ATSAM4LS8CA-AU - 48MHz Cortex-M4 512KB Flash MCU | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4LS8CA-AU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $16.18 | $16.18 |
| 10 | $15.37 | $153.70 |
| 100 | $14.1 | $1,410.00 |
| 500 | $13.24 | $6,620.00 |
| 1,000 | $12.45 | $12,450.00 |
ATSAM4LS8CA-AU Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip embedded computer that integrates a processor core, memory, and peripherals on one die, sitting at the top of the embedded hierarchy from simple 8-bit controllers up to 32-bit application processors. The SAM4L family belongs to the ARM Cortex-M class of 32-bit MCUs, positioned for low-power embedded control and connectivity tasks.
The ATSAM4LS8CA-AU embeds Microchip (Atmel) picoPower technology for ultra-low power consumption, making it well suited to battery-powered designs. Per its product literature, the device combines the high-performance 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 RISC processor with a rich peripheral set, executing from 512 KB of on-chip flash. The AU temperature suffix denotes the industrial operating grade, and the device is supplied in lead-free, RoHS-compliant green packaging.
Technically, the SAM4L series integrates multiple low-power modes, a flexible clocking system, and peripheral event system features that allow peripherals to interact without CPU intervention, reducing active current draw. The Cortex-M4 core provides DSP-oriented single-cycle multiply-accumulate instructions, supporting digital filtering and control loops in embedded applications.
Typical applications include portable and battery-powered instrumentation, industrial sensing nodes, consumer appliances, building automation, and low-power human-interface products where a 48 MHz Cortex-M4 with generous 512 KB flash provides headroom for protocol stacks and graphics.
Designers should budget flash and SRAM carefully: 64 KB of SRAM is the family-variant limit, so buffers for communication stacks must be sized accordingly. Clock configuration directly affects dynamic current, so leverage the programmable clock dividers and sleep modes.
This page adds value beyond the manufacturer datasheet by synthesizing distributor pricing, drop-in alternative cross-references, and design guidance in one place.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4LS8CA-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 ATSAM4LS8CA-AU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, RoHS Status, Core Processor, Packaging, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4LS8CA-AUR
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2.41 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4LC8CA-AUR
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$6.75 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4LS4CA-AU
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LS2CA-AU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$3.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4LS8CA-AU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| Core Size | 32-Bit |
| Max Clock Frequency | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 512 KB (512K x 8) |
| SRAM | 64 KB |
| Series | SAM4L |
| Package | 100-TQFP (14x14 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Technology | picoPower ultra-low power |
| Program Memory Type | FLASH |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Packaging | Tray |
ATSAM4LS8CA-AU 100-tqfp (14x14 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM4LS8CA-AU (100-tqfp (14x14 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 ATSAM4LS8CA-AU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4LS8CA-AU is suitable for 6 applications: Portable & Battery-Powered Instruments, Industrial Sensing & Automation Nodes, Building Automation & HVAC Control, Consumer Appliances & White Goods, Low-Power IoT Sensor Endpoints, Human Interface & Touch Control Panels.
Portable & Battery-Powered Instruments
The ATSAM4LS8CA-AU fits portable instrumentation because its SAM4L picoPower architecture minimizes average current: the 48 MHz Cortex-M4 executes burst workloads quickly so the CPU spends more time in low-power sleep states, and 512 KB flash holds rich firmware without external memory. In a handheld data logger, the MCU wakes on a timer or sensor interrupt, samples via on-chip analog peripherals, processes and stores data, then returns to sleep. Unlike 16-bit controllers, the Cortex-M4's single-cycle MAC enables on-device digital filtering without a separate DSP. The trade-off is that 64 KB SRAM must budget for logging buffers; implement circular buffers and periodic flushes to storage to stay within the limit.
Recommended
Industrial Sensing & Automation Nodes
In industrial sensing nodes, the ATSAM4LS8CA-AU provides the industrial temperature grade (AU suffix), RoHS-compliant green TQFP-100 packaging, and enough 512 KB flash to embed full communication stacks and local control logic. The 100-pin package exposes abundant GPIO for multiplexed sensor inputs, relays, and status indicators, while the Cortex-M4 core at 48 MHz runs PID control loops with single-cycle DSP math for filtering noisy analog channels. Typical topology: sensor front ends feed the MCU, which executes local control and reports over a serial bus to a PLC or gateway. The picoPower clocking allows always-on monitoring at low duty-cycle current. Designers should verify peripheral multiplexing assignments against the datasheet pin tables before routing.
Recommended
Building Automation & HVAC Control
Building automation controllers benefit from the ATSAM4LS8CA-AU's combination of 512 KB flash (room for protocol stacks such as fieldbus firmware plus an OTA bootloader), 48 MHz real-time control headroom, and low standby power between scheduled tasks. The CA 100-pin TQFP offers enough I/O for damper actuators, valve drives, occupancy sensors, and displays on one controller board. The Cortex-M4 DSP capability supports acoustic or thermal sensor processing, while multiple power modes let the unit idle cheaply between communication windows. Because the AU grade spans industrial temperature ranges, ceiling- and plenum-mounted hardware remains reliable. Trade-off: verify that the 64 KB SRAM accommodates stack plus mesh-network buffers before committing to the design.
Recommended
Consumer Appliances & White Goods
The ATSAM4LS8CA-AU suits appliance main controls where 512 KB flash stores UI graphics, motor-control firmware, and connectivity code in a single chip. The 48 MHz Cortex-M4 handles touch-sensing processing, motor commutation math (single-cycle MAC), and user-interface rendering concurrently enough for white-goods responsiveness, while picoPower modes support standby energy regulations such as low-watt sleep requirements. The industrial-grade AU part in a green RoHS 100-TQFP package withstands appliance interior temperatures and simplifies compliance documentation. Layout guidance: keep the MCU's clock lines short and guard the analog sensor inputs from motor-drive switching noise. Cost-conscious sub-functions (button scanning, LED bars) can be offloaded to a small PIC16 companion.
Recommended
Low-Power IoT Sensor Endpoints
IoT endpoints that sleep between radio transmissions are a natural fit for the SAM4L picoPower architecture. The ATSAM4LS8CA-AU wakes in microseconds on sensor interrupts, acquires data through its analog peripherals, applies calibration and filtering using Cortex-M4 DSP instructions, and hands packets to an external radio over serial interfaces, then returns to deep sleep. The 512 KB flash accommodates a full wireless stack plus secure firmware-update bootloaders, and the 64 KB SRAM must budget for radio-buffer memory - size the protocol stack accordingly. Average battery life depends mainly on duty cycle; exploiting the programmable clock tree (running peripherals from low-frequency clocks while asleep) is the key optimization lever in this application.
Recommended
Human Interface & Touch Control Panels
Touch-control panels, keypads, and display modules use the ATSAM4LS8CA-AU's 100-pin TQFP for driving segments, LEDs, and small displays, while the 48 MHz Cortex-M4 performs capacitive-touch acquisition and decoding in real time. The 512 KB flash leaves generous space for localization strings, animation assets, and a communication interface to the host appliance or machine. PicoPower modes let battery or always-standby panels meet low no-load power targets, waking on touch events within microseconds. Compared with a dedicated touch controller plus separate MCU, a single SAM4L reduces BOM count and firmware complexity. Watch analog routing: touch sense lines need guarding and distance from switching supplies to preserve sensitivity and SNR.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4LS8CA-AU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4LS8CA-AUR | ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU | ATSAM4LC8CA-AUR | ATSAM4LS4CA-AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 100-TQFP (14x14 mm) | 100-TQFP (14x14 mm) - same | 100-TQFP (14x14 mm) - same | 100-TQFP (14x14 mm) - same | 100-TQFP (14x14 mm) - same |
| Brand | 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 |
| Flash Memory | 512 KB | 512 KB | 512 KB | 512 KB | 256 KB |
| SRAM | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| Low-Power Technology | picoPower (SAM4LS branch) | picoPower (SAM4LS) | picoPower (SAM4LS) | SAM4LC branch (different feature/peripheral balance) | picoPower (SAM4LS) |
| Packing | Tray | Tape & Reel (R suffix) | Tray | Tape & Reel (R suffix) | Tray |
Key Differentiators
- Largest flash in the CA footprint class (vs ATSAM4LS4CA-AU)
- Same die as the reel option (vs ATSAM4LS8CA-AUR)
- Ultra-low-power LS branch optimization (vs ATSAM4LC8CA-AUR)
Design Notes
Estimate average battery current by duty cycle, not by peak: the SAM4L wakes on the 48 MHz Cortex-M4, completes processing in a burst, then drops into its low-power sleep mode. Compute I_avg = D * I_active + (1-D) * I_sleep using the datasheet current-consumption tables for your actual clock configuration. Exploit the programmable clock tree to run idle peripherals from low-frequency sources. Do not assume published minimum sleep current applies to your peripheral configuration - active clocks, BOD, and WDT all add quiescent draw.
Decouple every VDD/VDDIO pin pair of the 100-TQFP with 100 nF ceramics placed within 2 mm of the pins, plus one bulk 4.7-10 uF capacitor near the supply entry. Because the SAM4L multiplexes many functions onto shared pins, finalize the peripheral multiplexing assignment (per datasheet pin tables) before routing so analog inputs avoid switching-noise regions. Use a solid ground plane and keep the crystal loop compact with guard ground. Expose pin-1 marker alignment in your footprint per JEDEC TQFP convention.
Two frequent SAM4L selection mistakes: (1) substituting an LS-branch part with an LC-branch part assumes identical peripheral sets - the branches differ in feature balance, so verify each required peripheral exists; (2) forgetting the SRAM ceiling - 64 KB must cover RTOS, stack, and radio/communication buffers, and overflow failures appear only at runtime. Also note that ATSAM4LS8CA-AU (tray) and -AUR (tape & reel) are the same die; ordering the wrong packing simply disrupts the SMT line, not the design.
Compliance Information
Abacus Technologies listing for ATSAM4LS8CA-AUR states: EU RoHS Compliant, REACH Compliant, DRC Conflict Free. Mouser lists the package as TQFPGREENIND (green industrial packaging). AEC-Q100 qualification is not indicated in the provided data.
