ATSAME51G18A-MU - 120MHz Cortex-M4F MCU 256KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAME51G18A-MU ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.85 | $6.85 |
| 10 | $6.12 | $61.20 |
| 100 | $5.42 | $542.00 |
| 500 | $4.88 | $2,440.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.35 | $4,350.00 |
ATSAME51G18A-MU Overview
A microcontroller (microcontroller unit, MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, program memory (typically Flash), data memory (SRAM), and a configurable set of peripherals on one silicon die. Within the semiconductor taxonomy, an MCU sits inside the embedded processor family, alongside microprocessors (MPUs), DSPs, and FPGAs; the Cortex-M4F class specifically targets deterministic real-time control with hardware single-precision floating-point acceleration, distinguishing it from Cortex-M0+ entry-level parts and Cortex-M7 high-end parts. ARM Cortex-M4F MCUs from Microchip are organized into the SAME5x, SAMD5x, SAMC, and SAMx series families, each optimized for different application-class workloads.
Key differentiating features of the ATSAME51G18A include an integrated FPU for floating-point DSP workloads, deterministic 120 MHz operation, dual-panel Flash with ECC for safety-critical firmware reliability, and up to 256 KB of ECC-protected SRAM. TrustZone-M is not present on this variant, and the peripheral set covers 6 SERCOM channels (each configurable as UART/SPI/I2C), USB 2.0 FS, CAN-FD, and a 12-bit ADC with up to 16 channels. The 48-pin QFN-48 (7x7 mm) footprint is shared across the SAMD/E5x G-series, which is convenient for board layout reuse.
Architecturally, the SAM E51 uses a 3-stage pipeline Cortex-M4F core with single-cycle MAC, hardware FPU, and a low-latency interrupt controller. The dual-panel Flash architecture allows simultaneous read-while-write, enabling live firmware updates without halting execution. Integrated hardware accelerators include the Event System, Frequency Meter, and CRC engine, freeing the core from housekeeping tasks. Power management offers multiple SleepWalking-aware Sleep modes, an integrated 48 MHz DFLL, and a 32.768 kHz RTC oscillator, enabling low standby current while keeping wake-up latency short.
Typical applications include industrial IoT sensor hubs, USB-CAN bridge gateways, factory automation motor controllers, smart metering with cryptographic signing, HMI front panels with capacitive touch, and drone flight controllers. Designers commonly pair the ATSAME51G18A with external crypto accelerators or IEEE 802.15.4 transceivers for secure mesh deployments.
When designing, reserve the QSPI peripheral for high-throughput external Flash if firmware exceeds the 256 KB on-die limit. Use the on-package exposed pad as a thermal dissipation path and stitch the GND returns carefully to maintain signal integrity on USB 2.0 differential pairs.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, parametric alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAME51G18A-MU — 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 ATSAME51G18A-MU (same form factor and footprint) — differing in SRAM, ADC, Package, USB, DAC.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAME51G18A-MFT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAME51G18A-MU-EFP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.14 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD51G18A-MF
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.11 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD51G19A-MFT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.02 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAMD51G18A-MUT-EFP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.42 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATSAME51G18A-MU Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-M4F with FPU |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 120 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 256 KB dual-panel with ECC |
| SRAM | 128 KB with ECC |
| Package | 48-QFN (7x7 mm) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
| Supply Voltage | 1.71 V to 3.6 V |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 16 channels |
| USB | USB 2.0 Full-Speed Device/Host |
| CAN | CAN-FD |
| SERCOM | 6 channels (UART/SPI/I2C configurable) |
| DAC | 12-bit, 2 channels |
| Crypto Acceleration | AES, True Random Number Generator |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | MSL3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| I/O Pins | 37 |
| Packaging Format | Tray |
ATSAME51G18A-MU Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDDIO — I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 2 | PA00 — GPIO / XIN32 |
| Pin 3 | PA01 — GPIO / XOUT32 |
| Pin 4 | PA02 — GPIO / AIN0 |
| Pin 5 | PA03 — GPIO / AIN1 / VREFA |
| Pin 6 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 7 | PA04 — GPIO / AIN2 |
| Pin 8 | PA05 — GPIO / AIN3 |
| Pin 9 | PA06 — GPIO / AIN4 |
| Pin 10 | PA07 — GPIO / AIN5 |
| Pin 11 | PA08 — GPIO / AIN6 |
| Pin 12 | PA09 — GPIO / AIN7 |
| Pin 13 | PA10 — GPIO / AIN8 |
| Pin 14 | PA11 — GPIO / AIN9 |
| Pin 15 | VDDIO — I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 16 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 17 | PB00 — GPIO |
| Pin 18 | PB01 — GPIO |
| Pin 19 | PB02 — GPIO / AIN10 |
| Pin 20 | PB03 — GPIO / AIN11 |
| Pin 21 | PB04 — GPIO / AIN12 |
| Pin 22 | PB05 — GPIO / AIN13 |
| Pin 23 | PB06 — GPIO / AIN14 |
| Pin 24 | PB07 — GPIO / AIN15 |
| Pin 25 | PB08 — GPIO |
| Pin 26 | PB09 — GPIO |
| Pin 27 | VDDIO — I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 28 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 29 | PC00 — GPIO |
| Pin 30 | PC01 — GPIO |
| Pin 31 | PC02 — GPIO |
| Pin 32 | PC03 — GPIO |
| Pin 33 | PC04 — GPIO |
| Pin 34 | PC05 — GPIO |
| Pin 35 | PC06 — GPIO |
| Pin 36 | PC07 — GPIO |
| Pin 37 | PD00 — GPIO |
| Pin 38 | PD01 — GPIO |
| Pin 39 | PD02 — GPIO |
| Pin 40 | PD03 — GPIO |
| Pin 41 | PD04 — GPIO |
| Pin 42 | PD05 — GPIO |
| Pin 43 | PE00 — GPIO |
| Pin 44 | PE01 — GPIO |
| Pin 45 | PE02 — GPIO |
| Pin 46 | PE03 — GPIO |
| Pin 47 | VDDIO — I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 48 | GND — Ground |
Typical Applications
ATSAME51G18A-MU is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial IoT Sensor Hub, USB-CAN Bridge Gateway, Industrial Motor Controller, Smart Meter with Cryptographic Signing, HMI Front Panel with Capacitive Touch, Drone Flight Controller.
Industrial IoT Sensor Hub
The ATSAME51G18A-MU fits industrial IoT sensor hubs thanks to its 120 MHz Cortex-M4F with FPU and 128 KB SRAM, which aggregate multiple sensor data streams over I2C, SPI, or UART via the six SERCOM channels. The integrated USB 2.0 Full-Speed interface supports local configuration and firmware update ports, while CAN-FD connects to industrial backbones. The 256 KB dual-panel Flash with ECC enables reliable read-while-write OTA updates without halting data acquisition, and the 48-QFN exposed pad keeps the die below 85C even at continuous 120 MHz operation. Compared to a Cortex-M0+ part, the FPU accelerates floating-point sensor fusion and digital filtering, reducing latency by 30-40%.
Recommended
USB-CAN Bridge Gateway
The ATSAME51G18A-MU is purpose-built for USB-to-CAN-FD bridge gateways, integrating both USB 2.0 Full-Speed and CAN-FD controllers on a single die. The Cortex-M4F at 120 MHz provides ample throughput to translate between high-speed USB packets and CAN-FD frames at 1+ Mbps without bottleneck. Hardware AES and a True Random Number Generator enable secure gateway applications where traffic signing is required. The 48-QFN footprint simplifies the gateway PCB layout, and the SERCOM channels provide additional UART ports for legacy RS-485 chaining alongside the primary CAN-FD link. Engineers can leverage Microchip's ASF4 driver stack to shorten development time for production gateways.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Controller
The ATSAME51G18A-MU drives industrial BLDC and stepper motor controllers using its 120 MHz Cortex-M4F with single-precision FPU, executing Park/Clark transforms and PI loops in microseconds. The 12-bit ADC with up to 16 channels samples three-phase current and back-EMF simultaneously, while the hardware PWM and Event System synchronize timing-critical switching without CPU intervention. CAN-FD enables real-time communication with supervisory PLCs, and the 256 KB Flash accommodates field-oriented control libraries. The exposed pad of the 48-QFN package, tied to GND with thermal vias, dissipates the controller's 200-300 mW active load without raising the junction temperature above safe limits in servo cabinets.
Recommended
Smart Meter with Cryptographic Signing
The ATSAME51G18A-MU supports smart metering applications where utility billing and tamper detection require cryptographic signing. Its integrated hardware AES engine encrypts metering data with negligible CPU overhead, while the True Random Number Generator seeds per-device keys. The 128 KB ECC-protected SRAM safely buffers accumulated consumption data, and dual-panel Flash with ECC keeps signed firmware logs intact across power interruptions. The -40C to +85C industrial temperature rating handles outdoor metering enclosures, and CAN-FD links to neighborhood-area networks. The Cortex-M4F executes metering algorithms and LCD control in parallel thanks to deterministic interrupt latency under 12 cycles.
Recommended
HMI Front Panel with Capacitive Touch
The ATSAME51G18A-MU powers HMI front panels driving small TFT LCDs and processing capacitive touch through the PTC peripheral. The 120 MHz Cortex-M4F renders graphics at 30+ FPS for 320x240 panels while simultaneously scanning the touch matrix; the FPU accelerates vector font rendering. Six SERCOM channels connect to display controllers, touch sensors, and external EEPROM. The 256 KB Flash stores a full LVGL-based UI framework plus application code. USB 2.0 Full-Speed provides a diagnostic port for firmware updates, and the 48-QFN footprint fits within a tight front-panel bezel. Industrial temperature rating ensures reliable operation near heat-generating drivers.
Recommended
Drone Flight Controller
The ATSAME51G18A-MU runs drone flight controllers using the Cortex-M4F FPU to execute quaternion-based attitude and PID loops at 1 kHz with deterministic timing. The 12-bit ADC reads gyroscope and accelerometer data via SPI through the SERCOM channels, while CAN-FD or UART links to companion ESC nodes for quadcopter designs. The 256 KB dual-panel Flash supports Betaflight or ArduPilot-derived flight stacks with read-while-write updates for parameter tuning. The exposed pad of the 48-QFN handles the ~250 mW dissipation in still air during hover, while the -40C to +85C rating covers high-altitude cold-soak conditions. Hardware AES supports secure command-and-control link encryption.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAME51G18A-MU — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAME51G18A-MFT | ATSAME51G18A-MU-EFP | ATSAMD51G18A-MF | ATSAMD51G19A-MFT | ATSAMD51G18A-MUT-EFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 48-QFN (7x7) | 48-QFN (7x7) - same | 48-QFN (7x7) - same | 48-QFN (7x7) - same | 48-QFN (7x7) - same | 48-QFN (7x7) - same |
| Core | Cortex-M4F @ 120 MHz | Cortex-M4F @ 120 MHz | Cortex-M4F @ 120 MHz | Cortex-M4F @ 120 MHz | ||
| Flash | 256 KB | 256 KB | 512 KB | 256 KB | ||
| SRAM | 128 KB | 128 KB | 192 KB | 128 KB | ||
| CAN-FD | Yes | No | No | Yes | ||
| Hardware AES | Yes | No | No | Yes | ||
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C | -40C to +125C | -40C to +125C | -40C to +85C | ||
| Price (1 pc, USD) | 6.85 | 6.85 | 5.95 | 7.65 |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated CAN-FD controller (vs ATSAMD51G18A-MF)
- Hardware AES and True Random Number Generator (vs ATSAMD51G18A-MF)
- Dual-panel Flash with ECC (vs ATSAMD51G18A-MF)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 120 MHz CPU, all peripherals active, and 3.3V VDDIO, the SAM E51 core draws approximately 22 mA, dissipating 73 mW into the 48-QFN. The package theta_JA of approximately 31 C/W (per the SAM D5x/E5x family datasheet thermal profile) yields a 2.3C junction rise above ambient at idle, and up to 7-9C rise under sustained DSP workload. The exposed pad MUST be soldered to a GND copper pour of at least 1 square inch with thermal vias for production thermal reliability.
Decouple each VDDIO pin with a 100 nF X7R ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of the pin, and add a 4.7 uF bulk capacitor on the main 3.3V rail. The ATSAME51G18A-MU integrates a 1.2V core LDO; bypass its VDDCDC pin with 1 uF X7R to minimize digital switching noise coupling into analog ADC references. Power-on reset requires VDDIO to ramp monotonically from 0V to its final value; an RC delay on the RESETN line of at least 1 ms prevents spurious resets during brownout recovery.
Route the USB 2.0 Full-Speed D+/D- differential pair with 90-ohm differential impedance and maximum length matching of 150 mil; keep the pair away from switching regulator inductors and PWM traces. The 48-QFN land pattern requires NSMD pads with 0.3 mm pitch and 0.5 mm diameter to ensure reliable solder joint formation per IPC-7351. Stitch the GND pour around high-frequency signals and place the 12 MHz crystal within 5 mm of the XIN/XOUT pins with a grounded guard trace.
Do not exceed the absolute maximum VDDIO of 3.6V; transient spikes above this level will permanently damage the part. The dual-panel Flash requires NVMCTRL.CTRLA commands in the correct unlock sequence before writing - bypassing this sequence causes hard faults. When migrating from SAMD51 to SAME51, verify your application does not depend on CAN-FD being absent; the SAME51 enables CAN-FD clocks after a peripheral multiplexer configuration that must be set before CAN bus traffic begins.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product documentation. The -MU variant is industrial grade (85C); the -MU-EFP variant is AEC-Q100 qualified for automotive applications.
