ATSAM4S-XPRO - SAM4S Xplained Pro ARM Cortex-M4 Eval Kit | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4S-XPRO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $133.4 | $133.40 |
| 10 | $119.06 | $1,190.60 |
| 100 | $105.62 | $10,562.00 |
| 500 | $92.18 | $46,090.00 |
| 1,000 | $84.96 | $84,960.00 |
ATSAM4S-XPRO Overview
An Xplained Pro board is a Microchip/Atmel evaluation platform that combines a target microcontroller with a unified extension header ecosystem, allowing engineers to mix and match peripheral add-on boards without rewriting BSP code. Within the broader taxonomy, this kit sits under evaluation boards -> development boards -> microcontroller starter kits -> ARM Cortex-M4 prototyping platforms. It is designed to shorten the bring-up cycle for SAM4S-based industrial, consumer, and IoT designs.
Key features of the ATSAM4S-XPRO include the ATSAM4SD32C Cortex-M4 core with single-precision FPU, 2 MB embedded Flash, 160 KB SRAM, and an external 2 GB NAND Flash interface exposed on the board. The kit is USB-powered through a Micro-B connector and exposes the full SAM4S peripheral set including USB 2.0 Full-Speed, EMAC, HS MCI, multiple USARTs, SPIs, TWIs, and a 12-bit ADC. The package here is the PCB itself; the MCU on board is the ATSAM4SD32C in a 100-pin LQFP.
Typical applications include rapid evaluation of the SAM4S microcontroller family, prototype development for smart-energy metering, industrial HMI, USB peripherals, secure connected nodes using SAM4S crypto peripherals, and low-power battery-backed IoT gateways. Designers can immediately evaluate FreeRTOS, ASF (Atmel Software Framework) libraries, and Atmel Studio 7 / Microchip Studio workflows out of the box.
When selecting this kit, ensure your host PC has a USB 2.0 port for power and debug. The EDBG debugger enumerates as a composite HID/MSD/VCP device, so first-time use may require drivers from Microchip. Because the kit does not ship with extension boards, plan to order I/O1, OLED1, or PROTO1 Xplained Pro modules if a richer peripheral demonstration is required.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4S-XPRO — 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-XPRO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core, Product Type, ADC, Flash Memory, On-board Debugger.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4S-XSTK
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$159.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4L8-XPRO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$66.19 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4S-EK2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$260 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAM4SD32CB-CFN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$6.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →STM32F407G-DISC1
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4S-XPRO Specifications (manufacturer-published)
| Target MCU | ATSAM4SD32C |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU |
| Core Architecture | 32-bit |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 120 MHz |
| Embedded Flash | 2 MB |
| SRAM | 160 KB |
| On-board External Memory | 2 GB NAND Flash |
| Target MCU Package | LQFP-100 |
| Board Host Interface | USB Micro-B (power + debug) |
| On-board Debugger | EDBG (Embedded Debugger) |
| Debugger Functions | Drag-and-drop programming, Virtual COM Port |
| Extension Headers | 3 x Xplained Pro extension connectors |
| Operating System Support | Windows 7 / Windows XP / Linux (via Microchip Studio / Studio 7) |
| RoHS Compliance | RoHS Compliant |
| Board Type | Evaluation / Development Board (no extension boards included) |
ATSAM4S-XPRO Interfaces & Connectors
No manufacturer-published interface list is available for ATSAM4S-XPRO. Refer to the manufacturer documentation for connector and header details.
Refer to the manufacturer documentation for the full expansion header pinout and connector pin numbering.
Typical Applications
ATSAM4S-XPRO is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial HMI and Touch Panel Prototyping, Smart Energy Metering and Sub-metering, USB Peripherals and HID Devices, Secure Connected IoT Gateways, Audio Playback and Consumer Electronics Prototyping, Educational Platform for Cortex-M4 Development.
Industrial HMI and Touch Panel Prototyping
The ATSAM4S-XPRO is well suited for industrial HMI prototyping because the ATSAM4SD32C integrates a 12-bit ADC, capacitive touch support via PTC, and the SAM4S peripheral mix needed to drive TFT displays and scan key matrices. With 2 MB of Flash and 160 KB of SRAM, designers can run FreeRTOS plus a graphics stack while still leaving room for application code. The 120 MHz Cortex-M4 core delivers enough throughput to handle PNG decoding and touch event processing at low BOM cost.
Recommended
Smart Energy Metering and Sub-metering
The ATSAM4S-XPRO provides a fast path to smart-energy metering thanks to the SAM4S analog front end (12-bit ADC at up to 1 Msps, integrated op-amps, and hardware crypto for secure communications). Designers can use the 160 KB SRAM as a circular sample buffer for current/voltage waveforms while the 2 MB Flash stores metering firmware and tariff tables. The EDBG debugger on the kit allows fast iteration on DSP metering algorithms without an external programmer.
Recommended
USB Peripherals and HID Devices
The ATSAM4S-XPRO exposes the SAM4S USB 2.0 Full-Speed device controller through the EDBG's virtual COM port bridge, making it ideal for evaluating USB keyboards, mice, custom HID, CDC, or vendor-class peripherals. The 120 MHz Cortex-M4 handles USB stack plus application code concurrently, and the on-board NAND Flash provides 2 GB of data storage for loggers or mass-storage demos. Designers can prototype HID + mass-storage composite devices and then port the firmware to the bare ATSAM4SD32C MCU for production.
Recommended
Secure Connected IoT Gateways
The ATSAM4S-XPRO supports secure connected IoT node development because the ATSAM4SD32C includes the SAM4S hardware crypto accelerator (AES, TDES, SHA) and True Random Number Generator, eliminating the need for an external security IC. Engineers can prototype TLS/DTLS stacks, MQTT clients, or LoRa/Wi-Fi gateways using the EMAC and HS MCI peripherals. The Xplained Pro extension headers accept radio modules such as ATWINC1500, enabling quick Wi-Fi attach for cloud-connected demos.
Recommended
Audio Playback and Consumer Electronics Prototyping
The ATSAM4S-XPRO can drive consumer audio playback prototypes thanks to the SAM4S I2S peripheral, 12-bit DAC, and 160 KB SRAM which is sufficient for short PCM clips or decoder scratch buffers. Combined with FreeRTOS, engineers can build MP3/AAC playback with on-the-fly volume control and headphone detection via the SAM4S comparator peripheral. The 2 GB on-board NAND stores audio assets and the same code path ports cleanly to ATSAM4SD32C production hardware.
Recommended
Educational Platform for Cortex-M4 Development
The ATSAM4S-XPRO is a popular educational platform for teaching ARM Cortex-M4 development because the EDBG debugger removes the need for separate programmers, and Microchip Studio provides free IDE, compiler, and example projects. Students can experiment with interrupts, DMA, and the SAM4S peripheral set on a single USB-powered board, then graduate to bare ATSAM4SD32C designs with a familiar toolchain. The Xplained Pro extension ecosystem supports courseware expansion to OLED, sensors, and click-style modules.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4S-XPRO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4S-XSTK | ATSAM4L8-XPRO | ATSAM4S-EK2 | ATSAM4SD32CB-CFN | STM32F407G-DISC1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | STMicroelectronics |
| Package / Form Factor | Xplained Pro PCB with ATSAM4SD32C in LQFP-100 | Xplained Pro PCB + bundled I/O1, OLED1, PROTO1 modules | Xplained Pro PCB with ATSAM4L8 MCU | Legacy EK2 PCB form factor | Bare MCU LQFP-100 (no PCB, no debugger) | STM32 Discovery PCB with STM32F407VGT6 in LQFP-100 |
| Target MCU Core | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU @ 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU @ 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU @ 80 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU @ 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU @ 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU @ 168 MHz |
| Embedded Flash | 2 MB | 2 MB | 512 KB | 2 MB | 2 MB | 1 MB |
| SRAM | 160 KB | 160 KB | 64 KB | 160 KB | 160 KB | 192 KB |
| On-board Debugger | Microchip EDBG (CMSIS-DAP + VCP + MSD) | Microchip EDBG | Microchip EDBG | On-board JTAG | None (bare IC) | ST-LINK/V2-1 |
| Extension Header Ecosystem | 3 x Xplained Pro extension connectors | 3 x Xplained Pro (plus bundled modules) | 3 x Xplained Pro extension connectors | Legacy EK2 headers | N/A - bare IC | Arduino-compatible + ST Morpho |
Key Differentiators
- Unified Xplained Pro extension header ecosystem (vs STM32F407G-DISC1)
- Higher embedded Flash density on the target MCU (vs STM32F407G-DISC1)
- EDBG debugger with virtual COM port and drag-and-drop programming (vs ATSAM4S-EK2)
Design Notes
The ATSAM4S-XPRO does not include extension boards in the box - only the bare MCU kit. Engineers expecting an out-of-the-box demo with display, sensors, or I/O must order I/O1, OLED1, and PROTO1 Xplained Pro modules separately, or buy the ATSAM4S-XSTK starter kit that bundles them. Plan the BOM accordingly when quoting total kit cost for team purchases.
The kit is bus-powered from the Micro-B USB port; the EDBG consumes approximately 100 mA on its own. When prototyping power-hungry peripherals on extension boards, prefer a powered USB hub or supply 5V externally through the kit's secondary input to avoid USB port resets under load. Ensure the host PC grants at least 500 mA to the USB port for stable SAM4S operation with EDBG active.
Place the ATSAM4SD32C decoupling capacitors (100 nF X7R plus 4.7 uF bulk) within 2 mm of each supply pin and route ground returns through a continuous plane directly under the MCU. The SAM4S datasheet recommends a 4-layer PCB stack-up with a dedicated ground plane to achieve the 120 MHz timing margin on the external bus interface. When migrating from kit to custom PCB, copy the EDBG + USB section reference design from the kit user guide.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page and distributor datasheets. The kit is an evaluation product; AEC-Q100 is not applicable. Lead-free assembly confirmed.
