ATSAM4N8AA-AU - 100MHz Cortex-M4 MCU, 512KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4N8AA-AU ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5.23 | $5.23 |
| 10 | $4.71 | $47.10 |
| 100 | $4.2 | $420.00 |
| 500 | $3.78 | $1,890.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.4 | $3,400.00 |
ATSAM4N8AA-AU Overview
A microcontroller unit (MCU) is a single integrated circuit that combines a processor core, memory, and programmable peripherals into one chip, forming the lowest layer of the embedded-system hierarchy (MCU -> SoC -> application processor -> computer). The ARM Cortex-M4 core used here executes the Thumb-2 instruction set and includes DSP instructions for efficient digital signal processing plus a Memory Protection Unit (MPU) for robust RTOS deployments.
Key differentiating features of the ATSAM4N8AA-AU include five USARTs, two SPI interfaces, and three I2C (TWI) controllers for fast serial communication, an 8-channel 12-bit ADC for analog sensing, PWM outputs, multiple timers, and a real-time clock (RTC). The 100 MHz Cortex-M4 with single-cycle MAC delivers roughly 125 DMIPS, providing DSP-class throughput in a low-power general-purpose MCU.
Architecturally, the device belongs to Microchip's (formerly Atmel) SAM4N entry-point family within the broader SAM4 ARM Flash MCU portfolio. The flash-based program memory supports in-system programming via the Serial Wire Debug (SWD) or JTAG interface, and the MPU enables safe memory partitioning for FreeRTOS or Zephyr-class operating systems.
Typical applications include industrial control panels, motor-adjacent sensing nodes, building automation controllers, and consumer appliances where multiple serial buses, ADC channels, and PWM channels must run concurrently under a single 3.3 V rail.
Design consideration: supply the device from a clean 3.3 V rail (1.62 V to 3.6 V absolute range) and decouple each VDD pin with 100 nF ceramics; the ADC accuracy degrades with noisy supplies, so segregate analog grounding when using all 8 channels.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in family alternatives, pin-availability guidance, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone. Pricing references are as of 2026-09-20.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4N8AA-AU — 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 ATSAM4N8AA-AU (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, RoHS Status, Core Size, Instruction Set, SRAM Size.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4N8BA-AU
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$3.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4N8CA-AU
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$3.83 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4N16CA-CFUR
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$4.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4N8AA-AU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| Core Size | 32-bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 100 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 512 KB (512K x 8) |
| SRAM | 64 KB |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Instruction Set | Thumb-2, DSP instructions |
| Memory Protection | MPU |
| USART Peripherals | 5 |
| SPI Peripherals | 2 |
| I2C (TWI) Peripherals | 3 |
| ADC | 8-channel, 12-bit |
| Additional Peripherals | PWM, Timers, RTC |
| Package | 48-LQFP (7x7 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +85C) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (GREEN, per Mouser listing) |
ATSAM4N8AA-AU 48-lqfp (7x7 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAM4N8AA-AU (48-lqfp (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 ATSAM4N8AA-AU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4N8AA-AU is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Panels, Building Automation Controllers, Sensor Data Acquisition Nodes, Consumer Appliance Control, Gateways and Communication Hubs, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Control Panels
The ATSAM4N8AA-AU fits industrial control panels because its five USARTs, two SPIs, and three I2C controllers let one MCU talk to RS-485 fieldbus transceivers, HMI serial links, and multiple sensor buses simultaneously at 100 MHz without polling bottlenecks. The Cortex-M4 core with DSP instructions executes PID control loops with single-cycle MAC throughput, while the Memory Protection Unit isolates the RTOS kernel from user tasks for fault containment. Operating from a single 1.62 V to 3.6 V rail with industrial temperature rating, it drops directly onto a 3.3 V panel supply. Place it between the RS-485 transceiver and the isolated I/O bank, using the 12-bit ADC for analog setpoint monitoring; the trade-off versus a smaller M0+ MCU is higher quiescent power in exchange for real DSP-class loop performance.
Recommended
Building Automation Controllers
In building automation, the ATSAM4N8AA-AU consolidates multi-protocol communication - five USARTs cover Modbus RTU channels and metering links, while the three I2C buses drive environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, light) concurrently. The 512 KB flash holds a full protocol stack plus an OTA-update stub with room to spare, and 64 KB of SRAM buffers network packets without external RAM. The RTC maintains time-of-day scheduling across power cycles with a backup battery, and the PWM outputs directly drive damper actuators or LED dimming drivers. Its 1.62 V to 3.6 V operation tolerates supply sag on long cable-runs of shared power. The 48-pin LQFP (7x7 mm) keeps the controller PCB compact; the main design consideration is supply decoupling on every VDD pin to preserve 12-bit ADC accuracy for analog sensor readings.
Recommended
Sensor Data Acquisition Nodes
The 8-channel 12-bit ADC is the headline feature for data acquisition nodes: the ATSAM4N8AA-AU can scan eight analog inputs under DMA while the Cortex-M4 core applies DSP instructions - FIR filtering, RMS computation, threshold detection - at 100 MHz in real time. Three I2C controllers and two SPI ports interface digital sensors (accelerometers, pressure ICs) alongside the analog channels, and any of the five USARTs streams processed data to a gateway over RS-232/RS-485. The MPU lets you partition acquisition firmware from a communication stack for deterministic sampling. Supply the ADC reference from a clean 3.0 V source and segregate analog ground to realize the full 12-bit ENOB; sampling jitter is the main constraint, so trigger conversions from a hardware timer rather than software loops.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control
White-goods and appliance mainboards benefit from the ATSAM4N8AA-AU's combination of PWM channels for motor or heater drive, timer resources for sequencing, and five USARTs for touch-HMI, RF-module, and service-port connections. The 512 KB flash comfortably hosts a UI framework, firmware-update infrastructure, and diagnostics logging without external memory, and the industrial temperature rating covers the harsh thermal environment inside appliances. Operation from a single 3.3 V rail shared with the HMI display simplifies the power supply, while the 12-bit ADC reads NTC thermistors and user controls. The Cortex-M4's DSP instructions enable basic vibration or acoustic signature analysis for predictive maintenance. Cost-sensitive variants may step down within the SAM4N family using the same footprint when flash requirements are smaller.
Recommended
Gateways and Communication Hubs
As a protocol gateway, the ATSAM4N8AA-AU exploits its full serial complement: five USARTs can simultaneously bridge two RS-485 fieldbus segments, a Wi-Fi or LoRa module, and a debug/service port, while the two SPI ports service high-throughput peripherals such as Ethernet MAC bridges or external flash for message buffering. The 64 KB SRAM holds multiple concurrent message queues, and the 100 MHz Cortex-M4 with Thumb-2 code density parses and re-encodes protocol frames with headroom. The MPU protects the protocol core from malformed-packet crashes, supporting unattended deployment. Power comes from a single 3.3 V rail; for always-on nodes, exploit the RTC and low-power modes between polling windows. The key trade-off is that there is no integrated Ethernet MAC - pair it with an SPI-Ethernet controller for wired IP connectivity.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Bench and handheld instruments use the ATSAM4N8AA-AU for its 12-bit ADC front end, DSP-accelerated signal processing, and rich serial debugging paths. Three I2C buses and two SPI ports interface precision converters (external ADCs/DACs), calibration EEPROM, and display drivers, while a USART connects to the host PC or a printer port. The 100 MHz core with single-cycle MAC implements averaging, windowing, and FFT routines from CMSIS-DSP for spectrum or power-analysis features, and 512 KB flash retains calibration tables and multi-language UI strings. The MPU isolates measurement routines from the UI stack so a frozen menu cannot corrupt an acquisition. Prioritize PCB layout: keep the ADC reference and analog inputs on a quiet ground island, and trigger sampling with hardware timers for deterministic timestamps.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4N8AA-AU — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4N8BA-AU | ATSAM4N8CA-AU | ATSAM4N16CA-CFUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 48-LQFP (7x7 mm) | 48-LQFP (7x7 mm) - same | 48-LQFP (7x7 mm) - same | LQFP-100 - differs |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 100 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 100 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 100 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 100 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Serial Peripherals | 5 USART, 2 SPI, 3 I2C | same family peripheral set | same family peripheral set | same family peripheral set (more GPIO) |
| ADC | 8-ch 12-bit | 8-ch 12-bit | 8-ch 12-bit | 8-ch 12-bit |
Key Differentiators
- Largest serial connectivity in the 48-pin SAM4N lineup (vs ATSAM4N8BA-AU)
- Cortex-M4 DSP throughput at entry-level price (vs ATSAM4N16CA-CFUR)
- Single-rail wide supply tolerance (vs STM32F401CCU6 (cross-brand reference))
Design Notes
Supply the ATSAM4N8AA-AU from a single regulated 3.3 V rail (absolute range 1.62 V to 3.6 V per the Microchip product page). Place a 100 nF ceramic capacitor on every VDD/VDDIO pin within 2 mm of the pin, plus one bulk 4.7 uF to 10 uF capacitor near the device. Brown-out behavior: enable the internal brown-out detector so the core never executes code below safe voltage during supply ramp. If the design must survive deep sleep, size the 3.3 V rail for the inrush of all enabled peripherals, not just the core.
For the 48-LQFP (7x7 mm) footprint, use a standard 0.5 mm-pitch land pattern per the Microchip package drawing. The ADC accuracy depends on supply and reference cleanliness: keep analog inputs and the ADC reference away from the USART/RS-485 routing, and pour a quiet analog ground island connected to digital ground at one point near the device. Route SWD (SWDIO/SWCLK) to a 2x5 debug header even in production - in-system programming and firmware updates via SAM-BA or Atmel-ICE depend on it.
Common pitfalls: (1) Assuming hardware floating point - the Cortex-M4 core in this device has DSP instructions but no FPU, so use fixed-point or CMSIS-DSP fixed routines for math-heavy code. (2) The 48-pin package multiplexes peripherals on shared GPIO - check the SAM4N datasheet pin-multiplexing tables before committing a pin plan, since enabling all five USARTs plus three I2Cs can conflict on PA/PB pins. (3) Flash density differs across SAM4N family suffixes - always verify the exact variant when ordering or cross-referencing.
Compliance Information
GREEN designation (RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, lead-free) per Mouser listing: LQFP, GREEN, IND TEMP, MRL A. REACH and conflict minerals status not stated in provided data.