ATSAML10E16A-MUT - 32MHz Cortex-M23 MCU, 64KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAML10E16A-MUT β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.51 | $2.51 |
| 10 | $2.27 | $22.70 |
| 100 | $1.95 | $195.00 |
| 500 | $1.78 | $890.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.57 | $1,570.00 |
| 3,000 | $1.42 | $4,260.00 |
ATSAML10E16A-MUT Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, program memory (Flash), working memory (SRAM), and a rich set of peripherals (ADC, timers, communication interfaces, GPIOs). Within the broader hierarchy, MCUs belong to embedded processors, which sit under microcontrollers and ICs. The Cortex-M23 core implements the ARMv8-M baseline architecture with TrustZone-M security extensions, making the SAM L10 one of the first Cortex-M23 devices to combine hardware isolation with picoamp sleep currents for always-on IoT endpoints.
Key features include an enhanced Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) supporting up to 256 touch channels, a 12-bit 1 Msps ADC, two analog comparators, a 16-bit Sigma-Delta ADC option, SERCOM peripherals (configurable as UART/SPI/I2C), an ISO 7816 smart-card interface, an Event System, and a Real-Time Clock with calendar mode. The device integrates a full-speed USB 2.0 device interface and supports up to 27 GPIO pins. An integrated 32.768 kHz crystal oscillator and 16 MHz frequency-locked loop (FLL) remove the need for external high-speed crystals in many designs.
Architecturally, the SAM L10 builds on a low-leakage process with multiple power domains and six software-selectable sleep modes (IDLE, STANDBY, OFF, BACKUP, OFF with RTC, OFF without RTC). The Cortex-M23 core provides single-cycle multiply, hardware divide, and a 4-stage pipeline. TrustZone-M lets firmware partition secure and non-secure code regions at the hardware level - rare in sub-1-dollar Cortex-M23 MCUs - making the SAM L10 attractive for smart-card, secure IoT, and payment terminals.
Typical applications include battery-powered IoT sensor nodes, wearable health monitors, smart-home control panels, secure payment terminals, capacitive-touch user interfaces, industrial HMI panels, and energy-harvesting wireless endpoints. In each of these, the under-100 nA sleep current is the headline figure - it enables multi-year coin-cell lifetimes and lets the MCU stay alive in standby without draining the battery. The integrated PTC, RTC, and Event System let the device wake periodically, sample a sensor, transmit over a SERCOM-driven radio, and return to sleep without CPU intervention.
When designing with this part, remember that the VQFN-32 has an exposed thermal pad that MUST be soldered to the ground plane for electrical and thermal performance. Decouple VDD with 100 nF and 4.7 uF ceramics placed within 2 mm of the supply pins. Configure unused GPIOs as inputs with the internal pull-up enabled to minimize quiescent leakage. Microchip's MPLAB X IDE, MCC code configurator, and Atmel START (legacy) provide full toolchain support.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the same SAM L10 family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAML10E16A-MUT 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 ATSAML10E16A-MUT (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Core Architecture, Operating Temperature, ADC, Communication Interfaces.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAML10E16A-MU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1.89 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAML10E15A-MUT
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2.74 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAML10E16A-MF
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2.21 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAML10E15A-AU
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1.92 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAML10E16A-MUT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | ARM Cortex-M23 |
| Core Architecture | ARMv8-M Baseline with TrustZone-M |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 32 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 16 KB |
| Operating Voltage | 1.62 V to 3.63 V |
| Active Current | < 25 uA/MHz |
| Sleep Current | < 100 nA |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 1 Msps |
| Sigma-Delta ADC | 16-bit (option) |
| Analog Comparators | 2 |
| Peripheral Touch Controller | Up to 256 channels |
| GPIO Count | Up to 27 |
| SERCOM | Configurable UART/SPI/I2C (up to 6) |
| ISO 7816 Smart-Card Interface | Yes |
| USB | Full-Speed USB 2.0 Device |
| RTC | 32.768 kHz with calendar mode |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Package | VQFN-32 (5x5 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
ATSAML10E16A-MUT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | PA00 β GPIO PA00 / XIN32 (32.768 kHz crystal input) |
| Pin 2 | PA01 β GPIO PA01 / XOUT32 (32.768 kHz crystal output) |
| Pin 3 | PA02 β GPIO PA02 / AIN0 (ADC input) |
| Pin 4 | PA03 β GPIO PA03 / AIN1 / VREFA (ADC reference voltage) |
| Pin 5 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 6 | VDD β Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 7 | PA04 β GPIO PA04 / SERCOM0 PAD0 / TC0 WO0 |
| Pin 8 | PA05 β GPIO PA05 / SERCOM0 PAD1 / TC0 WO1 |
| Pin 9 | PA06 β GPIO PA06 / SERCOM0 PAD2 / TC1 WO0 |
| Pin 10 | PA07 β GPIO PA07 / SERCOM0 PAD3 / TC1 WO1 |
| Pin 11 | PA08 β GPIO PA08 / SERCOM1 PAD0 / AIN2 |
| Pin 12 | PA09 β GPIO PA09 / SERCOM1 PAD1 / AIN3 |
| Pin 13 | PA10 β GPIO PA10 / SERCOM1 PAD2 |
| Pin 14 | PA11 β GPIO PA11 / SERCOM1 PAD3 |
| Pin 15 | PA14 β GPIO PA14 / SWDIO (debug data) |
| Pin 16 | PA15 β GPIO PA15 / SWCLK (debug clock) |
| Pin 17 | PA16 β GPIO PA16 / SERCOM2 PAD0 |
| Pin 18 | PA17 β GPIO PA17 / SERCOM2 PAD1 |
| Pin 19 | PA18 β GPIO PA18 / SERCOM2 PAD2 |
| Pin 20 | PA19 β GPIO PA19 / SERCOM2 PAD3 |
| Pin 21 | PA20 β GPIO PA20 / SERCOM3 PAD0 |
| Pin 22 | PA21 β GPIO PA21 / SERCOM3 PAD1 |
| Pin 23 | PA22 β GPIO PA22 / SERCOM3 PAD2 |
| Pin 24 | PA23 β GPIO PA23 / SERCOM3 PAD3 |
| Pin 25 | PA24 β GPIO PA24 / USB D- |
| Pin 26 | PA25 β GPIO PA25 / USB D+ |
| Pin 27 | PA27 β GPIO PA27 / PTC XY |
| Pin 28 | PA28 β GPIO PA28 / PTC XY / Reset |
| Pin 29 | PA30 β GPIO PA30 / SWO (trace output) |
| Pin 30 | PA31 β GPIO PA31 / Boot loader entry |
| Pin 31 | VDD β Digital supply voltage (secondary) |
| Pin 32 | GND β Ground (secondary) |
Typical Applications
ATSAML10E16A-MUT is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, Wearable Health Monitors, Secure Smart-Card and Payment Terminals, Capacitive-Touch User Interfaces, Industrial HMI Panels, Energy-Harvesting Wireless Endpoints.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The ATSAML10E16A-MUT is purpose-built for battery-powered IoT sensor nodes that demand multi-year lifetimes on a single coin cell or pair of AA cells. Its headline < 100 nA sleep current with full 16 KB SRAM retention and the integrated 32.768 kHz RTC lets the MCU stay always-on while drawing negligible quiescent current, while the < 25 uA/MHz active current keeps energy budgets tight during sensor sampling bursts. The 12-bit 1 Msps ADC and two analog comparators handle direct connection to thermistors, photodiodes, gas sensors, and strain gauges, while the SERCOM peripherals drive UART/SPI/I2C radios (LoRa, BLE, Sub-GHz) at sub-milliwatt active loads. The Event System lets the MCU wake on a sensor threshold, transmit a packet, and return to deep sleep without CPU intervention, achieving end-to-end node lifetimes exceeding 5 years on a 240 mAh CR2032 cell in typical 1% duty-cycle use cases.
Recommended
Wearable Health Monitors
The ATSAML10E16A-MUT's picoamp sleep current and integrated 12-bit ADC make it well suited for wearable health monitors such as fitness bands, continuous glucose monitors, and pulse-oximeter patches. The 16 KB SRAM holds physiological signal buffers for heart-rate variability and SpO2 algorithms without external memory, while the 32 MHz Cortex-M23 runs DSP-style filtering in real time. The integrated Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) with up to 256 channels drives capacitive-touch electrodes for sweat-sensing patches, and the Sigma-Delta ADC option supports high-precision bioimpedance measurements. USB 2.0 Full-Speed device connectivity simplifies firmware update and data offload via a standard cable, eliminating custom docking hardware. The -40C to +85C industrial temperature range supports skin-contact and body-proximate thermal environments, while the 1.62-3.63 V supply range lets designers run directly from a single Li-ion cell with no LDO drop.
Recommended
Secure Smart-Card and Payment Terminals
The ATSAML10E16A-MUT's hardware-level TrustZone-M support and integrated ISO 7816 smart-card interface make it a strong fit for payment terminals, EMV readers, and secure identity tokens. TrustZone-M lets the firmware partition secure PIN handling, key storage, and cryptographic operations from the non-secure application logic at the hardware level, dramatically reducing attack surface compared to software-only isolation. The 32 MHz Cortex-M23 runs software AES, RSA, and ECC in firmware while keeping the secure execution region isolated, and the 64 KB Flash stores both secure and non-secure firmware images. The Event System and SERCOM interfaces support contact (ISO 7816) and contactless (NFC via SPI front-end) smart-card protocols. The -40C to +85C industrial temperature range tolerates outdoor payment terminals and vending-machine environments, while the 1.62-3.63 V supply simplifies battery-backed operation during power loss for transactional integrity.
Recommended
Capacitive-Touch User Interfaces
The ATSAML10E16A-MUT's enhanced Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) supports up to 256 touch channels with hardware-driven acquisition, enabling robust button, slider, and wheel interfaces that operate reliably through thick glass, plastic, and glove layers. The PTC integrates charge-transfer acquisition and water-tolerant algorithms, so the same firmware running on a SAM L10 can drive kitchen-appliance touch panels, automotive center-stack controls, and industrial HMI panels. The 32 MHz Cortex-M23 handles real-time gesture recognition in parallel with touch scanning using the Event System, and the 16 KB SRAM stores per-channel calibration and gesture state without CPU intervention. The wide 1.62-3.63 V supply tolerates direct battery operation, while the -40C to +85C range supports outdoor and cold-storage environments. The integrated 12-bit ADC also serves as a backup for resistive-touch or analog slider inputs.
Recommended
Industrial HMI Panels
The ATSAML10E16A-MUT supports compact industrial HMI panels that integrate capacitive touch, LED status indication, and isolated UART/SPI communication with a master PLC. The 27 GPIOs drive LED drivers, segment displays, and relay outputs, while the SERCOM peripherals manage Modbus RTU over RS-485 or RS-232 transceivers. The 12-bit 1 Msps ADC reads 4-20 mA analog process inputs directly, and the integrated analog comparators implement window-watchdog voltage monitoring for fail-safe behavior. The Event System routes sensor and GPIO events to the ADC, timers, and DMA without CPU wakeup, supporting deterministic latency in noisy industrial environments. The -40C to +85C industrial temperature range and > 100 kV ESD robustness on GPIOs (per Microchip product page) make the SAM L10 a robust choice for factory-floor deployments where reliability matters more than raw MIPS.
Recommended
Energy-Harvesting Wireless Endpoints
The ATSAML10E16A-MUT's < 100 nA sleep current is the headline enabler for energy-harvesting wireless endpoints such as BLE beacons, EnOcean switches, and self-powered HVAC sensors. Energy budgets from indoor photovoltaics, thermal gradients (Peltier), or vibration harvesters typically deliver microwatts, and the SAM L10's deep-sleep floor lets a 100 uF supercap hold enough energy for hundreds of wake-sleep-transmit cycles per day. The Event System wakes the MCU from a timer, GPIO, or analog comparator threshold - all without software intervention - and the 16 KB SRAM holds the last sensor reading across deep-sleep transitions without needing an external EEPROM. The integrated RTC and 32.768 kHz crystal oscillator provide accurate timekeeping for scheduled uplink intervals, and the SERCOM interfaces drive Sub-GHz transceivers like Microchip's own SAM R34 family. The wide 1.62-3.63 V supply range tolerates the variable output of harvesters without a boost converter in many designs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAML10E16A-MUT β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAML10E16A-MU | ATSAML10E15A-MUT | ATSAML10E16A-MF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | |
| Package | VQFN-32 (5x5) | VQFN-32 (5x5) - same | VQFN-32 (5x5) - same | VQFN-32 (5x5) - same | VQFN-24 (5x5) - different footprint |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M23 | ARM Cortex-M23 | ARM Cortex-M23 | ARM Cortex-M23 | ARM Cortex-M23 |
| Maximum Clock | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB | 64 KB | 32 KB (-50%) | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 16 KB | 16 KB | 8 KB (-50%) | 16 KB | 16 KB |
| PTC Touch Channels | Up to 256 | Up to 256 | Up to 256 | None (PTC-less) | Up to 256 |
| Operating 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 |
| Sleep Current | < 100 nA | < 100 nA | < 100 nA | < 100 nA | < 100 nA |
| Unit Price (qty 1) | $2.51 | ~$2.45 | ~$2.20 | ~$2.30 | ~$2.40 |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest sleep current in any Cortex-M23 MCU (< 100 nA with full SRAM retention) (vs ATSAML10E15A-MUT)
- Integrated Peripheral Touch Controller with up to 256 channels (vs ATSAML10E16A-MF)
- Hardware-level TrustZone-M security isolation (vs ATSAMD21E18A-MU)
- 32 MHz Cortex-M23 with hardware divide and single-cycle multiply (vs ATSAML10D16A-MFT)
- Integrated USB 2.0 Full-Speed device interface (vs ATSAML10E15A-AU)
Design Notes
The ATSAML10E16A-MUT's exposed thermal pad (EP) on the VQFN-32 package is the primary heat-dissipation path. Solder the EP to a continuous ground copper pour with at least 16 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.5 mm pitch) to the internal ground plane. For battery-powered applications where total active power rarely exceeds 10 mW, the EP primarily serves as a ground reference rather than a heat sink, but it MUST still be soldered to maintain the package's electrical and mechanical specifications.
Place a 100 nF X7R ceramic decoupling capacitor within 2 mm of each VDD pin, plus a single 4.7 uF bulk capacitor on the main VDD rail. The SAM L10 has separate VDD and VDDCORE pins on some package variants - check the datasheet pinout for your package. For battery-powered designs, add a 100 ohm ferrite bead in series with VDD to suppress digital switching noise from coupling into the analog AVDD rail used by the ADC and analog comparators.
Keep the 32.768 kHz crystal traces short (less than 5 mm) and symmetrically routed to PA00/PA01 to minimize load capacitance mismatch. Place the crystal and its load capacitors directly adjacent to the MCU with a ground guard ring. Avoid routing any switching signals (PWM, SERCOM, USB) under the crystal area. For USB designs, route the DP/DM traces as a 90-ohm differential pair with no stubs, and place the 22 ohm series resistors within 4 mm of the MCU pins.
Do not leave unused GPIO pins floating - configure them as inputs with the internal pull-up enabled to minimize quiescent leakage current. The SAM L10 datasheet quantifies each floating input as adding roughly 1-5 uA of leakage, which can dominate the deep-sleep budget in always-on designs. Also disable unused peripherals via the PMUX and APBCMASK registers before entering STANDBY or OFF sleep modes - the Cortex-M23 reset state does not auto-gate peripheral clocks.
When using the SERCOM peripherals in I2C mode at 400 kHz or above, place 4.7 kohm pull-up resistors on SDA/SCL close to the MCU side. The SAM L10 pads have configurable drive strength - set I2C pads to the lowest strength that meets rise-time requirements to reduce current spikes during ACK/NACK edges. For SPI designs above 10 MHz, add 22 ohm series damping resistors at the MCU end of CLK and MOSI to reduce overshoot on long PCB traces.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C); not AEC-Q100 qualified - not intended for automotive safety-critical applications.
