ATSAMC21MOTOR - SAM C21 Motor Control MCU Card | Microchip
MPN: ATSAMC21MOTOR ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $76.66 | $76.66 |
| 10 | $72.5 | $725.00 |
| 25 | $68.95 | $1,723.75 |
| 50 | $65.4 | $3,270.00 |
| 100 | $62.1 | $6,210.00 |
ATSAMC21MOTOR Overview
A motor control starter kit (MCU card + base board) is a development platform that pairs a microcontroller daughter card with a power-stage base board, allowing engineers to evaluate motor-control algorithms (six-step commutation, FOC, sensored or sensorless) without designing a full hardware prototype. Such kits sit in the embedded development tools hierarchy between software-only evaluation (MPLAB X IDE simulation) and full reference designs, and they are widely used by power-electronics engineers to validate control firmware before committing to a custom PCB.
The ATSAMC21MOTOR card uses the SMART SAM C21 family, which integrates a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+ core running up to 48 MHz, a 12-bit 1 Msps ADC, a high-resolution PWM timer with dead-band generators, and a configurable Custom Logic (CCL) block. These peripherals map directly onto three-phase motor-control requirements: center-aligned PWM with complementary outputs and hardware dead-time insertion for safe switching of the half-bridge driver stage, and synchronized ADC sampling of phase currents at the PWM center point for accurate FOC calculation.
Typical applications include BLDC and PMSM motor control evaluation, sensored or sensorless FOC development, low-voltage (24 V) battery-powered motor drives (e-cargo bikes, small appliances, fans, pumps, drones, robotics), and as a learning platform for students transitioning from 8-bit MCUs to 32-bit Cortex-M0+ motor-control firmware. The on-board debugger removes the need for an external debug probe, so users only need a USB cable to start development.
When evaluating this card, ensure the companion ATSAMBLDC24V-STK base board is available (it is sold separately). For production designs, the same SAM C21 firmware can be migrated directly to ATSAMC21J18A-MUT64 or ATSAMC21J18A-AUT ICs, retaining the peripheral configuration developed on the evaluation card.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAMC21MOTOR — 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 ATSAMC21MOTOR (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, ADC, Package, SRAM, DAC.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAMC21J18A-MUT64
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMC21J18A-AUT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAMC21J17A-MNT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMC21G18A-AUT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMC21G18A-ANT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMC21E18A-MUT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAMC21MOTOR Specifications (manufacturer-published)
| Product Type | MCU Daughter Card / Embedded Evaluation Board |
| On-board MCU | ATSAMC21J18A (SAM C21 family) |
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-M0+ (32-bit) |
| Maximum Core Frequency | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory (on MCU) | 256 KB |
| SRAM (on MCU) | 32 KB |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 1 Msps |
| PWM Channels | Configurable, with dead-band generators |
| On-board Debug Support | Yes (integrated debugger, no external probe required) |
| Pre-programmed Firmware | Hall-sensor block-commutation BLDC motor control |
| Compatible Base Board | ATSAMBLDC24V-STK (sold separately) |
| Host Interface | USB (for power and debug) |
| Target Application | Low-voltage 24 V BLDC motor control evaluation |
| Mounting / Form Factor | Plug-in daughter card for starter-kit base board |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Documentation | Atmel-42770 ATSAMC21MOTOR User Guide |
ATSAMC21MOTOR Interfaces & Connectors
ATSAMC21MOTOR exposes the following interfaces and connectors as published by the manufacturer: Expansion / Buses. Expansion header pinout, connector pin numbering, and electrical limits are defined in the manufacturer documentation.
| Expansion / Buses | 12-bit, up to 1 Msps |
Refer to the manufacturer documentation for the full expansion header pinout and connector pin numbering.
Typical Applications
ATSAMC21MOTOR is suitable for 6 applications: Low-Voltage BLDC Motor Evaluation, Field-Oriented Control (FOC) Development, Battery-Powered E-Mobility Drives, Drones and Robotics Motor Control, Industrial Pumps and Fans, Smart Appliance and White Goods Drives.
Low-Voltage BLDC Motor Evaluation
The ATSAMC21MOTOR, plugged into the ATSAMBLDC24V-STK base board, evaluates 24 V BLDC motors in seconds because the card ships pre-flashed with hall-sensor block-commutation firmware. Its ATSAMC21J18A MCU runs at 48 MHz, providing enough MIPS to handle six-step commutation with zero missed events. Compared to a custom PCB spin, this kit removes days of bring-up time.
Recommended
Field-Oriented Control (FOC) Development
Engineers extending beyond block commutation to FOC use the ATSAMC21MOTOR card's ATSAMC21J18A peripheral set: a 12-bit 1 Msps ADC samples phase currents synchronized to PWM center via the TCC dead-band generator, which is the timing-critical foundation of FOC. Microchip's MPLAB Harmony 3 Motor Control Library provides example projects that compile unchanged for the production ATSAMC21G18A-AUT.
Recommended
Battery-Powered E-Mobility Drives
Low-voltage 24 V BLDC motors in e-cargo bikes, e-scooters, and personal-mobility devices are typical ATSAMC21MOTOR evaluation targets, where energy efficiency, smooth torque, and integrated on-board debug (no external probe needed in the lab) accelerate firmware development. The 48 MHz Cortex-M0+ core delivers sufficient headroom for sensorless BEMF algorithms under 5 ms loop time.
Recommended
Drones and Robotics Motor Control
Drone ESCs and small robotic actuators benefit from the ATSAMC21MOTOR's 48 MHz Cortex-M0+ processing combined with 12-bit ADC and dead-band-aware PWM timers - the essential peripherals for fast current-loop control. Engineers prototype on the card, then migrate the same firmware to ATSAMC21J18A-MUT64 production ESC designs without changing the peripheral configuration.
Recommended
Industrial Pumps and Fans
Industrial pumps and fans run on 24-48 V BLDC motors where variable-speed torque control and reliability dominate design priorities. The ATSAMC21MOTOR card lets engineers validate sensorless FOC firmware against a real 24 V BLDC motor on the ATSAMBLDC24V-STK base board before committing to a custom driver PCB. Industrial-grade variants like ATSAMC21G18A-ANT extend this evaluation into AEC-Q100 designs.
Recommended
Smart Appliance and White Goods Drives
Washing-machine direct-drive motors, refrigerator compressors, and dishwasher circulation pumps are evaluated using the ATSAMC21MOTOR card's pre-flashed block-commutation firmware, which engineers can replace with MPLAB Harmony's sinusoidal or FOC projects. The on-board debugger eliminates the need for an external probe in cost-sensitive appliance labs, and production migration goes straight to ATSAMC21E16A-MUT or ATSAMC21E18A-MUT.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAMC21MOTOR — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAMC21J18A-MUT64 | ATSAMC21J18A-AUT | ATSAMC21J17A-MNT | ATSAMC21G18A-AUT | ATSAMC21E18A-MUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | Daughter Card (MCU Module) | TQFP-64 | TQFP-64 | QFN-64 | TQFP-64 | QFN-32 |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ |
| Maximum Clock | 48 MHz (card MCU ATSAMC21J18A) | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz |
| Flash | 256 KB (on MCU) | 256 KB | 256 KB | 128 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB |
| SRAM | 32 KB (on MCU) | 32 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB |
| ADC | 12-bit 1 Msps | 12-bit 1 Msps | 12-bit 1 Msps | 12-bit 1 Msps | 12-bit 1 Msps | 12-bit 1 Msps |
| PWM with Dead-Band | Yes (TCC) | Yes (TCC) | Yes (TCC) | Yes (TCC) | Yes (TCC) | Yes (TCC) |
| Automotive Grade (AEC-Q100) | No (evaluation card) | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated on-board debugger (vs Bare ATSAMC21J18A-MUT64)
- Pre-flashed hall-sensor block-commutation firmware (vs Nucleo STM32 motor-control boards)
- Plug-in form factor for the ATSAMBLDC24V-STK (vs Standalone STM32 Nucleo-IHM07M1)
Design Notes
The ATSAMC21MOTOR is the MCU daughter card ONLY - without the ATSAMBLDC24V-STK base board (sold separately) the card cannot drive a real motor. Confirm both SKUs are on your BOM before ordering, otherwise the card will only appear functional in debug-only mode via USB.
Power the card through the USB connection during evaluation; the card does not source 24 V motor power directly. The 24 V motor bus is supplied by the ATSAMBLDC24V-STK base board's power stage. Never apply external 24 V to MCU pins on the daughter card - it lacks the half-bridge drivers and will be destroyed instantly.
When migrating firmware from ATSAMC21MOTOR to a production ATSAMC21J18A-MUT64 PCB, keep the ADC current-sense traces short and symmetric, and place the 0.1 uF + 10 uF decoupling pair within 3 mm of each VDD pin. The TCC dead-band-aware PWM outputs that drive the half-bridge must be routed as differential pairs with matched length to avoid shoot-through.
During heavy current-loop evaluation (continuous 5-10 A phase currents), the ATSAMBLDC24V-STK base board's half-bridge MOSFETs will dissipate 5-15 W - provide forced-air cooling or a 1 square-inch copper pour on the base board. The MCU card itself runs cool because the ATSAMC21J18A is in TQFP-64 with adequate thermal pad copper, but the base board FETs need attention.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page; lead-free assembly. The ATSAMC21MOTOR is an evaluation card, not an AEC-Q100 qualified automotive component - migrate to ATSAMC21J18A-AUT for automotive designs.