ATSAM4S-XPLD - SAM4S Xplained ARM Cortex-M4 MCU Eval Kit | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4S-XPLD ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $79 | $79.00 |
| 5 | $74.5 | $372.50 |
| 10 | $70 | $700.00 |
| 25 | $65 | $1,625.00 |
| 100 | $58 | $5,800.00 |
ATSAM4S-XPLD Overview
What is a microcontroller evaluation kit? An evaluation kit (EVK) is a reference design platform that gives engineers immediate access to a vendor's silicon peripherals, debug interface, and expansion ecosystem without spinning a custom PCB. The ATSAM4S-XPLD belongs to the Xplained family of kits, which standardise on-board debugger silicon, dual-row expansion headers, and Atmel QTouch buttons so code developed on one Xplained board ports quickly to another. In the broader hierarchy it sits at: evaluation board -> development platform -> engineering tool for 32-bit ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers -> Microchip/Atmel SAM family.
Key features include the SAM4S16C Cortex-M4 core running up to 120 MHz, 1 Mbyte of embedded Flash, 128 Kbytes of SRAM, USB 2.0 Full-Speed device, up to 47 I/O lines routed to the Xplained headers, and on-board voltage regulators accepting an external supply. Software support is provided through Microchip Studio / Atmel Studio, MPLAB Harmony, and the Zephyr RTOS Board Support Package, all of which recognise the board's hierarchical identifier `atmel,sam4s_xplained` in their device trees.
The kit targets typical application scenarios including industrial HMI prototypes, USB device peripherals (CDC/HID/MSC), low-power wireless sensor nodes paired with an external radio board, motor control evaluation with companion Xplained boards, and rapid proof-of-concept work for Cortex-M4 DSP routines. Design consideration: the EDBG USB port enumerates as both a debugger and a COM port simultaneously, so Windows/Linux hosts must install the EDBG driver or use the latest Zephyr/Studio tools for plug-and-play. The kit is functionally comparable to the SAM4L8 Xplained Pro (ATSAM4L8-XPRO) but with a Cortex-M4 instead of Cortex-M3 core.
This page synthesizes distributor stock/pricing data, on-board peripheral inventory, and practical bring-up notes so an engineer can decide whether the ATSAM4S-XPLD is the right starting point for a SAM4S-based product.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4S-XPLD — 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 ATSAM4S-XPLD (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core Architecture, ADC, Packaging, SRAM, Flash Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4S-EK2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$260 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4L8-XPRO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$66.19 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4SD16CB-ANR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$7.3 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4SD32CB-CFN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$6.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4SA16CB-AN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4S-XPLD Specifications (manufacturer-published)
| Device Core | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| Core Architecture | 32-bit RISC with FPU and DSP instructions |
| On-board MCU | ATSAM4S16C |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 120 MHz |
| Embedded Flash (on MCU) | 1 Mbyte |
| Embedded SRAM (on MCU) | 128 Kbytes |
| External SRAM | IS66WV51216DALL, 8 Mbit (512 K x 16) |
| Main Crystal Oscillator | 12 MHz |
| Low-Frequency Crystal | 32.768 kHz |
| USB Device Interface | Micro-AB USB (USB 2.0 Full-Speed device) |
| Debug Interface | Micro-AB USB EDBG (SEGGER J-Link OB, Virtual COM Port) |
| User LEDs | 4 |
| User Pushbuttons | 1 (plus 1 reset button) |
| Capacitive Touch | 4 Atmel QTouch buttons |
| Expansion Headers | Xplained dual-row headers (analog + digital) |
| External Power Input | External voltage input (header) |
| Product Type | 32-Bit MCU 32-Bit Embedded Evaluation Board |
| Series | AT91SAM4 (SAM4S Xplained) |
| Packaging | Box |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
ATSAM4S-XPLD Interfaces & Connectors
ATSAM4S-XPLD exposes the following interfaces and connectors as published by the manufacturer: USB, GPIO, Power Input. Expansion header pinout, connector pin numbering, and electrical limits are defined in the manufacturer documentation.
| USB | Micro-AB USB (USB 2.0 Full-Speed device) |
| GPIO | Xplained dual-row headers (analog + digital) |
| Power Input | External voltage input (header) |
Refer to the manufacturer documentation for the full expansion header pinout and connector pin numbering.
Power & Thermal Characteristics
| Power Input | External voltage input (header) |
Power input and thermal parameters for ATSAM4S-XPLD as published by the manufacturer.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4S-XPLD is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial HMI Prototype, USB Device Peripheral Development, Low-Power Wireless Sensor Node Bring-Up, Motor Control Algorithm Evaluation, DSP / Audio Processing Proof-of-Concept, IoT Edge Node with Zephyr RTOS.
Industrial HMI Prototype
The ATSAM4S-XPLD is well suited to industrial HMI prototyping because its ATSAM4S16C Cortex-M4 runs at 120 MHz with DSP and FPU, driving TFT displays and QTouch button scanning with deterministic latency. The on-board EDBG USB debug and Virtual COM port let a host PC update graphics and log touch events in real time without an external JTAG probe. The four QTouch buttons demonstrate capacitive sensing firmware that can be ported directly into a production SAM4S design, and the Xplained analog/digital headers expose USART, SPI, TWI and ADC channels for connecting display modules and sensor front-ends.
Recommended
USB Device Peripheral Development
The ATSAM4S-XPLD provides a working USB 2.0 Full-Speed device interface through its Micro-AB connector, which is essential when developing CDC, HID, MSD or vendor-class peripherals. The on-board EDBG enumerates as both a debugger and a Virtual COM Port, so engineers can test composite USB stacks on the same workstation without an external hub. The SAM4S16C's USB peripheral includes on-chip transceivers, reducing BOM and shortening bring-up; firmware written against the kit's USB descriptors ports directly to a SAM4S production MCU with no USB re-qualification.
Recommended
Low-Power Wireless Sensor Node Bring-Up
When paired with an Xplained wireless extension (ATZB-2560-XPRO or similar), the ATSAM4S-XPLD becomes a Cortex-M4 sensor fusion and protocol gateway. The Cortex-M4 with FPU handles sensor DSP at low duty cycle; the 32.768 kHz crystal drives accurate RTC timestamps for sleep/wake cycles; and the 4 QTouch buttons or analog headers can host temperature, humidity or motion sensors. Migrating to the production ATSAM4SD16BA-MU keeps the same peripheral map while lowering active current.
Recommended
Motor Control Algorithm Evaluation
The ATSAM4S-XPLD's Cortex-M4 with single-precision FPU and DSP extensions can evaluate field-oriented control (FOC) and sensorless BLDC algorithms in real time at PWM frequencies up to 50 kHz. The Xplained headers expose the SAM4S16C's PWM, ADC, quadrature decoder, and position-sensor interfaces, and the kit's 12 MHz crystal supports accurate PWM period generation. Migration to ATSAM4SA16CA-AUR is straightforward for production motor control boards.
Recommended
DSP / Audio Processing Proof-of-Concept
Audio codec prototypes benefit from the ATSAM4S-XPLD's Cortex-M4 DSP instructions and 120 MHz headroom, which deliver enough MIPS for sample-rate conversion, EQ, and basic noise suppression. The kit's I2S-capable USART and DMA channels route digital audio to/from an external codec connected via the Xplained headers. Migrating to ATSAM4SD32CA-AUR doubles the Flash budget for larger audio firmware images.
Recommended
IoT Edge Node with Zephyr RTOS
The ATSAM4S-XPLD is officially supported in the Zephyr RTOS Board Support Package as `atmel,sam4s_xplained`, providing a ready-made device tree, pinmux, and peripheral drivers. This allows engineers to evaluate Zephyr's networking stack (Bluetooth, Thread, Wi-Fi via companion modules) without writing BSP code. Production migration to ATSAM4S16CB-CFN or ATSAM4S4AA-AU preserves the Zephyr board definition with minor overlay changes, shortening time-to-market for IoT edge nodes.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4S-XPLD — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4S-EK2 | ATSAM4L8-XPRO | ATSAM4SD16CB-AN | ATSAM4SD32CB-CFN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | SAM4S Xplained Evaluation Kit | SAM4S Evaluation Kit (Box) | SAM4L Xplained Pro (Box) | LQFP-100 (bare MCU) | LQFP-100 (bare MCU) |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core Processor | ARM Cortex-M4 | ARM Cortex-M4 | ARM Cortex-M3 | ARM Cortex-M4 | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| On-board MCU | ATSAM4S16C | SAM4S higher-tier variant | ATSAM4L8 (Cortex-M3) | ATSAM4SD16C (bare) | ATSAM4SD32C (bare) |
| Max CPU Clock | 120 MHz | 120 MHz | 48 MHz | 120 MHz | 120 MHz |
| Embedded Flash | 1 MB | 1 MB | 512 KB | 1 MB | 2 MB |
| Embedded SRAM | 128 KB | 128 KB | 64 KB | 128 KB | 160 KB |
| Debug Interface | On-board EDBG USB (J-Link OB + VCOM) | External JTAG only | On-board EDBG USB | Bare MCU - no on-board debug | Bare MCU - no on-board debug |
Key Differentiators
- On-board EDBG with J-Link OB + Virtual COM Port (vs ATSAM4S-EK2)
- Cortex-M4 with DSP and FPU at 120 MHz (vs ATSAM4L8-XPRO)
- 4 integrated Atmel QTouch buttons (vs ATSAM4SD16CB-AN)
Design Notes
The ATSAM4S-XPLD's on-board EDBG enumerates as both a J-Link OB debugger and a Virtual COM Port. On Windows hosts, drivers must be installed (Microchip EDBG or Segger J-Link) before USB CDC demo code will enumerate as a COM port - otherwise Windows will report 'Unknown device'. Use the latest Microchip Studio or Zephyr SDK which auto-install EDBG drivers to avoid bring-up delays.
The kit accepts external voltage via the dedicated input header. Use a regulated 5V supply capable of at least 500 mA to cover USB VBUS current plus MCU active draw with headroom. The on-board 3.3V LDO powers the SAM4S16C and the EDBG; if the input drops below 4.5V the SAM4S will brown-out and the USB will re-enumerate - add bulk capacitance at the input header for noisy lab supplies.
Estimated: when migrating firmware from the ATSAM4S-XPLD to a bare SAM4S16C production board, the on-board 12 MHz crystal and 32.768 kHz crystal are NOT automatically present on the production PCB - copy the BOM's crystal part numbers (typically Abricon ABM8G-12.000MHZ or ECS-120-20-5PX-TR for the 12 MHz) and load capacitance values from the Xplained schematic to keep the clock tree and USB PLL accurate.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free per Microchip development tool product page. AEC-Q100 not applicable - evaluation kit is not an automotive-qualified part. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in provided data.