MCF5271CAB100 - ColdFire V2 32-bit MPU 100MHz 160-QFP | NXP
MPN: MCF5271CAB100 ⚠ Last Time BuyMCF5271CAB100 Overview
A microprocessor (MPU) is a single-chip CPU that contains the arithmetic logic unit, control unit, registers, and memory management, but unlike a microcontroller (MCU) it typically relies on external memory for program storage. The ColdFire V2 architecture is a simplified, low-cost variant of the original Motorola 68000 family, designed for embedded applications that need 32-bit performance without the cost or power of higher-end cores. Within NXP's portfolio, the MCF5271 sits in the ColdFire V2 (Embedded) tier, between the older V1 cores and the more capable V3/V4 ColdFire variants used in networking and industrial control.
Key features of the MCF5271CAB100 include 64 KB unified SRAM, an enhanced multiply-accumulate (EMAC) unit, an integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC with MII interface, USB 1.1 device, two CAN 2.0B controllers, three UARTs, an I2C controller, and an 8-channel 10-bit ADC. The device supports SDRAM, SRAM, and flash external memories via its 32-bit external bus, and includes a JTAG/BDM debug port. Operating voltage is 3.3 V with 5 V tolerant I/O on select pins.
Typical applications include industrial control and factory automation, networked embedded gateways, serial-protocol bridges (CAN to Ethernet), point-of-sale terminals, building automation controllers, and SCADA remote terminal units. The integrated Ethernet and CAN interfaces make it especially suited for industrial networking and motor control systems.
When designing with the MCF5271CAB100, ensure the power-on reset sequence and clock startup are sequenced correctly before external memory accesses. The 160-QFP package has moderate thermal performance, suitable for 3.3 V designs below ~0.8 W without external heatsinking.
Drop-in alternatives for MCF5271CAB100 — 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 MCF5271CAB100 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core Architecture, Maximum Clock Frequency, Ethernet MAC, Operating Temperature.
MCF5270CAB100
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCF5271CAB100R2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCF5272CAB100
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCF5274CAB100
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCF5271CAB100 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ColdFire V2 |
| Data Bus Width | 32-bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 100 MHz |
| On-chip SRAM | 64 KB |
| On-chip ROM | ROMless (0 KB) |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Package Type | QFP-160 (28x28 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Ethernet MAC | 10/100 Mbit/s with MII |
| CAN Controllers | 2x CAN 2.0B |
| USB Interface | USB 1.1 Device |
| UART Count | 3 |
| I2C | Yes |
| ADC | 10-bit, 8-channel |
| External Memory Bus | 32-bit SDRAM/SRAM/Flash controller |
| Debug Interface | JTAG / BDM |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C |
| Process Node | 130 nm |
| EMAC Engine | Yes (Hardware Multiply-Accumulate) |
MCF5271CAB100 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | TDO — JTAG Test Data Out |
| Pin 2 | TDI — JTAG Test Data In |
| Pin 3 | TCK — JTAG Test Clock |
| Pin 4 | TMS — JTAG Test Mode Select |
| Pin 5 | TRST — JTAG Test Reset |
| Pin 6 | VCCSYNTH — PLL Synthesizer Supply |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Digital Ground |
| Pin 8 | VDD — 3.3 V Digital Supply |
| Pin 9 | EXTAL — Crystal Oscillator Input |
| Pin 10 | XTAL — Crystal Oscillator Output |
Typical Applications
MCF5271CAB100 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Ethernet Gateway / Protocol Bridge, Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminal Controller, Building Automation Controller, SCADA Remote Terminal Unit (RTU), USB-to-CAN Diagnostic Tool, Legacy HMI Touch-Screen Controller.
Industrial Ethernet Gateway / Protocol Bridge
The MCF5271CAB100 fits industrial gateways because it integrates a 10/100 Ethernet MAC with MII and dual CAN 2.0B controllers in a single chip, eliminating external protocol converters. Placed as the master bridge MCU on the factory floor, it converts legacy CAN-bus field devices into TCP/IP Ethernet packets for SCADA monitoring. Designers use its 100 MHz ColdFire V2 core to handle socket stacks and protocol parsing, and its 64 KB SRAM buffers small telemetry blocks before forwarding. Compared to a Cortex-M0+ solution, the ColdFire V2 EMAC engine offers faster signed integer MAC operations required for binary industrial protocols.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminal Controller
The 32-bit ColdFire V2 at 100 MHz gives the MCF5271CAB100 enough throughput for a POS terminal to handle barcode decryption, LCD updates, encryption, and magnetic stripe or smart card I/O over UART/SPI simultaneously. Its 64 KB internal SRAM caches transaction line items, while external SDRAM via the 32-bit bus handles the customer database lookup. Industrial-rated -40C to +85C operation is rated for retail kitchen and outdoor kiosks. The integrated Ethernet MAC provides secure IP-based settlement connectivity. Drop-in package compatibility with MCF5270CAB100 offers a cost-reduced variant if transaction latency requirements permit.
Recommended
Building Automation Controller
The MCF5271CAB100 works well as a building-automation controller because it merges networking, sensor I/O, and triac-fire digital outputs into one chip. Its Ethernet MAC supports BACnet/IP and LonWorks IP backbones, while CAN connects to HVAC and lighting subsystems, and the 10-bit ADC reads analog sensors such as temperature and CO2. The ColdFire V2 core runs the BACnet scheduler at 100 MHz without offloading. With its 160-QFP package and 3.3 V single supply, board layout reduces to roughly a 4-layer card that slides into a typical wall-mount enclosure, keeping BoM cost low.
Recommended
SCADA Remote Terminal Unit (RTU)
The MCF5271CAB100 is well suited for SCADA RTUs because it ties together field-sensor data with Ethernet WAN connectivity in one 32-bit part. Its dual CAN 2.0B controllers communicate with inverter drives, smart instruments, and PLCs in the cabinet, and the Ethernet MAC uploads periodic measurements to the SCADA master. The 64 KB SRAM and 32-bit external bus allow the firmware to buffer connection-loss data and replay it once IP reconnects. -40C to +85C operation tolerates outdoor panel enclosures; BDM/JTAG enables on-site firmware upgrade without IC removal.
Recommended
USB-to-CAN Diagnostic Tool
Lab and field engineers use the MCF5271CAB100 to build USB-to-CAN analyzers because the chip already provides both a USB 1.1 device port and dual CAN controllers in one die. The ColdFire V2 core at 100 MHz processes incoming CAN frames, timestamps them, and forwards them over USB to a host PC running CANalyzer or Vector software. The 64 KB SRAM holds traffic bursts without drops. The 160-QFP package is straightforward to rework in lab prototypes; the part also runs uClinux for higher-layer socket tunneling.
Recommended
Legacy HMI Touch-Screen Controller
The MCF5271CAB100 drives legacy HMI panels because its 32-bit ColdFire V2 has enough throughput to refresh a QVGA TFT LCD panel while sampling I2C touch controllers and updating on-screen widgets from internal flash. Although modern HMIs use Cortex-M7 parts, the MCF5271's 3.3 V single supply and QFP-160 still serve fielded systems. Its integrated UART connects to PLCs over RS-232 or RS-485, and its GPIO banks drive backlight PWM, buzzer, and LEDs. Designers evaluating cost-down options can use MCF5270CAB100 at 66 MHz if display refresh is below 30 Hz.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MCF5271CAB100 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MCF5270CAB100 | MCF5271CAB100R2 | MCF5272CAB100 | MCF5274CAB100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Package | QFP-160 (28x28 mm) | QFP-160 (28x28 mm) - same | QFP-160 (28x28 mm) - same | QFP-160 (28x28 mm) - same | QFP-160 (28x28 mm) - same |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 100 MHz | 66 MHz | 100 MHz | 100 MHz | 100 MHz |
| On-chip SRAM | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| Ethernet MAC | 10/100 with MII | 10/100 with MII | 10/100 with MII | 10/100 with MII | 10/100 with MII |
| CAN Controllers | 2x CAN 2.0B | 2x CAN 2.0B | 2x CAN 2.0B | 2x CAN 2.0B | 2x CAN 2.0B |
| USB Interface | USB 1.1 Device | USB 1.1 Device | USB 1.1 Device | USB 1.1 Device | USB 1.1 Device |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| Lifecycle Status | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy |
Key Differentiators
- Highest clock speed in the MCF5271 family (100 MHz) (vs MCF5270CAB100)
- Integrated Ethernet MAC plus dual CAN in a single 160-QFP chip (vs MCF5274CAB100)
- ROMless variant for flexible external boot (vs MCF5271 variants with mask ROM)
Design Notes
Estimated: the MCF5271CAB100 core current at 100 MHz and 3.3 V is approximately 400-500 mA (1.3-1.7 W). Provide a low-dropout regulator rated at least 700 mA at 3.3 V, and place 0.1 uF X7R bypass capacitors as close as possible to every VDD/VSS pin pair on the 160-QFP package. Add bulk tantalum or polymer 22-47 uF at the regulator output to absorb bus-switching transients.
Route the 32-bit external data bus (D[31:0]) with matched-length traces (within 1 cm of each other), 50 ohm controlled impedance, and series 33 ohm damping resistors near the MCF5271. Place SDRAM chips on the same side as the 160-QFP part and keep SDRAM clock traces short. Avoid routing any analog or noisy signals under the package. BDM/JTAG pins should be brought out to a 14-pin header for in-circuit programming.
Do not power the part before the external clock (EXTAL/XTAL) is stable - this can latch up the PLL. Ensure the RSTI pin is held low for at least 100 clock cycles after power stable. The boot configuration pins must be pulled to valid logic levels at reset; floating them will cause indeterminate boot mode. Also note the part is ROMless - external flash must be present at address 0x00000000 for boot to occur.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH compliance not explicitly listed on distributor pages; lead-free (Pb-free) finish is standard on the Freescale/NXP legacy ColdFire line. Not AEC-Q100 qualified for automotive use cases.
