix scanning or encoder decoding with headroom to spare. Fast 1.5 us wake-up lets the device resume from sleep on a keypress or USB resume signal within USB timing requirements, preserving low idle power. The 100-VFBGA package suits compact dongles and low-profile peripherals where PCB area is constrained. Firmware can use DMA to move endpoint buffers without CPU intervention, and the Peripheral Event System routes USB wake events efficiently, reducing the interrupt latency budget typically consumed by polled USB stacks.
Recommended
Low-Power Industrial Sensing
Factory and building sensors deployed for years without maintenance require the SAM4L power profile: 1.5 uA sleep with periodic 48 MHz bursts keeps average consumption within energy-harvesting or long-life-battery limits. The industrial -40C to +85C rating of the CA temperature grade covers unconditioned enclosures, and the 1.68 V to 3.6 V supply window tolerates wide battery sag. The Peripheral Event System links a comparator or ADC threshold directly to wake-up logic, so the MCU only wakes when a monitored process variable actually changes - ideal for vibration, temperature, or flow monitoring points. The 100-VFBGA footprint also allows dense multi-sensor boards, though reflow profiling must follow BGA guidelines for reliable industrial assembly.
Recommended
Wearable and IoT Edge Devices
Wearables demand small packages and aggressive power budgets, both addressed by the 7x7 mm VFBGA and the SAM4L's 90 uA/MHz efficiency. The 32 KB SRAM buffers sensor fusion data, while the Cortex-M4 core executes lightweight algorithms between radio transmissions. SleepWalking lets an accelerometer interrupt or RTC alarm trigger activity without spinning the CPU in a polling loop, and the 1.5 us wake-up keeps latency imperceptible to the user. Because the device integrates USB, it can double as the charging-and-configuration interface, removing a second controller from the bill of materials. Designers should reserve SRAM headroom for BLE or sensor stacks and consider the LC-family drop-ins if sleep-mode specs tighten in later revisions.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Probes
Battery-powered data loggers and handheld probes use the ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU to balance sample throughput against battery life. The Cortex-M4 with 48 MHz execution supports sample rates adequate for environmental and process logging, and the 128 KB flash holds logging firmware plus configuration tables without external memory in simple designs. Sleep mode at 1.5 uA dominates the duty cycle in interval-logging applications, and wake-up of 1.5 us ensures no missed samples at log boundaries. The USB device port provides field data download and battery charging over one connector. The Peripheral Event System can chain timer-to-ADC triggers autonomously, achieving jitter-free sampling intervals even while the CPU sleeps between conversions.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4LS2BA-CFU | ATSAM4LC2CA-CFU | ATSAM4LS4CA-CFU | ATSAM4LC4CA-CFU | ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) - same | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) - same | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) - same | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) - same | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB | 512 KB |
| Core / Speed | Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | Cortex-M4, 48 MHz |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C | -40C to +105C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| Supply Voltage | 1.68 V to 3.6 V | 1.68 V to 3.6 V | 1.68 V to 3.6 V | 1.68 V to 3.6 V | 1.68 V to 3.6 V | 1.68 V to 3.6 V |
| USB | USB Device | USB Device | USB Device | USB Device | USB Device | USB Device |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest wake-up in Cortex-M4 class (vs ATSAM4LC4CA-CFU)
- Cost-optimized 128 KB memory point (vs ATSAM4LS4CA-CFU)
- Integrated USB device controller (vs ATSAM4LS2BA-CFU)
Design Notes
Exploit SleepWalking from day one. The 1.5 uA sleep figure is only achievable when the CPU stops and peripherals operate autonomously via the Peripheral Event System - a polled main loop can multiply average current by 100x or more. Map every periodic task (ADC sampling, TWI sensor reads, RTC housekeeping) to a peripheral event chain before writing application code. Estimated: at 1% duty cycle of 90 uA/MHz operation, average current stays under 2 uA, enabling multi-year coin-cell life.
The 100-VFBGA 7x7 mm package uses a fine ball pitch requiring controlled-impedance multilayer PCBs; follow Microchip's BGA land-pattern and reflow guidelines for void-free assembly. Place 100 nF decoupling capacitors on every supply ball pair plus one bulk capacitor per rail, connected with short wide traces. The BGA escape routing needs via-in-pad or dog-bone fanout - verify your fabricator's minimum via pitch before layout, as this package constrains routing density more than QFP equivalents.
Do not exceed the 3.6 V absolute supply limit when powering from USB VBUS (5 V) - always use an LDO regulator. Also confirm the -CFU (CA grade) temperature ceiling of +85C against your enclosure's worst-case internal temperature; for hot environments select the -BA (-40C to +105C) variant, which is footprint-identical. Finally, since SAM4L parts originated at Atmel, verify firmware tool compatibility with the current Microchip Studio/ MPLAB toolchain revision.
Compliance Information
Mouser lists the part as 'BGA Green, IND TEMP, MRL A' indicating RoHS-compliant Green package with low material risk level. Formal REACH and conflict-minerals declarations should be obtained from Microchip's compliance portal.
