ATSAMA5D23B-CUR - 500MHz Cortex-A5 MPU | Microchip | Industrial
MPN: ATSAMA5D23B-CUR ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $16.2 | $16.20 |
| 10 | $14.5 | $145.00 |
| 100 | $12.8 | $1,280.00 |
| 500 | $11.4 | $5,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $10.05 | $10,050.00 |
ATSAMA5D23B-CUR Overview
What is a microprocessor unit (MPU)? An MPU is a processor that lacks on-chip flash memory and requires external program storage, distinguishing it from a microcontroller (MCU). MPUs like the SAMA5D23 are designed for higher-performance applications requiring rich operating systems (Linux, Android, RTOS), large memory footprints, and complex peripherals. In the broader taxonomy, MPU -> microprocessor -> processor -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor, and the SAMA5D2 series targets industrial, IoT gateway, and human-machine interface (HMI) markets.
Key features include an Arm Cortex-A5 core with Neon and TrustZone support, a peripheral touch controller (PTC), embedded audio subsystem, hardware cryptographic accelerators (AES, SHA, TRNG), and multiple connectivity interfaces including USB, Ethernet, CAN-FD, and UART/SPI/I2C. The 0.8 mm ball pitch package simplifies PCB layout by reducing routing complexity compared to finer-pitch BGAs, while the simple power management scheme enables rapid design with low BOM cost.
The SAMA5D23 employs a low-power architecture optimized for battery-backed industrial applications, with backup current as low as 5 uA in backup mode. The Cortex-A5 core integrates a single-precision/half-precision FPU and supports the Arm v7-A instruction set with Jazelle RCT and Media Processing Engine extensions, enabling efficient multimedia and signal processing workloads.
Typical applications include industrial IoT gateways, building automation controllers, HMI panels, smart energy metering, and connected medical device gateways. The combination of high integration and low power makes the ATSAMA5D23B-CUR particularly well suited for fanless embedded systems running Linux where reliability and long product life cycles are required.
When designing with this device, pay close attention to PCB layout: the 0.8 mm ball pitch still requires microvia technology and controlled impedance routing for the DDR interface. Use the SAMA5D2 System-in-Package development ecosystem and follow the Microchip hardware design checklist to validate DDR timing margins across temperature.
This page synthesizes real-time distributor pricing, drop-in SAMA5D2 family alternatives, and practical hardware design guidance not aggregated in any single manufacturer document.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAMA5D23B-CUR — 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 ATSAMA5D23B-CUR (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Ethernet, USB, Core Architecture, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAMA5D23B-CU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$11.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMA5D23B-CNR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$10.25 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMA5D23A-CUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$8.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMA5D22B-CUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMA5D21C-CUR
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$11.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMA5D21B-CUR
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$8.56 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMA5D23B-CUR Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Microchip Technology (formerly Atmel) |
| Series | SAMA5D2 |
| Core | Arm Cortex-A5 (32-bit) with NEON and TrustZone |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 500 MHz |
| Number of Cores | 1 |
| On-chip SRAM | 128 KB |
| External Memory Support | DDR2, DDR3L, LPDDR2, LPDDR3, QSPI, e.MMC Flash |
| Package | 196-ball TFBGA, 11x11 mm, 0.8 mm pitch |
| Terminal Form | BALL |
| Package Shape | SQUARE |
| Temperature Grade | INDUSTRIAL |
| Backup Mode Current | 5 uA typical |
| Peripheral Touch Controller | Yes (PTC) |
| Embedded Audio Subsystem | Yes (Class-D amplifier interface, I2S) |
| Cryptographic Accelerators | AES, SHA, TRNG, secure boot |
| Connectivity | USB, Ethernet 10/100, CAN-FD, UART, SPI, I2C, SDIO |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 |
ATSAMA5D23B-CUR square Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAMA5D23B-CUR (square 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 ATSAMA5D23B-CUR.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAMA5D23B-CUR is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial IoT Gateway, Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels, Smart Energy Metering, Building Automation Controllers, Connected Medical Device Gateways, Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminals.
Industrial IoT Gateway
The ATSAMA5D23B-CUR's 500 MHz Cortex-A5 core and 128 KB on-chip SRAM are well matched to industrial IoT gateway workloads running Linux, MQTT brokers, and edge analytics. The integrated dual CAN-FD interfaces connect directly to industrial sensor and actuator buses, while the Ethernet MAC and USB ports support fieldbus and cellular modem connections. The industrial temperature grade and 5 uA backup mode current enable battery-backed unattended deployments where reliability over 10+ year service life is required.
Recommended
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels
The ATSAMA5D23B-CUR supports graphical HMI panels through its LCD controller, 2D graphics accelerator, and hardware audio subsystem. The Cortex-A5 with NEON accelerates JPEG decode and UI rendering at 60 fps, while the integrated Class-D amplifier interface drives panel speakers without external DSP. The 196-ball TFBGA package keeps the MPU footprint compact enough for slim panel designs, and the industrial temperature grade supports factory-floor installations.
Recommended
Smart Energy Metering
The ATSAMA5D23B-CUR's cryptographic accelerators (AES, SHA, TRNG) and secure boot make it suitable for smart electricity, gas, and water meters requiring tamper-resistant firmware and authenticated communications. The Cortex-A5 at 500 MHz handles DLMS/COSEM, MQTT, and LoRaWAN stacks simultaneously, while the 5 uA backup current enables multi-year battery operation in wireless meters. The industrial temperature grade supports outdoor meter installations.
Recommended
Building Automation Controllers
Building automation systems using BACnet, KNX, or Modbus benefit from the ATSAMA5D23B-CUR's dual Ethernet, multiple UART/SPI/I2C channels, and Cortex-A5 processing headroom for protocol stacks. The peripheral touch controller (PTC) supports capacitive touch keypads and slider controls for wall-mounted controllers. The hardware crypto accelerators secure OTA firmware updates, critical for building systems that cannot be physically recalled for patches.
Recommended
Connected Medical Device Gateways
Medical device gateways aggregating data from bedside monitors, infusion pumps, and wearables require reliable processing and secure data transport. The ATSAMA5D23B-CUR's Cortex-A5 with TrustZone provides hardware-isolated secure enclaves for HIPAA-compliant patient data handling, while the industrial temperature grade supports hospital and ambulatory environments. The USB and Ethernet interfaces enable HL7/FHIR data exchange with hospital information systems.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminals
POS terminals running Linux or Android benefit from the ATSAMA5D23B-CUR's Cortex-A5 performance for payment processing, barcode decoding, and NFC reader coordination. The embedded audio subsystem supports transaction confirmation tones, and the LCD controller drives customer-facing displays. Hardware crypto accelerators secure PCI-DSS compliant payment flows, while the industrial temperature grade handles retail environment heat exposure.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAMA5D23B-CUR — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAMA5D23B-CU | ATSAMA5D23B-CNR | ATSAMA5D23A-CUR | ATSAMA5D22B-CUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 196-TFBGA (11x11 mm) | 196-TFBGA (11x11 mm) - same | 196-TFBGA (11x11 mm) - same | 196-TFBGA (11x11 mm) - same | 196-TFBGA (11x11 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| CPU Core | Arm Cortex-A5 | Arm Cortex-A5 | Arm Cortex-A5 | Arm Cortex-A5 | Arm Cortex-A5 |
| Maximum Frequency | 500 MHz | 500 MHz | 500 MHz | 500 MHz | 500 MHz |
| On-chip SRAM | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB |
| CAN-FD Interfaces | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Ethernet MACs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Silicon Revision | B | B | B | A | B |
| Approx Unit Price (1k qty, USD) | 10.05 | 10.50 | 10.05 | 11.20 | 9.40 |
Key Differentiators
- Full SAMA5D2 peripheral set including dual CAN-FD and advanced audio (vs ATSAMA5D22B-CUR)
- Current silicon revision B with errata fixes (vs ATSAMA5D23A-CUR)
- Industrial temperature grade and tape-and-reel packaging for production (vs ATSAMA5D23B-CU)
Design Notes
The 196-ball TFBGA package uses 0.8 mm ball pitch, which still requires microvia (laser-drilled) PCB technology for breakout routing. Use a 4-layer stack-up minimum with dedicated ground and power planes under the MPU. Follow the Microchip SAMA5D2 hardware design guidelines for DDR trace impedance (target 50 ohm single-ended, 100 ohm differential) and trace length matching (within 25 mils for DDR clock-address-control group). The exposed die pad underneath the TFBGA must be soldered to a ground pad with thermal via array (at least 5x5 vias on 1 mm pitch) for heat dissipation.
The ATSAMA5D23B-CUR requires multiple supply rails: VDDCORE (typically 1.1V to 1.3V), VDDPLL, VDDOSC, VDDANA, VDDHSIC, and I/O rails (3.3V or 1.8V). Use a sequenced power supply design with the SAMA5D2 power management IC (PMIC) reference design from Microchip. Decoupling: place 100 nF X7R ceramic capacitors within 2 mm of each supply pin, plus 4.7 uF bulk capacitors near the package perimeter. The 5 uA backup current specification assumes VDDBU is maintained while VDDCORE is powered down - ensure backup battery or supercapacitor design supports this retention mode.
Estimated thermal analysis: at 500 MHz CPU load with 1.1V core, the ATSAMA5D23B-CUR draws approximately 200-300 mA from VDDCORE (estimated, not from datasheet). The TFBGA-196 package has a junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) around 25 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board. With adequate thermal vias under the die pad, the device can dissipate 2-3W without active cooling, sufficient for typical industrial IoT workloads. For HMI panels with high display refresh load, verify junction temperature stays below 105 C industrial limit using the SAMA5D2 thermal model.
Common pitfalls: (1) do not skip the boot configuration resistor network on the BMS pin - incorrect settings prevent boot from the desired memory; (2) DDR3L memory requires 1.35V supply, not 1.5V used for DDR3 - using wrong voltage damages the DRAM; (3) the peripheral touch controller (PTC) requires firmware calibration - do not assume default touch thresholds work in production; (4) secure boot requires properly signed images - configure the OTP fuses correctly before locking the part; (5) the JTAG/SWD interface pins are multiplexed with GPIO - disable debug access in production for security.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Microchip product page. Industrial temperature grade. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - use AEC-Q100 qualified SAMA5 automotive variants for automotive applications.
