CC3220SF12ARGKR - SimpleLink Wi-Fi MCU, 1MB Flash, 256kB RAM | Texas Instruments
MPN: CC3220SF12ARGKR ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9.2 | $9.20 |
| 10 | $8.55 | $85.50 |
| 100 | $7.62 | $762.00 |
| 500 | $6.95 | $3,475.00 |
| 1,000 | $6.3 | $6,300.00 |
CC3220SF12ARGKR Overview
A SimpleLink Wi-Fi wireless MCU is a single-chip solution that combines an industry-standard microcontroller core with a Wi-Fi network processor, offloading the complex 802.11 MAC/PHY stack so the host MCU can focus on application logic. The CC3220x family sits within TI's broader SimpleLink MCU platform, which also includes low-energy Bluetooth, Sub-1 GHz, and host MCUs that share a common SDK and toolchain. The network processor subsystem includes its own ARM Cortex-M3 dedicated to Wi-Fi, hardware crypto engines, and a TCP/IP stack, allowing the application Cortex-M4 to wake only when needed for ultra-low-power IoT operation.
Key features include integrated Wi-Fi security with hardware-accelerated WPA2 and WPA3, 27 GPIO pins, and a rich serial peripheral set including ADC, I2C, SPI, UART, and PCM interfaces. The wide supply range of 2.1V to 3.6V supports direct connection to a single Li-ion cell or 3.3V regulated rail. The CC3220SF12ARGKR is the SF (Secure Flash) variant with 1MB user Flash, building on the CC3220S's MCU-level file-system encryption, secure boot, and debug security, and the CC3220R's IoT networking security and device identity/keys.
Architecturally, the CC3220SF separates the Wi-Fi network processor from the user application MCU, allowing independent firmware updates for each subsystem. The integrated hardware crypto block accelerates AES, SHA, and TLS handshake operations, offloading the application MCU. This makes it well-suited for cloud-connected IoT nodes where TLS handshake latency and power budget are critical.
Typical applications include cloud-connected home automation gateways, industrial IoT sensor nodes reporting over MQTT, Wi-Fi-enabled medical telemetry devices, smart appliances with Over-The-Air update capability, and asset tracking beacons. The 1MB Flash supports richer application code than the CC3220S variant.
When designing with this device, carefully follow TI's layout guidelines for the RF section, paying particular attention to the 50-ohm antenna trace impedance and ground plane stitching. The CC3220SF includes a 4-wire JTAG debug interface; ensure the debugger reset line is correctly pulled during flash programming to avoid bricking.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in CC3220x family alternatives, and practical design considerations not found in a quick scan of the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for CC3220SF12ARGKR — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
CC3220SF12ARGKT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
CC3220S12ARGKR
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
CC3220R12ARGKR
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
CC3220SF-LARGKR
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
CC3220SF12ARGKR Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Type | Wireless MCU (Wi-Fi SoC) |
| Core Architecture | 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 (application MCU) + Cortex-M3 (network processor) |
| Flash Memory (User) | 1 MB |
| RAM | 256 kB |
| Wireless Standard | IEEE 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) |
| Transmit Power | 18 dBm |
| Receive Sensitivity | -96 dBm |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.1 V to 3.6 V |
| Current - Receiving | 59 mA |
| Current - Transmitting | 223 mA |
| GPIO Count | 27 |
| Serial Interfaces | ADC, I2C, SPI, UART, PCM |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C |
| Package | VQFN-64 (RGK) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Halogen Free | Compliant |
| MSL Level | 3 |
CC3220SF12ARGKR Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 2 | RF_BG — 2.4 GHz RF antenna port (50 ohm) |
| Pin 3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 4 | VDD_ANA1 — Analog 1.85V supply (internal LDO output, decouple) |
| Pin 5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 6 | VDD_ANA2 — Analog 1.85V supply (internal LDO output, decouple) |
| Pin 7 | GPIO10 — General purpose I/O / UART1_TX |
| Pin 8 | GPIO11 — General purpose I/O / UART1_RX |
| Pin 9 | GPIO12 — General purpose I/O / I2C_SCL |
| Pin 10 | GPIO13 — General purpose I/O / I2C_SDA |
| Pin 11 | GPIO14 — General purpose I/O / SPI_CLK |
| Pin 12 | GPIO15 — General purpose I/O / SPI_MOSI |
| Pin 13 | GPIO16 — General purpose I/O / SPI_MISO |
| Pin 14 | GPIO17 — General purpose I/O / SPI_CS |
| Pin 15 | VDD_BAT — Battery/supply input (2.1-3.6V) |
| Pin 16 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 17 | GPIO22 — General purpose I/O / UART0_TX |
| Pin 18 | GPIO23 — General purpose I/O / UART0_RX |
| Pin 19 | GPIO24 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 20 | GPIO25 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 21 | GPIO26 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 22 | GPIO27 — General purpose I/O / ADC channel 0 |
| Pin 23 | GPIO28 — General purpose I/O / ADC channel 1 |
| Pin 24 | GPIO29 — General purpose I/O / ADC channel 2 |
| Pin 25 | GPIO30 — General purpose I/O / ADC channel 3 |
| Pin 26 | GPIO0 — General purpose I/O / JTAG_TCK |
| Pin 27 | GPIO1 — General purpose I/O / JTAG_TMS |
| Pin 28 | GPIO2 — General purpose I/O / JTAG_TDI |
| Pin 29 | GPIO3 — General purpose I/O / JTAG_TDO |
| Pin 30 | GPIO4 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 31 | GPIO5 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 32 | GPIO6 — General purpose I/O / PWM |
| Pin 33 | GPIO7 — General purpose I/O / PWM |
| Pin 34 | GPIO8 — General purpose I/O / UART2_TX |
| Pin 35 | GPIO9 — General purpose I/O / UART2_RX |
| Pin 36 | RESET — Active-low reset input |
| Pin 37 | HIBERNATE — Active-low hibernate control |
| Pin 38 | nRESET — Reset (active-low) |
| Pin 39 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin 40 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin 41 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin 42 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin 43 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 44 | VDD_IO — Digital I/O supply (1.8V) |
| Pin 45 | VDD_DIG — Digital core supply (1.15V, internal LDO output) |
| Pin 46 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 47 | GPIO18 — General purpose I/O / I2S_WS |
| Pin 48 | GPIO19 — General purpose I/O / I2S_CLK |
| Pin 49 | GPIO20 — General purpose I/O / I2S_FS |
| Pin 50 | GPIO21 — General purpose I/O / I2S_DATA |
| Pin 51 | GPIO31 — General purpose I/O / PCM_CLK |
| Pin 52 | GPIO32 — General purpose I/O / PCM_SYNC |
| Pin 53 | GPIO33 — General purpose I/O / PCM_IN |
| Pin 54 | GPIO34 — General purpose I/O / PCM_OUT |
| Pin 55 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 56 | XIN — 40 MHz crystal input |
| Pin 57 | XOUT — 40 MHz crystal output |
| Pin 58 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 59 | VDD_PA — Power amplifier supply |
| Pin 60 | ANT — Antenna select / RF port |
| Pin 61 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 62 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 63 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 64 | EP — Exposed thermal pad - connect to ground |
Typical Applications
CC3220SF12ARGKR is suitable for 6 applications: Cloud-Connected Home Automation Gateway, Industrial IoT Sensor Node with MQTT, Wi-Fi-Enabled Medical Telemetry Device, Smart Appliance with Over-The-Air Update, Asset Tracking and Beacon Node, Wi-Fi-Connected Educational/Consumer Electronics.
Cloud-Connected Home Automation Gateway
The CC3220SF12ARGKR is an excellent fit for cloud-connected home automation gateways that bridge Wi-Fi to low-power IoT nodes. Its integrated 802.11 b/g/n radio with 18 dBm TX power and -96 dBm RX sensitivity supports reliable whole-home coverage, while the 1MB Flash stores gateway application logic, MQTT/TLS stacks, and OTA update logic. The hardware-accelerated WPA2/WPA3 encryption offloads TLS handshake from the application Cortex-M4, reducing cloud-connect latency. The 27 GPIO and ADC/I2C/SPI/UART set support direct sensor aggregation without an external MCU, lowering BOM cost.
Recommended
Industrial IoT Sensor Node with MQTT
The CC3220SF12ARGKR suits industrial IoT sensor nodes that report over MQTT to cloud brokers. The 256kB RAM supports TLS connection buffers plus local data buffering, while the 1MB Flash accommodates the SimpleLink SDK, an MQTT client, and application sensor processing. The wide 2.1-3.6 V supply supports 3.6V industrial rails directly, and the -40 to +85 C operating range covers factory floor environments. The ADC and I2C peripherals connect directly to analog and digital sensors without external glue logic, simplifying PCB design.
Recommended
Wi-Fi-Enabled Medical Telemetry Device
The CC3220SF12ARGKR is suitable for Wi-Fi-enabled medical telemetry devices such as remote patient monitors and connected health wearables. The integrated WPA2/WPA3 hardware crypto protects HIPAA-relevant data in transit, while the 1MB Flash stores application firmware for vital-signs processing. The Cortex-M4 with FPU handles on-device filtering and threshold detection before transmission, reducing cloud compute load. Low-power hibernate modes extend battery life in portable or wearable form factors, and the wide supply range accommodates Li-ion or coin-cell chemistries.
Recommended
Smart Appliance with Over-The-Air Update
The CC3220SF12ARGKR enables smart appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, HVAC controls) with reliable OTA firmware updates. The CC3220SF variant specifically adds user-IP encryption and secure boot, protecting manufacturer firmware from cloning or tampering. The 1MB Flash stores dual application images for A/B OTA rollback, while the Wi-Fi network processor offloads 802.11 maintenance so the application MCU stays focused on appliance control logic. The 27 GPIO easily drive relays, sensors, and user interfaces in typical appliance designs.
Recommended
Asset Tracking and Beacon Node
The CC3220SF12ARGKR supports Wi-Fi-based asset tracking and beacon nodes in warehouses or healthcare facilities. The integrated Wi-Fi allows triangulation against existing access points without dedicated infrastructure, while the Cortex-M4 application core runs location-firmware algorithms. The 1MB Flash stores lookup tables for BSSID-to-location mapping. Hibernate current in the microamp range extends battery life for years on coin-cell or Li-SOCl2 cells, and the 2.1V minimum supply supports depleted-battery graceful shutdown.
Recommended
Wi-Fi-Connected Educational/Consumer Electronics
The CC3220SF12ARGKR serves as the main MCU in Wi-Fi-connected consumer products such as connected toys, smart speakers, and educational electronics kits. The SimpleLink SDK and TI Resource Explorer provide ready-to-use cloud-connect examples (AWS IoT, Azure, IBM Watson), accelerating time-to-market. The Cortex-M4 with FPU supports audio decoding or graphics rendering, while the integrated Wi-Fi removes the need for a separate network processor. The wide operating temperature and 1MB Flash comfortably host application logic plus Wi-Fi firmware stacks.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for CC3220SF12ARGKR — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | CC3220SF12ARGKT | CC3220S12ARGKR | CC3220R12ARGKR | CC3220SF-LARGKR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | VQFN-64 (RGK) | VQFN-64 (RGK) - same | VQFN-64 (RGK) - same | VQFN-64 (RGK) - same | VQFN-64 (RGK) - same |
| Brand | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments |
| On-die Flash | 1 MB | 1 MB | 0 (external serial Flash required) | 0 (external serial Flash required) | 1 MB (L-suffix variant) |
| RAM | 256 kB | 256 kB | 256 kB | 256 kB | 256 kB |
| Wi-Fi Standard | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n |
| MCU-Level Security | Yes (file system encryption, secure boot) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| TX Power | 18 dBm | 18 dBm | 18 dBm | 18 dBm | 18 dBm |
| GPIO Count | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| Unit Price (qty 1, USD) | 9.20 | Similar to ARGKR | Lower (no on-die Flash) | Lowest in family | Similar |
Key Differentiators
- On-die 1MB Flash vs external serial Flash (vs CC3220S12ARGKR)
- Full security feature set vs IoT-only security (vs CC3220R12ARGKR)
- Identical silicon, different reel packaging (vs CC3220SF12ARGKT)
Design Notes
Follow TI's CC3220 hardware design guide for the RF section: route the antenna trace as a 50-ohm controlled-impedance microstrip with continuous ground plane underneath. Place the 2.4 GHz antenna as far from the crystal and digital switching circuits as possible. Use ground stitching vias around the RF trace and around the RGK exposed pad to provide a low-impedance return path. Decoupling capacitors (100 nF and 10 uF) must be placed as close to each VDD pin as the layout allows.
Power supply design must handle peak TX currents of 223 mA without voltage droop. Use a low-impedance regulator (LDO or buck) capable of 300 mA peak. Place a 10 uF bulk capacitor plus 100 nF ceramic directly at the VDD_BAT pin. The internal LDOs that generate the 1.85V analog and 1.15V digital rails require 1 uF and 100 nF decoupling per the datasheet. Hibernate mode reduces quiescent current to microamp levels - use the HIBERNATE pin for power gating between active sessions.
Do not omit the external serial Flash footprint on the PCB if there is any chance of dropping down to a CC3220S or CC3220R variant during supply shortages - those require external Flash, while the SF variant does not. Ensure the JTAG debug header is brought out to test points for production programming; a missing JTAG reset pull-down can brick the device during flash operations. Always use TI UniFlash tool with the latest service pack; outdated service packs cause WPA3 and TLS handshake failures in production firmware.
Compliance Information
RoHS and halogen-free compliant per TI product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - for automotive designs use the CC3220SF-Q1 family variant.
