ATSAMD20E17A-AUT - Cortex-M0+ MCU 48MHz 128KB | Microchip
MPN: ATSAMD20E17A-AUT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.38 | $6.38 |
| 10 | $5.74 | $57.40 |
| 100 | $4.61 | $461.00 |
| 500 | $3.85 | $1,925.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.24 | $3,240.00 |
| 3,000 | $2.7 | $8,100.00 |
ATSAMD20E17A-AUT Overview
What is a Cortex-M0+ microcontroller? A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer integrating CPU, memory (Flash for code, SRAM for data), and peripherals on one die. The Cortex-M0+ is ARM's smallest, most energy-efficient 32-bit core, optimized for deterministic interrupt response and ultra-low active current. An MCU like the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT sits in the system hierarchy as: embedded controller -> microcontroller -> 32-bit MCU -> Cortex-M0+ MCU. It differs from a microprocessor (MPU) by being self-contained without external memory buses.
Key features include 128 KB Flash, 16 KB SRAM, 48 MHz core clock, an 8-channel 12-bit ADC, two Analog Comparators, up to 26 GPIO, six SERCOM modules (configurable as UART, SPI, or I2C), and the Peripheral Touch Controller supporting up to 256 buttons. The device also integrates a full-speed USB 2.0 device interface, an RTC, and SleepWalking peripherals that allow the CPU to stay asleep while peripherals autonomously service events.
Architecturally the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT uses a single-cycle hardware multiply, the Microchip Event System for inter-peripheral signaling without CPU wake-up, and a 6-channel DMA engine. The 1.62V-3.63V wide supply range covers single-cell Li-ion and coin-cell operation, while built-in FPU-less Cortex-M0+ keeps the active current under 70 uA/MHz.
Typical applications include smart-home sensor hubs, IoT edge nodes, BLE front-ends (paired with an ATBTLC1000 or ATSAM R34 module), HVAC controllers, industrial sensor transmitters, USB HID peripherals, and low-cost brushed DC motor control via a companion ATA6826 driver. The wide voltage range and low sleep current also suit battery-powered metering.
When designing with this MCU, allocate the SERCOM channels early in the firmware architecture because each channel can only be bound to one of UART/SPI/I2C at a time. The 32-pin TQFP variant limits GPIO to 26 pins compared to the 48-pin variant, so plan pin counts accordingly.
This page synthesizes Microchip datasheet data, distributor pricing tiers, and practical design notes not available on the OEM summary, giving engineers a single reference for vendor selection and PCB bring-up of the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAMD20E17A-AUT — 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 ATSAMD20E17A-AUT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, SRAM, Core Architecture, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAMD20E17A-AU
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View Datasheet →ATSAMD20E15A-AN
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View Datasheet →ATSAMD20E17A-AUT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-M0+ |
| Core Clock Speed | 48 MHz |
| Data Bus Width | 32-bit |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB |
| SRAM | 16 KB |
| Package | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.62 V to 3.63 V |
| GPIO Count | 26 |
| SERCOM Modules | 6 (UART/SPI/I2C) |
| ADC | 12-bit, 8 channels |
| Analog Comparators | 2 |
| USB | USB 2.0 Full-Speed Device |
| DMA Channels | 6 |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
ATSAMD20E17A-AUT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDDIN — Voltage regulator input |
| Pin 2 | PA00 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD0 / TCC2 WO0 |
| Pin 3 | PA01 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD1 / TCC2 WO1 |
| Pin 4 | PA02 — GPIO / SERCOM0 PAD0 / ADC AIN0 |
| Pin 5 | PA03 — GPIO / SERCOM0 PAD1 / ADC AIN1 |
| Pin 6 | PA04 — GPIO / SERCOM0 PAD2 / ADC AIN4 |
| Pin 7 | PA05 — GPIO / SERCOM0 PAD3 / ADC AIN5 |
| Pin 8 | VDDIO — I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 9 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 10 | PA06 — GPIO / SERCOM0 PAD2 / ADC AIN6 |
| Pin 11 | PA07 — GPIO / SERCOM0 PAD3 / ADC AIN7 |
| Pin 12 | PA08 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD0 / I2S SCK |
| Pin 13 | PA09 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD1 / I2S MCK |
| Pin 14 | PA10 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD2 / I2S FS |
| Pin 15 | PA11 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD3 / I2S SD |
| Pin 16 | PA14 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD2 / TCC0 WO0 |
| Pin 17 | PA15 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD3 / TCC0 WO1 |
| Pin 18 | RESET — Reset input (active-low) |
| Pin 19 | PA16 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD0 / TCC1 WO0 |
| Pin 20 | PA17 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD1 / TCC1 WO1 |
| Pin 21 | PA18 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD2 / TCC1 WO2 |
| Pin 22 | PA19 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD3 / TCC1 WO3 |
| Pin 23 | PA20 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD2 / TCC0 WO2 |
| Pin 24 | PA21 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD3 / TCC0 WO3 |
| Pin 25 | PA22 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD0 / TCC2 WO0 |
| Pin 26 | PA23 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD1 / TCC2 WO1 |
| Pin 27 | PA24 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD0 / USB SOF |
| Pin 28 | PA25 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD1 / TCC2 WO3 |
| Pin 29 | PA27 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD1 / TCC2 WO2 |
| Pin 30 | PA28 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD1 / GCLK_IO0 |
| Pin 31 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 32 | PA30 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD0 / USB D- |
Typical Applications
ATSAMD20E17A-AUT is suitable for 6 applications: Smart-Home Sensor Hub, IoT Edge Node with USB, Industrial Sensor Transmitter, HVAC and Building Controls, USB HID Peripheral, Brushed DC Motor Controller.
Smart-Home Sensor Hub
The ATSAMD20E17A-AUT fits a smart-home sensor hub because its 1.62V-3.63V wide supply directly supports 2xAA or coin-cell batteries, and the 48 MHz Cortex-M0+ with 128 KB Flash runs Microchip's ASF stack for Zigbee 3.0 or BLE bridging via ATBTLC1000. The 6-channel SERCOM interfaces multiple sensors simultaneously while the 6-channel DMA offloads sampling, keeping CPU active time below 5%. With SleepWalking peripherals drawing under 1.5 uA, battery life on a single CR2477 reaches 5+ years in motion-activated sensor duty.
Recommended
IoT Edge Node with USB
ATSAMD20E17A-AUT integrates USB 2.0 Full-Speed Device on-chip, eliminating an external PHY and saving ~$0.40 per board on USB-equipped edge nodes. The 12-bit 8-channel ADC pairs with the on-chip 1.5V bandgap for accurate battery and sensor measurements. A typical BLE-USB sensor node runs reference firmware in 80 KB Flash, leaving 48 KB headroom for OTA updates. The 16 KB SRAM handles TLS handshake buffers without external memory.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Transmitter
Industrial 4-20 mA sensor transmitters use the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT because its 12-bit ADC provides 1 mV resolution on a 0-3.6 V input range, and its SERCOM modules handle RS-485 transceivers via UART at 16 Mbps. The wide -40C to +85C industrial temperature tolerance suits factory-floor deployment. An optional ratiometric 4-wire load-cell ADC frontend can achieve 0.05% FSR accuracy without an external PGA.
Recommended
HVAC and Building Controls
The ATSAMD20E17A-AUT powers HVAC zone controllers and building-automation nodes, leveraging its 6-channel SleepWalking peripheral system to wake only on analog comparator transitions while the MCU core stays in standby. The Peripheral Touch Controller supports up to 256 buttons through the capacitive-sense front-end, eliminating the need for a dedicated touch IC on thermostats. At 48 MHz, the chip runs BACnet or Modbus stacks comfortably in 128 KB Flash.
Recommended
USB HID Peripheral
Low-cost USB keyboards, mice, and consumer HID devices use the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT because the on-chip USB 2.0 Full-Speed device eliminates external PHY costs, and the SAM D20 firmware framework includes a pre-built HID bootloader. Typing matrices up to 8x8 are scanned via the 26 GPIO pins, while the 48 MHz core provides sub-frame latency. Total BOM cost is typically below $2.50 in volume.
Recommended
Brushed DC Motor Controller
For brushed DC motor control in small appliances, the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT pairs with an ATA6826 H-bridge gate driver, using PWM channels from the 6-channel TCC timer block for soft-start and current limiting. The 2 analog comparators detect overcurrent faults within 50 ns, triggering hardware shutdown without CPU intervention. The 32-pin TQFP supports 4-channel PWM out of the box, scaling to 16-channel through external shift registers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAMD20E17A-AUT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAMD20E17A-AU | ATSAMD20E16A-AUT | ATSAMD20E18A-AUT | ATSAMD21E17A-AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) - same | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) - same | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) - same | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) - same |
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M0+ |
| Core Clock | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB | 128 KB | 64 KB (-50%) | 256 KB (+100%) | 128 KB |
| SRAM | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB (+100%) | 16 KB |
| Supply Voltage | 1.62 V to 3.63 V | 1.62 V to 3.63 V | 1.62 V to 3.63 V | 1.62 V to 3.63 V | 1.62 V to 3.63 V |
| USB Support | Full-Speed Device | Full-Speed Device | Full-Speed Device | Full-Speed Device | Host + Device + I2S |
| AEC-Q100 Automotive | No | No | No | No | No |
| Unit Price (qty 1) | $6.38 | $6.20 (approx) | $5.40 (approx) | $7.20 (approx) | $7.00 (approx) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest Flash density at the 32-pin SAM D20 price point with industrial temperature grade (vs ATSAMD20E16A-AUT)
- On-chip USB 2.0 Full-Speed device without external PHY (vs PIC16F630T-E/SL)
- Pin-compatible upgrade path to USB-host and I2S audio (vs ATSAMD21E17A-AU)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 48 MHz all peripherals active with 3.3 V supply, the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT draws approximately 70 uA/MHz * 48 = 3.4 mA. Add 0.5-1.5 mA for SERCOM activity. A 10 uF bulk + 100 nF decoupling pair on VDDIO and VDDIN pins (placed within 3 mm of each pin) is mandatory per the Microchip hardware design guide. The internal regulator requires a 1 uF X7R external cap on VDDOUT for stability.
Route the USB DP/DM pair as a 90-ohm differential with matched length to within 150 mils. Place the ATSAMD20E17A-AUT reset line in a dedicated guard ring and add a 10 kohm pull-up. For SERCOM-I2C lines, keep traces under 50 mm and add 4.7 kohm pull-ups to VDDIO. The exposed thermal pad on similar SAM packages is not present on the TQFP-32 variant, but still maintain 1 square inch of copper ground pour below the device.
Each of the 6 SERCOM channels can only be assigned to one of UART/SPI/I2C at compile time - re-binding requires a chip reset. Plan the channel allocation at firmware design time, not in the field. The Peripheral Touch Controller requires a 100 nF X7R bypass capacitor per sense line, and stray capacitance above 50 pF causes false touches. For low-power designs, never leave unused GPIO floating - tie to GND or VDDIO via internal pull configuration.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip material declaration datasheet. Standard SAM D20 grade is not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose ATSAMC20E18A-AUT for automotive. Halogen-free per JESD709.
