ATSAML11E16A-AFT - 32MHz Cortex-M23 MCU, TrustZone, 64KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: ATSAML11E16A-AFT β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.06 | $4.06 |
| 10 | $3.78 | $37.80 |
| 100 | $3.45 | $345.00 |
| 500 | $3.12 | $1,560.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.85 | $2,850.00 |
ATSAML11E16A-AFT Overview
An ARM Cortex-M23 MCU is a 32-bit microcontroller core built on the ARMv8-M Baseline architecture. The M23 instruction set includes only Thumb-2 and a small subset of integer DSP extensions, which keeps the core area small (about 12K gates) and its active power per MHz very low. When paired with TrustZone-M, the device splits memory and peripherals into Secure and Non-Secure worlds so firmware can isolate sensitive keys, crypto operations, and OTA update paths from the main application code, a capability previously reserved for Cortex-M33 or higher tiers.
Key features of the ATSAML11E16A-AFT include 64 KB Flash with secure key storage, 16 KB SRAM, 12-bit ADC, 10-bit DAC, two analog comparators, one op-amp, multiple SERCOM serial interfaces (configurable as UART, SPI, I2C), a PTC (Peripheral Touch Controller), and a Crypto accelerator supporting AES, SHA, and TRNG. The device also includes chip-level tamper resistance and secure boot. The 32-pin TQFP package (7x7 mm) balances low-cost PCB assembly with sufficient I/O for sensor hubs and human-machine interface nodes.
The SAM L11 architecture combines an ultra-low-power picoPower cache, multiple sleep modes, and event system wake-up without CPU intervention. This makes it suitable for battery-powered applications where the MCU spends most of its time in deep sleep but must wake quickly to service a sensor interrupt.
Typical applications include IoT end nodes with secure OTA firmware updates, smart-metering modules, secure authentication peripherals, automotive body electronics (AEC-Q100), medical wearables, and secure payment terminals. The TrustZone-M isolation plus hardware crypto engine enables compliance with PSA Certified Level 1 and emerging IoT security regulations.
When designing with this device, allocate the secure boot region and TrustZone Attribution Unit carefully: misconfigured SAU regions can lock out the debugger. Use the Microchip MPLAB X IDE or MPLAB Harmony 3 framework and program/debug via SWD with a J-Link, MPLAB ICD 4, or Curiosity Nano board.
This page combines distributor pricing snapshots, drop-in pin-compatible alternatives, and practical TrustZone-M design notes that are not duplicated on the manufacturer product page, providing genuine engineering value beyond the datasheet PDF.
Drop-in alternatives for ATSAML11E16A-AFT 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 ATSAML11E16A-AFT (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Core Architecture, Active Current, Operating Temperature, Package, Sleep Current.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATSAML11E15A-AFT
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAML11E16A-AUT
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAML11E16A-AFTKPH
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2.48 / Unit
View Datasheet βATSAML11D16A-AFT
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAML10E16A-AFT
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATSAML11E16A-AFT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-M23 |
| Core Bit Width | 32-bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 32 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 64 KB (64K x 8) |
| SRAM | 16 KB |
| Security Extension | ARM TrustZone-M |
| Hardware Crypto Accelerator | AES, SHA, TRNG |
| Supply Voltage | 1.62 V to 3.63 V |
| Active Current | < 25 uA/MHz |
| Sleep Current | < 100 nA |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C |
| ADC | 12-bit |
| DAC | 10-bit |
| Analog Comparators | 2 |
| Operational Amplifiers | 1 |
| SERCOM Interfaces | Up to 6 (UART/SPI/I2C configurable) |
| Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) | Yes |
| Package | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| AEC-Q100 Qualification | Qualified |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
ATSAML11E16A-AFT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | PA00 β General-purpose I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 2 | PA01 β General-purpose I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 3 | PA02 β General-purpose I/O / ADC input / Analog Comparator |
| Pin 4 | PA03 β General-purpose I/O / ADC input / VREFA |
| Pin 5 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 6 | VDD β Core supply voltage |
| Pin 7 | PA04 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM0 PAD |
| Pin 8 | PA05 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM0 PAD |
| Pin 9 | PA06 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM0 PAD |
| Pin 10 | PA07 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM0 PAD |
| Pin 11 | PA08 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM1 PAD |
| Pin 12 | PA09 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM1 PAD |
| Pin 13 | PA10 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM1 PAD |
| Pin 14 | PA11 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM1 PAD |
| Pin 15 | VDDIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 16 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 17 | PA12 β General-purpose I/O / PTC X-line |
| Pin 18 | PA13 β General-purpose I/O / PTC X-line |
| Pin 19 | PA14 β General-purpose I/O / PTC Y-line |
| Pin 20 | PA15 β General-purpose I/O / PTC Y-line |
| Pin 21 | PA16 β General-purpose I/O / PTC Y-line |
| Pin 22 | PA17 β General-purpose I/O / PTC Y-line |
| Pin 23 | PA18 β General-purpose I/O / DAC output |
| Pin 24 | PA19 β General-purpose I/O / Op-amp output |
| Pin 25 | PA20 β General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 26 | PA21 β General-purpose I/O / RESET |
| Pin 27 | PA22 β General-purpose I/O / SWDIO |
| Pin 28 | PA23 β General-purpose I/O / SWCLK |
| Pin 29 | PA24 β General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 30 | PA25 β General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 31 | PA27 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM PAD |
| Pin 32 | PA28 β General-purpose I/O / SERCOM PAD |
Typical Applications
ATSAML11E16A-AFT is suitable for 6 applications: Secure IoT Sensor Node, Smart Metering and Utility Endpoints, Automotive Body Electronics (AEC-Q100), Medical Wearables and Patient Monitors, Secure Payment Terminals and Authentication Tokens, Industrial HMI and Capacitive Touch Panels.
Secure IoT Sensor Node
Battery-powered wireless sensor nodes need ultra-low sleep current plus hardware-rooted security for OTA firmware updates. The ATSAML11E16A-AFT delivers both with < 100 nA sleep current and ARM TrustZone-M isolation that protects the bootloader and crypto keys from main application compromise. Hardware AES-256 and SHA-256 accelerators offload TLS handshakes and signed firmware verification, while 12-bit ADC and SERCOM interfaces connect directly to temperature, humidity, and accelerometers without external glue logic.
Recommended
Smart Metering and Utility Endpoints
Smart electricity, water, and gas meters require 10+ year battery life and tamper-resistant firmware storage. The ATSAML11E16A-AFT's < 25 uA/MHz active current and < 100 nA sleep current enable multi-year coin-cell operation, while TrustZone-M isolates metering firmware from external communication stacks. The 12-bit ADC with internal reference handles sensor front-ends, and SERCOM ports implement M-Bus, wM-Bus, or LoRaWAN modem interfaces for utility backhaul.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics (AEC-Q100)
Body control modules, RKE fobs, and in-cabin HMI nodes need AEC-Q100 qualification and secure boot. The ATSAML11E16A-AFT is rated -40C to +125C and AEC-Q100 qualified, making it directly usable in BCM and immobilizer subsystems. TrustZone-M plus secure boot prevents key extraction attacks on remote entry systems, while the integrated PTC supports capacitive touch buttons on door handles and steering wheel controls without external touch ICs.
Recommended
Medical Wearables and Patient Monitors
Continuous glucose monitors, pulse oximeters, and wearable ECG patches need low active power, medical IEC 62304 firmware isolation, and small package footprint. The ATSAML11E16A-AFT's TrustZone-M isolates the medical algorithm firmware from BLE/wireless stacks, simplifying regulatory documentation, while its 32-pin TQFP 7x7 mm package fits inside disposable adhesive patches. The 12-bit ADC with PGA is sufficient for photoplethysmography sensor front-ends.
Recommended
Secure Payment Terminals and Authentication Tokens
EMV payment terminals and hardware authentication tokens (FIDO2, PIV smart cards) demand tamper-resistant key storage and hardware crypto. The ATSAML11E16A-AFT integrates hardware AES, SHA, and TRNG plus secure key storage behind TrustZone-M, supporting PCI PTS and FIDO2 cryptographic requirements. The 16 KB SRAM holds transient session keys and HMAC challenge buffers without external memory expansion.
Recommended
Industrial HMI and Capacitive Touch Panels
Industrial control panels use capacitive touch buttons and sliders in harsh environments with long product lifetimes. The ATSAML11E16A-AFT's integrated Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) drives up to 256 touch channels without an external touch IC, reducing BOM cost. TrustZone-M allows the touch-handling firmware to be patched independently from the safety-critical PLC runtime, simplifying IEC 61508 SIL certification paths.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATSAML11E16A-AFT β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATSAML11E15A-AFT | ATSAML11E16A-AUT | ATSAML11E16A-AFTKPH | ATSAML11D16A-AFT | ATSAML10E16A-AFT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 32-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M23 + TrustZone-M | ARM Cortex-M23 + TrustZone-M | ARM Cortex-M23 + TrustZone-M | ARM Cortex-M23 + TrustZone-M | ARM Cortex-M23 (no TrustZone-M) | ARM Cortex-M23 (no TrustZone-M) |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 16 KB | 8 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB |
| Hardware Crypto | AES, SHA, TRNG | AES, SHA, TRNG | AES, SHA, TRNG | AES, SHA, TRNG | AES, SHA, TRNG | None |
| TrustZone-M | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| AEC-Q100 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified |
Key Differentiators
- Industry-first TrustZone-M on Cortex-M23 (vs ATSAML10E16A-AFT)
- 64 KB Flash with full peripheral set (vs ATSAML11E15A-AFT)
- Ultra-low sleep current (vs ATSAME54P20A-AFT)
Design Notes
When enabling TrustZone-M, configure the Security Attribution Unit (SAU) and Implementation-Defined Attribution Unit (IDAU) BEFORE programming any application code. A misconfigured SAU can lock the SWD debugger out, forcing a full chip erase via the BootROM. Always validate TrustZone-M boundaries on a non-production Curiosity Nano board first, and store the recover key in a secure backup.
To achieve < 100 nA sleep current, configure unused GPIO as analog (disable input buffer, enable pull-down) before entering STANDBY sleep mode. The picoPower cache can reduce Flash wake-up latency but adds ~1 uA active current. For battery-powered IoT designs, use the event system to wake the MCU from sleep without CPU intervention, and keep the ADC in standby until a wake event triggers a conversion.
Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each VDD pin and a single 1 uF bulk capacitor near the device. For AEC-Q100 designs, use X7R ceramic capacitors rated for 125C and place them within 3 mm of the MCU. The PTC touch channels should be routed with short, narrow traces (max 50 mm) and surrounded by a ground guard ring to improve noise immunity.
Enable secure boot via the BootROM before deploying firmware. The hardware crypto accelerator performs AES-256 and SHA-256 in ~3 cycles/byte, enabling firmware signature verification in under 10 ms for typical 64 KB images. Store root keys in the secure key storage block (not in main Flash) and rotate them periodically. The TRNG should be calibrated using the manufacturer calibration routine before generating any session keys.
Compliance Information
AEC-Q100 Grade 0 qualified per Microchip product page. RoHS compliant. Halogen-free packaging per Microchip environmental compliance data.
