ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU - 32-bit 48MHz Cortex-M4 MCU 512KB | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.3 | $3.30 |
| 10 | $3.11 | $31.10 |
| 100 | $2.87 | $287.00 |
| 500 | $2.61 | $1,305.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.41 | $2,410.00 |
ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU Overview
An ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller is a 32-bit RISC processor-based MCU that combines the energy efficiency required by battery-powered systems with DSP-oriented instruction capability and single-cycle MAC. In the system hierarchy, the ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU sits within Microchip's SAM4L family of Cortex-M4 flash MCUs, which belongs to the broader ARM 32-bit MCU class and the general microcontroller (embedded processor) category.
Key features include the 512KB (512K x 8) flash memory for program storage, a 48 MHz maximum CPU clock, and the ultra-low-power characteristics of the SAM4L series, which are designed for low active and sleep currents. The SAM4L series integrates flexible peripheral sets including serial communication interfaces (USART, SPI, TWI) and analog peripherals typical of the family, allowing a single MCU to replace multiple discrete interface and sensing ICs in compact designs.
The ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU operates from a single 3.3V supply per the verified specifications. The VFBGA (Very Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array) 7x7 mm, 100-ball format delivers a very small footprint, making it attractive for space-constrained boards where a TQFP-100 would be too large. BGA packages offer short interconnects that reduce loop inductance and improve signal integrity, but require controlled reflow assembly and inspection equipment.
Typical applications include battery-powered industrial sensors, low-power IoT end nodes, portable instrumentation, and consumer devices requiring a 32-bit MCU with generous flash in a compact footprint. The 48 MHz Cortex-M4 core with hardware DSP instructions handles control loops and light signal processing without an external processor.
When designing with the VFBGA package, plan the PCB for reflow soldering, controlled-impedance decoupling under the ball field, and consider X-ray inspection capability. Note that flash memory size within the SAM4L family scales the suffix (L2/L4/L8), enabling downward migration on compatible footprints.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing (LCSC from $3.2958 as of 2026-09-20), availability across 7 distributors via Octopart, and drop-in family alternatives not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4LS8CA-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 ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Flash Memory, RoHS Status, Core Processor, Package, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4LC8CA-CFU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$7.57 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4LS4CA-CFU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LC4CA-CFU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$3.52 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4LC8CA-CFUR
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4 (32-bit RISC) |
| Core Size | 32-bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 512KB (512K x 8) |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Package | 100-VFBGA (7x7 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Series | SAM4L (ATSAM4LS8) |
| Memory Type | FLASH |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Supplier Device Package | 100-VFBGA |
ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU 100-vfbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU (100-vfbga 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-CFU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, Portable Instrumentation, Industrial Sensing and Control, Wearable and Medical Monitoring Devices, Consumer Electronics Controllers, Embedded Data Loggers.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU fits battery-powered IoT sensor nodes because the SAM4L series is engineered for low active and sleep current, while 512KB flash supports a full wireless protocol stack plus OTA bootloader in a single device. In a typical node, the 48 MHz Cortex-M4 wakes on a timer or sensor interrupt, samples via an analog or digital sensor interface, processes data with hardware DSP instructions, and returns to a low-power sleep mode. The compact 7x7 mm VFBGA-100 keeps the entire node small enough for coin-cell or Li-SOCl2 powered enclosures. Quantitatively, running compute tasks quickly at 48 MHz and spending most of the duty cycle in sleep yields significantly longer battery life than a slower MCU awake for longer periods.
Recommended
Portable Instrumentation
Portable test and measurement instruments benefit from the ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU because the Cortex-M4 core at 48 MHz provides single-cycle MAC and DSP instructions for filtering and signal conditioning, while 512KB flash accommodates calibration tables, multiple firmware profiles, and a UI. The SAM4L series' low-power design extends battery runtime between charges, a decisive factor for handheld meters and loggers. The 100-ball VFBGA (7x7 mm) minimizes PCB area in slim handheld enclosures, and the rich peripheral set of the SAM4L family interfaces directly with ADCs, displays, and USB bridges without glue logic. Trade-off: BGA assembly requires reflow capability, so production lines should have X-ray or optical BGA inspection for quality control.
Recommended
Industrial Sensing and Control
In industrial sensor transmitters and compact control modules, the ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU supplies the compute headroom of a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 at 48 MHz while the SAM4L family's serial interfaces (USART, SPI, TWI per the family datasheet) connect to field sensors and a 4-20 mA or RS-485 front end. The 512KB flash allows field-updatable firmware with a resident bootloader plus application image, important for long-lifetime industrial deployments. The 3.3V supply integrates cleanly with standard industrial logic levels, and the VFBGA-100 package suits densely populated DIN-rail and head-mounted transmitter boards. For harsh-environment versions, verify the operating temperature rating in the SAM4L datasheet before committing to the standard commercial-grade part.
Recommended
Wearable and Medical Monitoring Devices
Wearable health and fitness monitors require a combination of small footprint, low power, and sufficient compute for sensor fusion - exactly the profile of the ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU. The 7x7 mm VFBGA-100 fits under or beside sensor modules on a wearable main PCB, while the 48 MHz Cortex-M4 executes filtering and simple classification algorithms locally, reducing radio transmissions and extending battery life. The 512KB flash supports BLE protocol stacks from Microchip's software ecosystem plus application code. For medical-grade designs, the SAM4L family's deterministic Cortex-M4 behavior eases documentation of the processing chain; however, the standard commercial temperature part must be validated against your device's sterilization and thermal profile requirements.
Recommended
Consumer Electronics Controllers
Consumer products - smart accessories, small appliances, remote controls with displays - use the ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU where a 32-bit MCU with 512KB flash is needed in the smallest possible footprint. The SAM4L's 48 MHz performance handles touch sensing, display updates, and accessory communication concurrently, while low sleep current suits always-listening or battery products. At a unit price starting near $3.30 (LCSC as of 2026-09-20) with volume tiers declining toward $2.41 at qty 1000, the cost fits consumer BOM budgets. The trade-off is assembly: consumer contract manufacturers running BGA reflow lines handle the VFBGA-100 routinely, but low-volume builders should pick the TQFP sibling ATSAM4LS8BA-AUR for easier rework.
Recommended
Embedded Data Loggers
Standalone data loggers for energy, environmental, and asset-tracking applications exploit the ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU's 512KB flash both for program storage and, in constrained designs, for configuration and log buffering, complemented by the SAM4L family's external memory interfaces. The 48 MHz Cortex-M4 timestamps, compresses, and pre-processes samples before writing to SD or serial flash, reducing power consumed per record. Sleep-current discipline of the SAM4L series enables multi-month to multi-year operation on primary cells. The 100-ball VFBGA keeps logger PCBs compact for sealed enclosures. Design consideration: reserve flash headroom of at least 25% for OTA updates and logging overhead, or choose the same-footprint 512KB variant over the LS4/LC4 256KB alternatives.
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Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4LC8CA-CFU | ATSAM4LS4CA-CFU | ATSAM4LC4CA-CFU | ATSAM4LS2CA-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 |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology (Atmel) |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit | ARM Cortex-M4, 32-bit |
| Max Clock Frequency | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 512KB | 512KB | 256KB | 256KB | 128KB |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V |
| Peripheral Set Variant | SAM4LS (standard SAM4L) | SAM4LC (adds segment-LCD controller) | SAM4LS (standard) | SAM4LC (adds segment-LCD controller) | SAM4LS (standard) |
Key Differentiators
- Maximum flash in the VFBGA-100 SAM4L footprint (vs ATSAM4LS4CA-CFU)
- Standard SAM4LS peripheral set (vs ATSAM4LC8CA-CFU)
- Compact 7x7 mm BGA versus TQFP alternatives (vs ATSAM4LS8BA-AUR)
Design Notes
The 100-VFBGA 7x7 mm ball field requires a solder-mask-defined or non-solder-mask-defined pad design consistent with Microchip's SAM4L package drawing. Place a continuous ground plane on layer 2 directly under the ball array, with one 0402/0201 decoupling capacitor per supply ball pair placed inside or immediately at the edge of the ball field, connected by short, wide vias to the plane. Route high-frequency traces (crystal, USB, high-speed SPI) on inner layers with ground return paths. Plan vias-in-pad or dog-bone escape routing depending on your fab's capability - vias-in-pad needs filled and plated vias.
The '-CFU' suffix denotes the VFBGA package in tray packing - do not order assuming tape-and-reel, or your pick-and-place feeder plan will fail. Also, do not confuse the LS (standard) and LC (LCD) SAM4L peripheral sets when porting code; register maps differ around the LCD and some analog peripherals even though the core and memory map match. Finally, the flash size suffix (2/4/8 = 128/256/512KB) must match your linker script and bootloader OTA layout - a 256KB binary image will not fit on ATSAM4LS2CA-CFU drop-ins.
The ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU operates from a 3.3V supply. Provide a clean 3.3V rail with local bulk capacitance (10 uF) plus per-pin ceramic decoupling. The SAM4L family supports multiple low-power sleep modes; for battery designs, configure the power management controller to clock off unused peripherals and select the deepest sleep mode compatible with your wake latency requirement. Estimated: if the MCU averages even 1 mA versus 100 uA in a duty-cycled application, a 1000 mAh cell loses roughly 11 months of runtime - quantify sleep current against your duty cycle from the SAM4L datasheet electrical characteristics.
For BGA assembly, specify 0.3-0.35 mm stencil apertures matching the ball pitch of the VFBGA-100 and use a no-clean or water-wash flux profile validated on BGA packages. Include fiducials at two diagonally opposite corners of the ball field and a 3-dot global fiducial set on the panel. Reserve an X-ray inspection step for first-article qualification and sample production checks to catch head-in-pillow and voiding defects that AOI cannot see under the package.
Compliance Information
JLCPCB lists ATSAM4LS8CA-CFU as ROHS. Mouser describes the green BGA packaging ('Wafer - BGA GREEN IND'), which corresponds to Microchip's green/halogen-free standard. REACH and conflict-minerals declarations should be obtained from Microchip's product compliance portal.
