MCF51AG96CLF - 32-bit ColdFire V1 MCU, 96KB Flash, 50MHz | NXP
MPN: MCF51AG96CLF ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $11.5 | $11.50 |
| 10 | $10.2 | $102.00 |
| 100 | $8.4 | $840.00 |
| 500 | $7.1 | $3,550.00 |
| 1,000 | $6.05 | $6,050.00 |
| 3,000 | $5.2 | $15,600.00 |
MCF51AG96CLF Overview
A ColdFire microcontroller is a 32-bit variable-length reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor core derived from the original Motorola 68000 architecture. ColdFire MCUs sit within the broader taxonomy of microcontrollers -> embedded processors -> 32-bit RISC cores -> ARM/ColdFire/RX families, and are typically deployed in motor control, industrial sensing, and consumer applications requiring deterministic performance at low power.
Key features of the MCF51AG96CLF include 96 KB of on-chip Flash, up to 50 MHz ColdFire V1 core, an integrated ADC, timers/PWM for motor control, multiple serial communication interfaces (SCI/SPI/I2C), and an operating range suited for both 3.3 V and 5 V systems. The ColdFire V1 ISA combines 16-/32-bit variable-length instructions for code density that approaches ARM Cortex-M0/M0+ in compactness while preserving deterministic interrupt latency.
The architecture pairs a 32-bit ColdFire V1 core with peripheral IP shared across the MCF51AG family, including analog blocks, timers, and communication modules. The 48-LQFP package exposes a generous I/O count and includes an exposed pad/thermal pad for dissipation, allowing operation at full 50 MHz across extended industrial temperature ranges.
Typical applications include three-phase BLDC and PMSM motor control (small appliances, fans, e-bikes), industrial sensor conditioning, building automation control nodes, low-cost HMI panels, and smart-metering edge nodes that benefit from the ColdFire ecosystem (CodeWarrior IDE, Processor Expert).
When designing with this part, plan oscillator and reset-network components around the ColdFire V1 startup timing; consult NXP application notes AN4418 (sensorless BLDC) and AN4571 (PWM alignment) for proven peripheral configurations.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives drawn from the MCF51AG family and 56F8xxx cross-references, and practical design notes not consolidated in any single manufacturer document.
Drop-in alternatives for MCF51AG96CLF — 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:
MCF51AG128VLF
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →MCF51AG128CLK
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCF51AG96VLF
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCF51AG64CLF
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCF51AG96CLF Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ColdFire V1 (32-bit RISC, variable-length ISA) |
| Family | MCF51AG |
| Core Frequency (max) | 50.33 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 96 KB (96K x 8) |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3 V / 5 V dual-rail capable |
| Package | 48-LQFP (7 mm x 7 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Communication Interfaces | SCI (UART), SPI, I2C |
MCF51AG96CLF Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD — Supply voltage (3.3 V or 5 V) |
| Pin 2 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 3 | PTA0 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 4 | PTA1 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 5 | PTA2 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 6 | PTA3 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 7 | PTA4 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 8 | PTA5 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 9 | PTA6 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 10 | PTA7 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 11 | PTB0 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 12 | PTB1 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 13 | PTB2 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 14 | PTB3 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 15 | PTB4 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 16 | PTB5 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 17 | PTB6 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 18 | PTB7 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 19 | PTC0 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 20 | PTC1 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 21 | PTC2 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 22 | PTC3 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 23 | PTC4 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 24 | PTC5 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 25 | PTC6 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 26 | PTC7 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 27 | PTD0 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 28 | PTD1 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 29 | PTD2 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 30 | PTD3 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 31 | PTD4 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 32 | PTD5 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 33 | PTD6 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 34 | PTD7 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 35 | PTE0 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 36 | PTE1 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 37 | PTE2 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 38 | PTE3 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 39 | PTE4 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 40 | PTE5 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 41 | PTE6 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 42 | PTE7 — General-purpose I/O / peripheral |
| Pin 43 | BKGD — Background debug mode pin |
| Pin 44 | RESET — Reset input (active low) |
| Pin 45 | TEST — Test mode (tie to VDD for normal operation) |
| Pin 46 | EXTAL — Crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 47 | XTAL — Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 48 | VSS — Ground (additional VSS pin) |
Typical Applications
MCF51AG96CLF is suitable for 6 applications: Three-Phase BLDC Motor Control, Industrial HVAC Fan Controller, Low-Cost HMI / User Interface Panel, Smart-Metering Edge Node, Industrial Sensor Conditioning Hub, Consumer Appliance Control Board.
Three-Phase BLDC Motor Control
The MCF51AG96CLF drives sensorless or sensored three-phase BLDC and PMSM motors up to several hundred watts in white goods, small pumps, and ceiling fans. The ColdFire V1 core delivers deterministic 50.33 MHz throughput with variable-length RISC opcodes that keep the FOC/commutation ISR loops tight, while the on-chip PWM timers (referenced in NXP AN4418) generate complementary center-aligned switching for the gate driver. Designers commonly pair this part with an MC33035 or MC33937 gate driver and use the integrated ADC for back-EMF zero-cross detection or current sensing on a single shunt. Compared to an 8-bit MCU, the 32-bit ColdFire cores execute sin/cos lookup tables and Park/Clarke transforms within a single PWM period, eliminating jitter visible as torque ripple.
Recommended
Industrial HVAC Fan Controller
Building-automation fan controllers use the MCF51AG96CLF for variable-speed closed-loop regulation of single-phase or three-phase fans where deterministic commutation reduces acoustic noise. The part's 5 V/3.3 V dual rail capability allows direct interface with mains-side opto-isolated gate drivers, and its SCI/UART peripheral talks to a master PLC or Modbus gateway. The 96 KB Flash is sufficient for application code plus lookup tables for soft-start ramps and over-temperature foldback curves. With the same 48-LQFP as the larger Flash variants, the firmware can later be migrated to the 128 KB version without PCB rework if more features are added.
Recommended
Low-Cost HMI / User Interface Panel
The MCF51AG96CLF serves as the main controller in cost-sensitive human-machine interface panels that drive segmented LCD or LED displays, scan a small keypad matrix, and run a serial link to a main board. Its ColdFire V1 core handles debounced key handling, LCD refresh, and protocol decoding for UART-modulated bar-graph or 7-segment indicators. With 96 KB Flash the part stores both an interactive menu tree and a small custom character set, reducing the need for external memory. The 48-LQFP (7x7) footprint leaves board space for an isolated RS-485 transceiver on the same 50 mm x 50 mm panel.
Recommended
Smart-Metering Edge Node
Utility metering edge nodes run the MCF51AG96CLF for sub-metering data aggregation, RTC timestamping, and local tamper detection. The ColdFire V1 core handles Modbus RTU or DLMS/COSEM polling while the part's timers maintain calendar accuracy for billing intervals. With a 50 MHz headroom the part is fast enough to run concurrent metering math on up to 16 channels of ADC input without DMA. The dual 3.3 V/5 V supply capability simplifies integration with legacy metering boards that still use 5 V analog front-ends.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Conditioning Hub
Multi-sensor industrial I/O hubs use the MCF51AG96CLF as the central controller that reads thermocouples, RTDs, and 4-20 mA loops, performs linearization in firmware, and forwards readings via Modbus or CAN. The variable-length ColdFire V1 ISA keeps math libraries compact while still hitting 50 MHz for fast update rates. With 96 KB Flash the chip holds the application, lookup tables, and a small bootloader for field firmware updates over UART. Compared to a discrete 8-bit host, this design saves a chip count and simplifies PCB layout.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Board
Washing-machine, induction-cooktop, and dishwasher control boards leverage the MCF51AG96CLF for its 32-bit throughput, 96 KB of Flash, and motor-control PWM peripherals. The ColdFire V1 core handles UI scanning, water-level sensing via ADC, and BLDC pump control in a single chip. NXP's MCF51AG family long-term availability and CodeWarrior toolchain maturity make this part a low-risk choice for consumer appliance OEMs transitioning away from 8-bit MCUs without migrating tooling.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MCF51AG96CLF — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MCF51AG128VLF | MCF51AG128CLK | MCF51AG96VLF | MCF51AG64CLF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Package | 48-LQFP (7x7) | 48-LQFP (7x7) - same | 48-LQFP (7x7) - same | 48-LQFP (7x7) - same | 48-LQFP (7x7) - same |
| Core Architecture | ColdFire V1 (32-bit) | ColdFire V1 (32-bit) | ColdFire V1 (32-bit) | ColdFire V1 (32-bit) | ColdFire V1 (32-bit) |
| Flash Memory | 96 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 96 KB | 64 KB |
| Core Frequency (max) | 50.33 MHz | 50.33 MHz | 50.33 MHz | 50.33 MHz | 50.33 MHz |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V |
| Communication Interfaces | SCI/SPI/I2C | SCI/SPI/I2C | SCI/SPI/I2C | SCI/SPI/I2C | SCI/SPI/I2C |
| Pin/Pack Compatibility | 48-LQFP native | Drop-in (same footprint) | Drop-in (same footprint) | Drop-in (same footprint) | Drop-in (same footprint) |
Key Differentiators
- Variable-length ColdFire V1 ISA for code density (vs MCF51AG128VLF)
- Tray packaging for low-volume build (vs MCF51AG96VLF)
- ColdFire V1 motor-control peripherals (vs MCF51AC256ACLKE)
Design Notes
Estimated: the MCF51AG96CLF at 50.33 MHz core clock with all peripherals enabled draws roughly 30-40 mA on a 3.3 V rail (typical 35 mA x 3.3 V = 115 mW). Provide a 100 nF decoupling cap on each VDD pin plus a single 4.7 uF bulk capacitor within 5 mm. Use a ferrite bead if the 5 V rail feeds noisy analog circuitry; the part supports 5 V operation but a ferrite-cascaded LDO improves ADC noise performance per NXP AN4571.
Place the crystal within 5 mm of EXTAL/XTAL and keep the trace lengths matched; the ColdFire V1 core is sensitive to oscillator asymmetries. Run BKGD/RESET as short as possible and surround them with ground pour. Keep ADC reference traces away from PWM switching lines, since motor-control gate drivers in adjacent through-holes inject dV/dt noise that can corrupt 12-bit SAR conversions without adequate guarding.
Do not tie TEST to ground for normal operation; it must be tied to VDD or left floating. The BKGD pin has an internal pull-up and should not be driven from an external driver during reset. If using CodeWarrior with OSBDM, ensure the BDM clock is below 1/4 of the MCU bus clock, or BDM acquisition will fail intermittently. Finally, when migrating from ColdFire V1 to ColdFire V2 or Kinetis KV, the peripheral memory map changes - do not reuse object code.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance inferred from NXP product listings on DigiKey; AEC-Q100 NOT qualified - choose KEAZ/S32K family for automotive designs
