ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU - Cortex-A5 MPU 500MHz 1Gbit DDR2 | Microchip
MPN: ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28.5 | $28.50 |
| 10 | $26.1 | $261.00 |
| 100 | $23.5 | $2,350.00 |
| 500 | $21.2 | $10,600.00 |
| 1,000 | $19.1 | $19,100.00 |
ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU Overview
An ARM Cortex-A5 MPU is a 32-bit application-class processor core implementing the ARMv7-A architecture, with MMU, caches, and TrustZone security extensions. Microprocessors (MPUs) differ from microcontrollers (MCUs) by relying on external memory and running rich operating systems (typically Linux) for high-level application processing, while still exposing a wide peripheral set. The SAMA5D2 series is positioned at the low-power edge of Microchip's Cortex-A5 lineup, optimized for battery-powered and fanless designs where system cost and BOM integration are priorities.
Key features of the ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU include a 32-bit single-core Cortex-A5 CPU at 500 MHz, the integrated 1 Gbit DDR2 memory (16-bit data bus), a Peripheral Touch Controller, an embedded audio subsystem (I2S, SSC), and a graphics LCD controller. Connectivity peripherals cover 10/100 Mbps Ethernet (EMAC), USB 2.0 High-Speed with HSIC, two SD/MMC interfaces, two CAN-FD controllers, multiple SPI/TWI/UART, and a 12-bit ADC. The 0.8 mm ball-pitch TFBGA package keeps PCB design manageable, and the integrated DDR2 dramatically lowers EMI, complexity and active power.
Typical applications include industrial HMI panels, home and building automation gateways, point-of-sale terminals, smart energy meters, connected appliances, medical user-interface consoles, and ruggedized IoT edge nodes. The compact SiP footprint, low-power architecture, and rich Linux BSP support make it well suited for systems where a traditional discrete CPU + external DDR layout would push PCB size, EMI or BoM cost out of budget.
When designing with this device, allocate the four-layer PCB stack for the 0.8 mm-pitch BGA fanout, route the DDR2 signals on inner layers with controlled impedance, and follow the Microchip SAMA5D2 hardware design checklist for power-rail decoupling and boot-mode strapping. The integrated PMIC companion (MIC2800 or equivalent from the Microchip reference design) simplifies sequencing and is recommended for production designs.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU 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 ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Ethernet, Core Architecture, Supply Voltage.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAMA5D27C-CUR
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$12.9 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU-SL3
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAMA5D27B-CU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$11.85 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAMA5D27A-CU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$7.83 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAMA5D26C-CU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$11.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-A5 (ARMv7-A) |
| Core Count | 1 |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 500 MHz |
| Bit Width | 32-bit |
| Integrated Memory | 1 Gbit DDR2 SDRAM (16-bit data bus) |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V I/O |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Package | 289-TFBGA (14x14 mm), 0.8 mm ball pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Ethernet | 10/100 Mbps (1x EMAC, external PHY) |
| USB | USB 2.0 High-Speed with HSIC |
| Operating Temperature | Industrial (-40C to +85C) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Green, BGA GREEN) |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Series | SAMA5D2 SiP |
ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU 289-tfbga (14x14 mm), 0.8 mm ball pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU (289-tfbga (14x14 mm), 0.8 mm ball pitch 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 ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial HMI Touch Panel, Smart Home / Building Automation Gateway, Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminal, Smart Energy Meter / Data Concentrator, Connected Medical User-Interface Console, Ruggedized IoT Edge / Industrial Gateway.
Industrial HMI Touch Panel
The ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU drives industrial HMI panels with its integrated LCD controller supporting TFT panels up to WXGA resolution with 2D hardware acceleration. Its Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) interfaces directly with projected-capacitive touch sensors over I2C, eliminating an external touch controller. The Cortex-A5 core runs Linux + Qt or LVDS, enabling rich animations and multi-language UI without MCU limitations. Power dissipation fits fanless sealed enclosures, and the industrial -40C to +85C grade survives factory-floor temperatures.
Recommended
Smart Home / Building Automation Gateway
The ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU's 10/100 Ethernet MAC with external PHY, USB 2.0 High-Speed with HSIC, dual CAN-FD controllers and multiple UART/SPI/TWI peripherals make it an ideal building-automation gateway. Linux supports standard protocols like BACnet, KNX-IP, MQTT and Matter simultaneously on a single Cortex-A5 core. The SiP form factor keeps PCB area small enough for in-wall mounting, while the integrated DDR2 lowers EMI in noise-sensitive residential environments.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminal
The integrated audio subsystem (I2S/SSC), LCD controller for customer-facing displays, USB 2.0 High-Speed for receipt printers and EMV card readers, and the Cortex-A5 at 500 MHz running Linux all suit POS terminals. The 1 Gbit DDR2 is enough for web-based payment stacks, encrypted PIN pads and inventory databases. The SiP reduces BOM and helps pass PCI-PTS radiated-emission tests thanks to lower EMI versus discrete CPU + DDR.
Recommended
Smart Energy Meter / Data Concentrator
The ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU's dual CAN-FD interfaces allow direct connection to multiple smart-meter busses (DLMS/COSEM, IEC 62056), while the 10/100 Ethernet MAC provides the backhaul link to utility head-end systems. Running Linux with metering stacks and TLS encryption at 500 MHz is well within the part's envelope. The industrial temperature grade and integrated DDR2 reduce the long-term BOM risk for utility-grade products with 10-15 year field lifetimes.
Recommended
Connected Medical User-Interface Console
Medical user-interface consoles benefit from the ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU's combination of a graphical LCD controller, robust Linux security features (TrustZone), USB 2.0 HS for tethered peripherals, and a Cortex-A5 core fast enough for Qt-based UIs on therapy pumps and diagnostic carts. The SiP's small footprint supports fanless sealed plastic enclosures that meet IP54 cleaning requirements. Operating temperature and the rich Linux BSP simplify IEC 62304 compliance documentation.
Recommended
Ruggedized IoT Edge / Industrial Gateway
Industrial IoT edge nodes with Linux + containerized workloads need a compact, low-EMI MPU, and the ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU fits with its SiP DDR2, dual CAN-FD, Ethernet MAC, and SD/MMC for local logging. Linux supports Docker/balenaEngine, Node-RED, and OPC-UA stacks on the Cortex-A5 at 500 MHz. The integrated DDR2 lowers radiated emissions for CE/FCC Class A industrial sites and removes the discrete DRAM from the BOM.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAMA5D27C-CUR | ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU-SL3 | ATSAMA5D27B-CU | ATSAMA5D27A-CU | ATSAMA5D26C-CU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 289-TFBGA (14x14 mm) | 289-TFBGA (14x14 mm) - same | 289-TFBGA (14x14 mm) - same | 289-TFBGA (14x14 mm) - same | 289-TFBGA (14x14 mm) - same | 289-TFBGA (14x14 mm) - same |
| Core | Cortex-A5 500 MHz | Cortex-A5 500 MHz | Cortex-A5 500 MHz | Cortex-A5 500 MHz | Cortex-A5 500 MHz | Cortex-A5 500 MHz |
| Integrated DDR | 1 Gbit DDR2 SiP | 1 Gbit DDR2 SiP | 1 Gbit DDR2 SiP | External DDR2 (no SiP) | External DDR2 (no SiP) | 1 Gbit DDR2 SiP |
| Packaging | Tray | Tape & Reel | Tray | Tray | Tray | Tray |
| Generation | D27C (current) | D27C | D27C | D27B (previous) | D27A (earlier) | D26C (lower cost) |
| CAN-FD | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 (one removed) |
| Operating Temp | -40C to +85C (industrial) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated 1 Gbit DDR2 in a SiP - removes external DRAM (vs ATSAMA5D27B-CU)
- Latest D27C die revision with updated peripheral IP (vs ATSAMA5D27A-CU)
- Higher peripheral count than D26C (vs ATSAMA5D26C-CU)
Design Notes
The 289-TFBGA at 0.8 mm pitch requires a 4-layer PCB minimum with microvia-in-pad or via-in-pad plating for the inner rows of balls. Use 1 oz copper on outer layers and 0.5 oz on inner layers. Follow the Microchip SAMA5D2 hardware design checklist for the DDR2 byte-lane routing: 50 ohm single-ended controlled impedance, matched trace lengths within the DDR2 byte lane group, length-matching between the DDR2 clock pair, and reference planes on adjacent layers without splits under the BGA.
Power sequencing must respect the SAMA5D2 requirements: VDDANA, VDDBU and VDDFUSE must ramp before or simultaneously with VDDCORE, and VDDIOMx must come up after the core rails. The Microchip reference design uses the MIC2800 PMIC companion which integrates all rails; do not substitute a discrete regulator network without re-verifying ramp rates and brown-out behavior. Decoupling: 100 nF X7R per power ball, plus bulk 4.7 uF and 22 uF per rail placed as close as possible to the BGA.
Three common pitfalls when designing with the ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU: (1) ignoring the boot-mode strapping pins (BMS, JTAGSEL, DISABLE_BOOT) which set the boot source on the rising edge of NRST - read the boot-strapping section of the SAMA5D2 datasheet before laying out the reset circuit; (2) assuming the SiP eliminates all DDR tuning - the internal DDR2 still requires drive-strength and impedance calibration via the U-Boot/AT91Bootstrap settings; (3) using a non-industrial PHY without checking RMII/RGMII timing margins over temperature - the EMAC timing changes substantially at +85C.
Compliance Information
Marked 'BGA GREEN' on distributor listings indicating RoHS-compliant lead-free finish. Industrial temperature grade -40C to +85C. AEC-Q100 not applicable (consumer/industrial MPU, not automotive-grade).
