ATSAMD21G17A-MF - 48MHz Cortex-M0+ MCU, 128KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAMD21G17A-MF ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.2 | $4.20 |
| 10 | $3.8 | $38.00 |
| 100 | $3.4 | $340.00 |
| 500 | $3.05 | $1,525.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.75 | $2,750.00 |
ATSAMD21G17A-MF Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, volatile and non-volatile memory, peripherals, and I/O into one package. The ARM Cortex-M0+ is a 32-bit RISC core designed by Arm for ultra-low-power embedded applications, making MCUs based on it well suited to battery-powered, always-on, and cost-sensitive designs. Within the Microchip SAM D21 family, the 'G' pin-count class identifies the 48-pin variants, which strike a balance between I/O count and board area.
Key features of the ATSAMD21G17A-MF include 128 KB Flash with 4 KB independent read-while-write (RWW) section, 16 KB SRAM, an Event System for inter-peripheral signaling without CPU intervention, a SleepWalking peripheral power manager that keeps the CPU asleep while peripherals scan for events, and a brown-out detector with supply voltage monitoring (POR, BOD33, BOD12). The device operates from a single 1.62 V to 3.63 V supply.
On the architecture side, the SAM D21 uses an advanced low-power design with multiple sleep modes (IDLE, STANDBY, BACKUP), a 32.768 kHz RTC with calendar mode, and a 2-channel DMA controller. The SERCOM modules can each be reconfigured as UART, SPI, or I2C, giving designers flexible connectivity without committing pins to a fixed protocol.
Typical applications include consumer and home-automation products, smart metering, industrial sensor nodes, low-cost USB devices, wearable electronics, and capacitive-touch user interfaces. The device's low power consumption, PTC touch support, and USB on-chip make it a strong fit for IoT edge nodes.
When designing with this MCU, ensure adequate decoupling (one 100 nF X7R per VDD pin and a bulk 4.7 uF near the package) and provide a clean 3.3 V rail because the on-chip analog peripherals (ADC, DAC, PTC) are sensitive to supply noise. For programming and debug, the SAM D21 uses the SWD two-wire interface; reserve PA30 (SWDCLK) and PA31 (SWDIO) and do not populate external pull-downs on those pins.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, giving procurement and embedded engineers a single reference for evaluation, second-source planning, and PCB bring-up.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAMD21G17A-MF — 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 ATSAMD21G17A-MF (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, USB, ADC, Flash Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAMD21G17A-MU
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAMD21G16B-MFT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.96 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD21G15B-MUT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD21E18A-MF
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$6.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD21G16L-MUT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD21G18A-MF
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$2.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD21G17A-MF Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-M0+ (32-bit RISC) |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 48 MHz |
| CoreMark/MHz | 2.46 CoreMark/MHz |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB (128K x 8) with 4 KB RWW section |
| SRAM | 16 KB |
| Supply Voltage (VDDIN) | 1.62 V to 3.63 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (industrial grade) |
| Package | 48-pin QFN (7x7 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| I/O Pins | 38 GPIO |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 20 channels |
| DAC | 10-bit, 1 channel |
| USB | USB 2.0 Full-Speed device and host |
| SERCOM Modules | Up to 6 (UART/SPI/I2C configurable) |
| Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) | Yes, capacitive touch support |
| Timers/Counters | TC (16-bit), TCC (24-bit), RTC 32.768 kHz |
| DMA | 12-channel DMA |
| Debug Interface | ARM SWD (2-wire) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
ATSAMD21G17A-MF Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | PA00 — GPIO / XIN (external clock input) |
| Pin 2 | PA01 — GPIO / XOUT (external clock output) |
| Pin 3 | PA02 — GPIO / AIN0 (ADC input) |
| Pin 4 | PA03 — GPIO / AIN1 / VREFA reference |
| Pin 5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 6 | VDD — Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 7 | PA04 — GPIO / AIN2 / VREFB |
| Pin 8 | PA05 — GPIO / AIN3 |
| Pin 9 | PA06 — GPIO / AIN4 |
| Pin 10 | PA07 — GPIO / AIN5 |
| Pin 11 | PA08 — GPIO / AIN6 / SERCOM0 PAD0 |
| Pin 12 | PA09 — GPIO / AIN7 / SERCOM0 PAD1 |
| Pin 13 | PA10 — GPIO / AIN8 / SERCOM0 PAD2 |
| Pin 14 | PA11 — GPIO / AIN9 / SERCOM0 PAD3 |
| Pin 15 | VDD — Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 16 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 17 | PA12 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD0 |
| Pin 18 | PA13 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD1 |
| Pin 19 | PA14 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD2 |
| Pin 20 | PA15 — GPIO / SERCOM2 PAD3 |
| Pin 21 | PA16 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD0 / I2S |
| Pin 22 | PA17 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD1 / I2S |
| Pin 23 | PA18 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD2 / I2S |
| Pin 24 | PA19 — GPIO / SERCOM1 PAD3 / I2S |
| Pin 25 | PA20 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD2 |
| Pin 26 | PA21 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD3 |
| Pin 27 | PA22 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD0 |
| Pin 28 | PA23 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD1 / USB SOF |
| Pin 29 | PA24 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD2 / USB D- |
| Pin 30 | PA25 — GPIO / SERCOM3 PAD3 / USB D+ |
| Pin 31 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 32 | VDD — Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 33 | PA27 — GPIO |
| Pin 34 | PA28 — GPIO |
| Pin 35 | PA29 — GPIO |
| Pin 36 | PA30 — SWDCLK (ARM debug clock) |
| Pin 37 | PA31 — SWDIO (ARM debug data) |
| Pin 38 | PB00 — GPIO |
| Pin 39 | PB01 — GPIO |
| Pin 40 | PB02 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD0 |
| Pin 41 | PB03 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD1 |
| Pin 42 | PB04 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD2 |
| Pin 43 | PB05 — GPIO / SERCOM5 PAD3 |
| Pin 44 | PB06 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD0 |
| Pin 45 | PB07 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD1 |
| Pin 46 | PB08 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD2 |
| Pin 47 | PB09 — GPIO / SERCOM4 PAD3 |
| Pin 48 | VDD — Digital supply voltage |
Typical Applications
ATSAMD21G17A-MF is suitable for 6 applications: Home Automation Hubs and Sensor Nodes, USB HID and Consumer Devices, Smart Metering and Energy Monitoring, Industrial Sensor and IO-Link Devices, Wearable Fitness and Health Bands, Capacitive Touch User Interfaces.
Home Automation Hubs and Sensor Nodes
The ATSAMD21G17A-MF is well suited to home automation hubs and wireless sensor nodes thanks to its 48 MHz Cortex-M0+ core, 128 KB Flash, and 16 KB SRAM - enough to run Zigbee or Thread stacks alongside application logic. Its 1.62 V to 3.63 V supply range supports direct battery connection, while the SERCOM peripherals (up to 6) can host UART links to radios such as MRF24J40 or SPI links to Sub-GHz transceivers. The integrated peripheral touch controller (PTC) lets designers add capacitive buttons or sliders without an external touch IC. Estimated active current is sub-5 mA at 48 MHz, with deep-sleep modes below 5 uA for battery-powered deployments.
Recommended
USB HID and Consumer Devices
With on-chip USB 2.0 Full Speed device and host, the ATSAMD21G17A-MF serves as a USB HID controller for keyboards, mice, game controllers, and custom peripherals. The 48 MHz core easily handles HID report parsing and LED animations, while 128 KB Flash accommodates USB stacks from Microchip's ASF or the open-source TinyUSB library. Six SERCOM channels let designers keep USB active while still exposing SPI sensors or UART debug. The 48-QFN package keeps PCB area under 50 mm^2 - ideal for compact dongles - and the -40C to +125C industrial grade handles consumer and ruggedized environments alike.
Recommended
Smart Metering and Energy Monitoring
The ATSAMD21G17A-MF supports smart metering designs with its 12-bit ADC (up to 20 channels) capable of sampling current and voltage from power-monitoring front ends. The 16 KB SRAM holds energy-pulse histograms while 128 KB Flash fits DLMS/COSEM or Modbus protocol stacks. The 32.768 kHz RTC with calendar mode provides accurate timekeeping for time-of-use metering, and the brown-out detector (BOD33) protects against unreliable operation during line-voltage sag events. The -40C to +125C industrial temperature rating matches outdoor enclosure requirements for utility metering.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor and IO-Link Devices
Industrial 24V-bus IO-Link sensor designs use the ATSAMD21G17A-MF as a slave MCU thanks to its wide 1.62 V to 3.63 V supply tolerance and SERCOM-based UART/SPI flexibility. The 12-bit ADC captures analog process variables, while the peripheral touch controller enables solid-state operator buttons immune to mechanical wear. The Event System routes sensor and timer triggers directly to DMA without waking the CPU, reducing deterministic latency to a few microseconds. Source: Microchip SAM D21 family datasheet references sensor and IO-Link reference designs.
Recommended
Wearable Fitness and Health Bands
Wearable fitness bands leverage the ATSAMD21G17A-MF's low-power SleepWalking modes and on-chip PTC for capacitive touch. With the CPU asleep, peripherals like the ADC and I2C sensors can scan autonomously and wake the core only when a meaningful event occurs, holding total sleep current below 5 uA. The 12-bit ADC pairs with optical heart-rate sensors, while the DAC can drive simple piezo buzzers for haptic feedback. The 48-QFN (7x7) footprint fits into wrist-worn form factors where board area is under 100 mm^2.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch User Interfaces
The ATSAMD21G17A-MF's peripheral touch controller (PTC) supports driven-shield and mutual-capacitance touch patterns, enabling sliders, wheels, and matrix keypads up to several hundred channels. The 128 KB Flash fits Microchip's QTouch library for advanced gesture recognition (tap, hold, swipe), while the 48 MHz Cortex-M0+ handles touch post-processing at sub-10 ms latency. Designers can free GPIOs by using the PTC for primary user input and reserve SERCOMs for communications. The 10-bit DAC and PWM channels also drive LED brightness for backlit touch surfaces.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAMD21G17A-MF — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAMD21G17A-MU | ATSAMD21G16B-MFT | ATSAMD21G15B-MUT | ATSAMD21E18A-MF | ATSAMD21G16L-MUT | ATSAMD21G18A-MF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) - same |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB | 128 KB | 64 KB (-50%) | 32 KB (-75%) | 256 KB (+100%) | 64 KB (-50%) | 256 KB (+100%) |
| SRAM | 16 KB | 16 KB | 8 KB (-50%) | 4 KB (-75%) | 32 KB (+100%) | 8 KB (-50%) | 32 KB (+100%) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C | -40C to +85C (-40C narrower) | -40C to +125C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +125C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +125C |
| CPU Core / Frequency | Cortex-M0+ / 48 MHz | Cortex-M0+ / 48 MHz - same | Cortex-M0+ / 48 MHz - same | Cortex-M0+ / 48 MHz - same | Cortex-M0+ / 48 MHz - same | Cortex-M0+ / 48 MHz - same | Cortex-M0+ / 48 MHz - same |
| USB 2.0 FS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SERCOM Modules | Up to 6 | Up to 6 | Up to 6 | Up to 6 | Up to 6 (fewer I/O due to 32-pin-class) | Up to 6 (low-power variant) | Up to 6 |
| Pin Compatibility | 48-QFN reference | 100% pin-to-pin | 100% pin-to-pin | 100% pin-to-pin | 100% pin-to-pin (different die class, less I/O) | 100% pin-to-pin | 100% pin-to-pin |
Key Differentiators
- Largest Flash option in the 48-QFN SAM D21G temperature grade (vs ATSAMD21G16B-MFT)
- Full industrial temperature range (-40C to +125C) (vs ATSAMD21G17A-MU)
- Balanced memory with PTC capacitive-touch support (vs ATSAMD21G18A-MF)
Design Notes
Place one 100 nF X7R 0402 ceramic decoupling capacitor on every VDD pin and route short, wide traces to the exposed pad (EP) ground plane. Add a single 4.7 uF X5R bulk capacitor within 10 mm of the package. The ATSAMD21G17A-MF's ADC and PTC share a sensitive analog supply; an optional ferrite bead between VDDIN and VDDCORE/VOUT reduces digital switching noise coupling into ADC readings by 10-15 dB. Estimated: bulk + 4 bypass caps = approximately 5 components for full decoupling.
Solder the exposed pad (EP) of the 48-QFN directly to a continuous ground pour that is stitched to the bottom-layer ground plane with at least 9 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.5 mm pitch). Without EP soldering, theta_JA rises from approximately 30 C/W to above 60 C/W, severely limiting continuous 48 MHz operation. Keep the SWD traces (PA30 SWDCLK, PA31 SWDIO) under 50 mm and away from switching signals to ensure stable debug link operation.
Do not assign PA30 or PA31 to GPIO functions unless the application never needs in-circuit programming - these pins are required for ARM SWD debug and programming via MPLAB PICkit 4, MPLAB Snap, or Atmel-ICE. If GPIO is required, always provide a 2-pin SWD header so the device can be re-flashed later. Also, the ATSAMD21G17A-MF's brown-out detector (BOD33) defaults to 1.66 V at reset; if your application ramps VDD slowly below 1.6 V, configure the BOD early in firmware or use an external supervisor.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for AEC-Q100 in the same family, consider ATSAMD21G17A-AUT (48-pin TQFP). Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip material declaration.