ATSAM4SD16CA-AU - SAM4S Cortex-M4 MCU 120MHz 1MB | Microchip
MPN: ATSAM4SD16CA-AU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9.2 | $9.20 |
| 10 | $8.1 | $81.00 |
| 100 | $6.95 | $695.00 |
| 500 | $6.2 | $3,100.00 |
| 1,000 | $5.55 | $5,550.00 |
ATSAM4SD16CA-AU Overview
An ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller is a 32-bit processor core designed for embedded systems, combining high computational throughput with low power consumption and a rich interrupt model. Within the broader taxonomy, it sits in the hierarchy: ARM Cortex-M4 -> Cortex-M family -> ARM 32-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor. The M4 variant adds single-precision FPU and DSP extensions, making it suitable for signal-processing tasks.
Key features of the ATSAM4SD16CA-AU include 1 Mbyte dual-bank Flash with ECC, security bit, and lock bits, up to 120 MHz operation, integrated FPU and DSP instructions, MPU, dual 16-bit timers and a comprehensive peripheral set including USART, SPI, TWI, PWM, and ADC. The device operates from 1.62V to 3.6V and includes a Brown-Out Detector (BOD) and Watchdog.
The architecture features a multi-layer AHB bus matrix that allows parallel data paths between the CPU, DMA controller, and peripherals, enabling high data throughput without bus contention. The dual-bank Flash permits in-application programming (IAP) without halting the CPU, supporting field firmware upgrades with rollback safety.
Typical applications include industrial control, smart energy metering, USB peripherals, point-of-sale terminals, and motor control. Pin-to-pin compatibility with SAM3N, SAM3S (64/100-pin) and SAM7S legacy devices enables seamless migration of existing designs to Cortex-M4.
For new designs, Microchip recommends considering Revision B (ATSAM4SD16CB-AU) for prototypes and production due to errata fixes and lifecycle continuity.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, verified drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAM4SD16CA-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 ATSAM4SD16CA-AU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, ADC, RoHS Status, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAM4SD16CB-AU
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4S16CA-AU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$5.55 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4SD32CA-AU
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAM4SD16CA-CU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$5.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4SD16BA-AU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$8.62 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4SA16CA-AUR
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$6.23 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAM4SD16CA-AU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| Core Count | Single-core |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 120 MHz |
| Cache | 2 Kbytes |
| Instruction Set | Thumb-2, DSP |
| FPU | Single-precision |
| Program Flash | 1 MB (2 x 512 KB dual-bank) |
| SRAM | 160 KB |
| Memory Protection Unit (MPU) | Yes |
| DMA | Multi-channel |
| Operating Voltage | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Package | 100-pin LQFP (14x14 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (industrial) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
| Pin-to-Pin Compatible | SAM3N, SAM3S (64/100-pin), SAM7S legacy |
ATSAM4SD16CA-AU Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | PB0 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 2 | PB1 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 3 | PB2 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 4 | PB3 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 5 | VDDOUT β Voltage regulator output (1.8V core supply) |
| Pin 6 | VDDIN β Voltage regulator input |
| Pin 7 | VDDIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 8 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 9 | XIN β Crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 10 | XOUT β Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 11 | NRST β Reset input (active low) |
| Pin 12 | TST β Test mode (tie to GND) |
| Pin 13 | JTAGSEL β JTAG selection (tie to VDDIO for JTAG) |
| Pin 14 | PA0 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 15 | PA1 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 16 | PA2 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 17 | PA3 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 18 | PA4 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 19 | PA5 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 20 | PA6 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 21 | PA7 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 22 | PA8 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 23 | PA9 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 24 | PA10 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 25 | PA11 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 26 | PA12 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 27 | PA13 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 28 | PA14 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 29 | VDDCORE β Core supply voltage (1.2V) |
| Pin 30 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 31 | VDDIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 32 | PA15 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 33 | PA16 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 34 | PA17 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 35 | PA18 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 36 | PA19 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 37 | PA20 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 38 | PA21 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 39 | PA22 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 40 | PA23 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 41 | PA24 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 42 | PA25 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 43 | PA26 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 44 | PA27 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 45 | PA28 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 46 | PA29 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 47 | PA30 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 48 | PA31 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 49 | PB4 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 50 | PB5 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 51 | PB6 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 52 | PB7 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 53 | PB8 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 54 | PB9 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 55 | PB10 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 56 | PB11 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 57 | PB12 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 58 | PB13 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 59 | PB14 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 60 | PB15 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 61 | PC0 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 62 | PC1 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 63 | PC2 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 64 | PC3 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 65 | PC4 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 66 | PC5 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 67 | PC6 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 68 | PC7 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 69 | PC8 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 70 | PC9 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 71 | PC10 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 72 | PC11 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 73 | PC12 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 74 | PC13 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 75 | PC14 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 76 | PC15 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 77 | PC16 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 78 | PC17 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 79 | PC18 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 80 | PC19 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 81 | PC20 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 82 | PC21 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 83 | PC22 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 84 | PC23 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 85 | PC24 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 86 | PC25 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 87 | PC26 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 88 | PC27 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 89 | PC28 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 90 | PC29 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 91 | PC30 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 92 | PC31 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 93 | PD0 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 94 | PD1 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 95 | PD2 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 96 | PD3 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 97 | PD4 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 98 | PD5 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 99 | PD6 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
| Pin 100 | PD7 β General-purpose I/O / peripheral function |
Typical Applications
ATSAM4SD16CA-AU is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Systems, USB Device Peripherals, Smart Energy Metering, Motor Control and Inverters, Point-of-Sale Terminals, Data Logging and Sensor Hubs.
Industrial Control Systems
The ATSAM4SD16CA-AU suits industrial control with 120 MHz Cortex-M4 core handling PID loops at sub-millisecond rates, 160 KB SRAM accommodating protocol stacks (Modbus, EtherCAT slave) plus application buffers, and 100-LQFP package providing generous GPIO for sensor aggregation. Its industrial -40C to +85C operating range supports factory floor deployment. The DSP extensions and FPU enable floating-point motor control math without burdening the CPU, and the dual-bank Flash allows safe remote firmware updates in unattended equipment. Place a 100 nF + 10 uF decoupling pair near each VDD pin and route the analog AGND separately from digital GND to preserve ADC accuracy on the integrated 12-bit ADC channels used for current/voltage sensing.
Recommended
USB Device Peripherals
The ATSAM4SD16CA-AU integrates a USB 2.0 Full-Speed device controller with on-chip transceiver and programmable pull-up, eliminating the need for an external PHY. With 120 MHz Cortex-M4 and DMA, USB HID, CDC, MSD, or vendor class implementations run with minimal CPU loading, while 160 KB SRAM comfortably holds USB descriptors and protocol state. The 1 MB dual-bank Flash supports multi-language USB HID descriptors or composite device firmware. Use a 12 MHz external crystal with proper PCB layout to meet USB jitter requirements; route D+/D- as a 90-ohm differential pair with matched trace lengths.
Recommended
Smart Energy Metering
The ATSAM4SD16CA-AU fits smart energy metering where the Cortex-M4 with FPU accelerates RMS and FFT calculations on AC line waveforms sampled by the integrated 12-bit ADC. Its 160 KB SRAM provides headroom for metrology buffers, and 1 MB dual-bank Flash enables secure firmware with rollback for utility deployments. The MPU enables privilege separation between metering code and communication stacks, and the ECC Flash integrity check helps meet metering accuracy regulations. Operate from a 3.3 V linear regulator fed by the AC-line-derived DC bus; isolate the metrology GND from the communication GND to reduce noise coupling.
Recommended
Motor Control and Inverters
The ATSAM4SD16CA-AU drives BLDC, PMSM, or stepper motors using its PWM timer/counter outputs with complementary channels and dead-time insertion. The Cortex-M4 single-precision FPU runs field-oriented control (FOC) math with sub-microsecond loop times at 120 MHz, while DSP instructions accelerate Park/Clarke transforms. The 100-LQFP exposes 3 PWM timer blocks sufficient for 3-phase bridges, and the A/D synchronization to PWM enables precise current sampling. Keep PWM traces short and isolated from analog signals; add a Schottky flyback clamp on each motor phase output to protect the MCU during commutation events.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale Terminals
The ATSAM4SD16CA-AU serves as the main controller in POS terminals where 1 MB Flash holds payment application firmware, and 160 KB SRAM buffers transaction packets and printer queues. The USB Full-Speed port connects to peripherals (barcode scanner, PIN pad), while multiple USARTs drive the receipt printer and customer display. The Cortex-M4 DSP extensions enable on-device encryption acceleration (AES via software libraries) for transaction security. The industrial temperature range supports outdoor deployment in kiosk-style terminals. Add ESD protection diodes on all external I/O lines to survive handling and field abuse.
Recommended
Data Logging and Sensor Hubs
The ATSAM4SD16CA-AU functions as a sensor hub with its 12-bit ADC, multiple SPI/TWI interfaces, and DMA controller offloading sensor sampling. The 160 KB SRAM buffers large data bursts from accelerometers, gyroscopes, or environmental sensors before compression/streaming over USB or UART. Industrial -40C to +85C temperature range enables outdoor and automotive sensor hub deployment. The MPU isolates sensor-firmware updates from base firmware for security. Use an external 32.768 kHz crystal for RTC accuracy in time-stamped logging, and add a coin-cell backup for the RTC domain to preserve timestamps across power cycles.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAM4SD16CA-AU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAM4SD16CB-AU | ATSAM4S16CA-AU | ATSAM4SD32CA-AU | ATSAM4SD16CA-CU | ATSAM4SD16BA-AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 100-LQFP (14x14) | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same | 100-LQFP - same | 100-LQFP (14x14) - same | 100-LQFP - same | 100-LQFP - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 120 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 120 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 1 MB (dual-bank) | 1 MB (dual-bank) | 1 MB (single-bank) | 2 MB (dual-bank) | 1 MB (dual-bank) | 1 MB |
| SRAM | 160 KB | 160 KB | 160 KB | 160 KB | 160 KB | 160 KB |
| Operating Voltage | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.8/2.5/3.3 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V | 1.62 V to 3.6 V |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +70C | Industrial -40C to +85C |
| Flash ECC / Lock Bits | Yes (dual-bank) | Yes (dual-bank) | No (single-bank) | Yes (dual-bank) | Yes (dual-bank) | Yes |
| Manufacturer Recommendation | Use Revision B for new designs | Recommended for new designs | Cost-reduced alternate | Higher-memory upgrade | Commercial-temp alternate | Earlier silicon revision |
Key Differentiators
- Dual-bank Flash with ECC and lock bits (vs ATSAM4S16CA-AU)
- Manufacturer-recommended Revision B for new designs (vs ATSAM4SD16CA-AU (this part))
- Double Flash memory in same package (vs ATSAM4SD16CA-AU vs ATSAM4SD32CA-AU)
Design Notes
The ATSAM4SD16CA-AU integrates a 1.2V core LDO regulator fed from VDDIN; place a 1 uF + 100 nF decoupling pair within 5 mm of VDDIN/VDDOUT pins per the manufacturer reference design. Add a 4.7 uF bulk capacitor on VDDIO and route VDDCORE pins directly to the internal LDO output with a star-ground topology. The internal regulator can source up to 100 mA, so avoid heavy GPIO switching loads on the same plane to prevent core-voltage ripple.
For USB applications, route the D+ and D- traces as a 90-ohm differential pair with matched lengths within 150 mil tolerance, and place the 12 MHz crystal within 5 mm of XIN/XOUT with a grounded guard ring. Keep PWM outputs isolated from analog ADC inputs by at least 3 trace widths to avoid switching noise coupling into ADC measurements. Use a 4-layer PCB with dedicated GND and power planes for the 100-LQFP, since the package has no exposed thermal pad.
Do not exceed 3.6V on VDDIO - the ATSAM4SD16CA-AU is NOT 5V tolerant. Always assert NRST after VDDIO reaches 1.62V minimum, or use the internal Brown-Out Detector (BOD) with the BOD33 threshold enabled in the fuses. For dual-bank Flash IAP, ensure the application linker script places new firmware in bank 1 and uses the EEFC FCR register sequence documented in the SAM4S datasheet; failing to disable interrupts during bank swap can corrupt the running image.
The 100-LQFP (14x14 mm) has a theta_JA of approximately 40 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board, so the MCU dissipates safely up to ~1.5W at 85C ambient. For applications driving many GPIO at high switching rates, add copper pours under the package and vias to the GND plane to reduce thermal resistance. Avoid placing the MCU directly above a power dissipator without thermal isolation.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free confirmed per Microchip product page. AEC-Q100 not applicable - part is not automotive qualified; for automotive applications use SAMx7 automotive-grade variants.
