ATSAM4LS4BA-AU - 48MHz Cortex-M4 256KB MCU | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4LS4BA-AU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.39 | $7.39 |
| 10 | $7.02 | $70.20 |
| 100 | $6.65 | $665.00 |
| 500 | $6.32 | $3,160.00 |
| 1,000 | $6.02 | $6,020.00 |
ATSAM4LS4BA-AU Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single integrated circuit that combines a processor core, nonvolatile program memory, RAM, and a rich set of peripherals such as timers, serial interfaces, and analog converters. Microcontrollers sit at the lowest level of the embedded-system hierarchy - below applications processors and system-on-chip devices - and are the workhorses of industrial control, consumer appliances, and IoT nodes. The SAM4L family belongs to the ARM Cortex-M class of energy-efficient 32-bit MCUs, and specifically targets low-power designs with its picoPower technology and multiple sleep modes.
Key features of the ATSAM4LS4BA-AU include the single-core ARM Cortex-M4 processor with DSP and floating-point instructions, 256 KB (256K x 8) of single-cycle flash program memory, 32 KB of SRAM, and an AES/DES hardware cryptographic engine highlighted in the Mouser listing (CRYPTO, MRL A, industrial temperature). The device operates from a nominal 3.3 V supply (1.62 V to 3.6 V range typical for the SAM4L family) and is qualified for industrial temperature environments. Peripherals such as USB, USART, SPI, I2C/TWI, 12-bit ADC, and capacitive-touch support (Peripheral Touch Controller) make it a complete system-on-chip for sensing and connectivity tasks.
Architecturally, the SAM4L integrates a flash accelerator to keep the Cortex-M4 pipeline fed at 48 MHz, a multi-layer bus matrix, low-leakage process technology, and flexible sleep/shutdown modes with wake-up controllers that reduce standby consumption to microamp levels - a key differentiator versus the SAM4S family for battery-powered designs.
Typical applications include low-power industrial sensors and data loggers, consumer appliances with capacitive-touch user interfaces, battery-powered metering and IoT nodes, and secure products that benefit from the on-chip AES/DES crypto accelerator.
When designing with this device, budget the flash endurance and use the multiple power domains and sleep modes deliberately: the biggest performance win in SAM4L designs usually comes from firmware power management, not silicon selection. Validate the 64-TQFP (10x10) footprint and decoupling network early.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in SAM4L family alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, based on verified web data as of 2026-09-20.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4LS4BA-AU 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 ATSAM4LS4BA-AU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Series, Flash Memory, RoHS Status, Security Features.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4LS4CA-AU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LS2BA-AU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LC4BA-AU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$3.55 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4LC8BA-UUR
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$3.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4LC8BA-AU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LS4BA-AU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4 (32-bit single-core) |
| Core Size | 32-Bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB (256K x 8) |
| SRAM | 32 KB |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V (nominal) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
| Package | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Series | SAM4L |
| Security Features | AES/DES hardware crypto engine |
| RoHS Status | Green / RoHS compliant (per Mouser listing) |
| Packaging | Tray |
ATSAM4LS4BA-AU 64-tqfp (10x10 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM4LS4BA-AU (64-tqfp (10x10 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 ATSAM4LS4BA-AU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4LS4BA-AU is suitable for 6 applications: Low-Power Industrial Sensing and Data Logging, Capacitive-Touch Consumer Appliances, Secure IoT Nodes and Connected Devices, Battery-Powered Metering, Handheld and Portable Instruments, Motor Control and Actuation Subsystems.
Low-Power Industrial Sensing and Data Logging
The ATSAM4LS4BA-AU fits battery-powered industrial sensors because the SAM4L family couples a 48 MHz Cortex-M4 with picoPower sleep/shutdown modes and wake-up controllers, letting the MCU spend most of its life in microamp-level standby and wake only to sample and transmit. The 256 KB flash holds the application, a communication stack, and months of log tables, while 32 KB SRAM buffers sensor data. Its 12-bit ADC digitizes analog transducer outputs directly, and the AES/DES hardware engine protects logged data. Typical designs use SPI or I2C for the sensor front end and USART for fieldbus links, keeping the 64-TQFP board a compact two-layer solution.
Recommended
Capacitive-Touch Consumer Appliances
Consumer appliances with touch sliders, buttons, or wheels benefit from the SAM4L Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC), which autonomously scans capacitive sensors and offloads acquisition from the CPU. The ATSAM4LS4BA-AU's 48 MHz Cortex-M4 with DSP instructions then runs the application logic, haptic feedback, and UI rendering, while the 256 KB flash accommodates graphics assets and localization strings. Because the SAM4L was designed for low-leakage operation, appliances meet standby energy limits without extra power-switching circuitry. The 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) package offers enough GPIO for LEDs, relays, and display interfaces in a single surface-mount footprint.
Recommended
Secure IoT Nodes and Connected Devices
For IoT endpoints that authenticate and encrypt traffic, the ATSAM4LS4BA-AU integrates a hardware AES/DES cryptographic engine - explicitly tagged 'CRYPTO' in distributor listings - which accelerates encryption at a fraction of the energy cost of software-only implementations. The Cortex-M4 core at 48 MHz runs TCP/IP or mesh stacks with headroom, while 256 KB flash stores both the stack and OTA-update dual images supported by the flash controller. Multiple low-power sleep modes suit coin-cell or energy-harvesting nodes, and the industrial -40C to +85C grade covers outdoor deployments on a single 3.3 V rail.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Metering
Utility meters - water, gas, heat, and submetering - demand multi-year battery life plus tamper resistance, both natural strengths of the ATSAM4LS4BA-AU. The SAM4L's shutdown and backup modes draw microamps between measurement intervals, the wake-up controller triggers sampling on flow-pulse interrupts, and the 12-bit ADC plus DSP instructions compute accumulation and leak-detection algorithms efficiently. The on-chip crypto engine secures billing data and authenticated firmware updates. The 64-TQFP (10x10) industrial-temperature package withstands outdoor enclosures, and the two-layer-friendly peripheral mix keeps meter BOM cost low.
Recommended
Handheld and Portable Instruments
Portable test and measurement instruments pair the ATSAM4LS4BA-AU's 48 MHz Cortex-M4 DSP capability with its low-power profile to deliver responsive UIs and long battery runtimes. The device's 32 KB SRAM buffers waveform or measurement samples, USB connectivity transfers data to hosts, and SPI drives fast displays and precision converters. Because the SAM4L supports fine-grained peripheral clock gating, engineers shut down unused blocks between acquisitions. The 64-pin TQFP offers ample GPIO for keypads and status indicators while remaining hand-solderable for prototyping with standard QFP adapters.
Recommended
Motor Control and Actuation Subsystems
The Cortex-M4 core in the ATSAM4LS4BA-AU includes DSP and hardware floating-point instructions, enabling FOC (field-oriented control) math for small BLDC and stepper motors at 48 MHz. Timer peripherals generate complementary PWM outputs, the 12-bit ADC samples current shunts, and fast interrupt latency keeps current loops stable. The SAM4L's deterministic flash accelerator avoids stalls during the control loop, and its industrial temperature grade suits actuator environments. The 64-TQFP footprint provides enough GPIO for gate drivers, limit switches, and encoder inputs in one compact MCU.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4LS4BA-AU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4LS4CA-AU | ATSAM4LS2BA-AU | ATSAM4LC4BA-AU | ATSAM4LC8BA-UUR | ATSAM4LC8BA-AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core / Frequency | ARM Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4, 48 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4, 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB | 256 KB | 128 KB (-50%) | 256 KB | 512 KB (+100%) | 512 KB (+100%) |
| SRAM | 32 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB (-50%) | 32 KB | 64 KB (+100%) | 64 KB (+100%) |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V nominal | 3.3 V nominal | 3.3 V nominal | 3.3 V nominal | 3.3 V nominal | 3.3 V nominal |
| Hardware Crypto Engine | Yes (AES/DES) | Yes (AES/DES) | Yes (AES/DES) | Yes (AES/DES) | Yes (AES/DES) | Yes (AES/DES) |
Key Differentiators
- 2x memory headroom upgrade path in the same footprint (vs ATSAM4LC8BA-AU)
- Errata-corrected silicon revision available (vs ATSAM4LS4CA-AU)
- Balanced memory/cost point versus cost-optimized variant (vs ATSAM4LS2BA-AU)
Design Notes
Design the 3.3 V rail for the SAM4L's dual-domain architecture: the VDDCORE/VDDIN domains need proper bulk capacitance (typically 10 uF plus 0.1 uF per power pin) and the VDDIO domain should be separately decoupled. Take advantage of the multiple sleep modes - put the CPU in Wait or Sleep mode between events and use the wake-up controller rather than polling, which is where most of the SAM4L low-power benefit is realized. Estimated: a design sleeping 99% of the time can cut average current by roughly two orders of magnitude versus run-mode-only operation.
For the 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) footprint, place decoupling capacitors within 2-3 mm of each VDD pin and use a solid ground plane on layer 2. Keep the SWD debug header (SWCLK/SWDIO) routed short and accessible for production programming. Unused GPIO can be left as analog inputs (high-Z) in firmware to minimize leakage. Follow Microchip's SAM4L reference design layouts, which demonstrate the recommended crystal placement for the OSC0 and OSC32K sources.
Do not assume SAM4S and SAM4L pin compatibility - despite similar naming, the peripheral sets and pin multiplexing differ between families. Verify the exact SAM4L pinout table in the Microchip datasheet before finalizing the PCB. Also check silicon-revision errata: the LS4BA is an early revision, and the ATSAM4LS4CA-AU incorporates later fixes, so review the SAM4L errata document and consider the C-revision drop-in for new production builds.
Compliance Information
Mouser listing tags the ATSAM4LS4BA-AU as 'Green' with MRL A status, indicating RoHS/green (lead-free) compliance. REACH and conflict-minerals status not stated in verified data.
