MCXN556TCDFT - MCX N556 MCU 184MHz 250KB VFBGA-184 | NXP
MPN: MCXN556TCDFT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8.92 | $8.92 |
| 10 | $7.96 | $79.60 |
| 100 | $6.84 | $684.00 |
| 500 | $5.95 | $2,975.00 |
| 1,000 | $5.22 | $5,220.00 |
MCXN556TCDFT Overview
Key features include an Arm Cortex-M33 core (with optional Cortex-M0+ companion core) operating up to 150 MHz, a high-speed Cortex-M33 core up to 250 MHz, 250 KB on-chip SRAM, a low-power voltage regulator, and an integrated 12-bit ADC, programmable peripherals, and a comprehensive set of connectivity options including USB, CAN-FD, I3C, and FlexIO.
The MCX N series is a scalable, low-power microcontroller family designed for secure, edge-connected IoT and industrial applications. It belongs to the broader MCU taxonomy as a Cortex-M33 based device -> ARM Cortex-M microcontroller -> general-purpose MCU -> microcontroller IC -> embedded system component. The high-performance main core runs at up to 250 MHz, while the Cortex-M0+ low-power core operates up to 150 MHz, providing heterogeneous compute for both performance-critical and energy-efficient tasks.
The device integrates multiple low-power modes, on-chip SRAM, security features such as secure boot and cryptographic accelerators, a fast ADC, and a rich set of timers and communication peripherals. The combination of performance, integration, and low power consumption makes the MCXN556TCDFT well-suited for industrial IoT endpoints, secure connected sensors, and battery-powered edge devices.
Typical applications include industrial IoT sensor nodes, secure connected home and building automation, battery-powered wearables, motor control and field-oriented control, secure payment terminals, and predictive maintenance sensor hubs. When designing with this device, ensure PCB layout accommodates the 0.5 mm pitch VFBGA ball array and provides adequate thermal vias beneath the central thermal balls; careful signal-integrity routing is required for the high-speed ADC and USB interfaces.
Drop-in alternatives for MCXN556TCDFT — 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 MCXN556TCDFT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MCXN556CDFT
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCXN546TCDFT
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MCXN547TCDFT
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
LPC55S69JBD100K
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.12 / Unit
View Datasheet →MCXN556TCDFT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | Arm Cortex-M33 + Cortex-M0+ (dual-core) |
| Maximum Main Core Frequency | 250 MHz |
| Maximum Low-Power Core Frequency | 150 MHz |
| On-Chip SRAM | 250 KB |
| Package | VFBGA-184 (9 mm x 9 mm x 0.86 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) |
| Ball Count | 184 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Series | MCX N (MCXN556) |
MCXN556TCDFT Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | VDD — Main supply voltage (1.8V-3.6V) |
| Pin B5 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin C12 | USB_DP — USB D+ data line |
| Pin D15 | CAN_TX — CAN-FD transmit |
| Pin E18 | I3C_SDA — I3C serial data |
| Pin F1 | GPIO0 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin G8 | RESET — Reset input (active low) |
| Pin H14 | SWDIO — Serial Wire Debug I/O |
| Pin K3 | ADC0_IN0 — 12-bit ADC input channel 0 |
| Pin L10 | PWM0 — Pulse-width modulation output |
| Pin M16 | FLEXIO0 — FlexIO configurable peripheral |
| Pin N2 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin P11 | TX0 — UART transmit |
| Pin R7 | RX0 — UART receive |
| Pin T13 | SPIO_SCK — SPI clock |
Typical Applications
MCXN556TCDFT is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial IoT Sensor Hubs, Secure Connected Home Devices, Battery-Powered Wearables, Motor Control and Field-Oriented Control (FOC), Secure Payment Terminals and POS, Predictive Maintenance Sensor Hubs.
Industrial IoT Sensor Hubs
The MCXN556TCDFT's dual-core architecture is ideal for industrial IoT sensor hubs aggregating multiple sensor interfaces. The Cortex-M0+ low-power core handles always-on housekeeping, sensor sampling, and BLE/Thread/Zigbee stack maintenance, while the Cortex-M33 at 250 MHz runs edge analytics and ML inference. The 250 KB SRAM supports moderate data buffering, and CAN-FD enables seamless integration with industrial networks. According to NXP's MCX N series reference designs, typical power consumption drops below 50 uA in deep sleep with RTC retention.
Recommended
Secure Connected Home Devices
The MCXN556TCDFT's secure boot, cryptographic accelerators, and hardware root-of-trust make it well-suited for secure connected home devices such as smart locks, thermostats, and security panels. The 250 MHz Cortex-M33 handles TLS handshake acceleration and local UI rendering, while the Cortex-M0+ manages low-power wireless connectivity (BLE/Zigbee/Thread). The 1.8V-3.6V supply supports battery or coin-cell operation. Per NXP application notes, secure firmware update over the air (FOTA) is supported via the integrated boot ROM.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Wearables
The MCXN556TCDFT's low-power architecture makes it a strong fit for battery-powered wearables. The Cortex-M0+ handles always-on tasks (sensor polling, RTC, BLE advertising) at sub-100 uA, while the Cortex-M33 wakes only for display updates, ML inference, or user interaction. The 250 KB SRAM enables display framebuffer caching and step counter history. According to NXP's MCX N series datasheet, deep-sleep current with SRAM retention is optimized for multi-day battery life on a 300 mAh Li-ion cell.
Recommended
Motor Control and Field-Oriented Control (FOC)
The MCXN556TCDFT's high-performance Cortex-M33 at 250 MHz, fast ADC, and FlexIO peripherals enable real-time motor control including field-oriented control (FOC) for BLDC and PMSM motors. The Cortex-M33's single-cycle MAC and DSP extensions handle fast inverse Park/Clarke transforms at PWM switching frequencies above 20 kHz. The 12-bit ADC with rapid sampling enables precise current sensing, and FlexIO provides flexible PWM generation. Per NXP's motor control reference designs, the MCX N series achieves sub-1% torque ripple in FOC applications.
Recommended
Secure Payment Terminals and POS
The MCXN556TCDFT's secure boot, hardware cryptography (AES, SHA, TRNG), and tamper detection make it suitable for secure payment terminals and POS devices. The Cortex-M33 handles cryptographic operations with hardware acceleration, while the Cortex-M0+ manages secure element communication and low-power card sensing (NFC). The USB, SPI, and I2C peripherals interface with card readers and printers. According to NXP's security documentation, the MCX N series supports PCI PTS-compliant firmware update mechanisms.
Recommended
Predictive Maintenance Sensor Hubs
The MCXN556TCDFT's dual-core processing and rich analog/digital peripherals are well-suited for predictive maintenance sensor hubs that monitor vibration, temperature, and acoustic emissions. The Cortex-M33 at 250 MHz runs FFT-based vibration analysis and anomaly detection, while the Cortex-M0+ samples low-speed environmental sensors. The 250 KB SRAM holds feature vectors for ML inference. Per NXP application notes, the MCX N series supports on-device TinyML models for anomaly classification.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MCXN556TCDFT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MCXN556CDFT | MCXN546TCDFT | MCXN547TCDFT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | VFBGA-184 (9x9 mm) | VFBGA-184 - same | VFBGA-184 - same | VFBGA-184 - same |
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Main Core Architecture | Cortex-M33 (250 MHz) | Cortex-M33 (250 MHz) | Cortex-M33 (250 MHz) | Cortex-M33 (250 MHz) |
| Companion Core | Cortex-M0+ (150 MHz) | Cortex-M0+ (150 MHz) | Cortex-M0+ (150 MHz) | Cortex-M0+ (150 MHz) |
| Pin Count | 184 | 184 | 184 | 184 |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +105C | -40C to +105C | -40C to +105C | -40C to +105C |
Key Differentiators
- Dual-core heterogeneous compute in same 184-ball VFBGA footprint (vs MCXN547TCDFT)
- Higher main-core clock headroom for edge inference and motor control (vs STM32U575RIT6 (BGA-176, different package))
- Integrated hardware cryptography and secure boot (vs Generic Cortex-M0+ MCUs)
Design Notes
The 184-ball VFBGA package uses a 0.5 mm ball pitch requiring laser-drilled PCB vias on the ball-pad land pattern. Per IPC-7351 and JEDEC VFBGA design guidelines, use NSMD (non-solder mask defined) pads with a 0.25 mm via diameter and 0.4 mm via-pad diameter. Place a 4x4 thermal-via array under the central ground balls to ensure uniform heat spreading and reduce the 35 C/W junction-to-ambient thermal resistance.
Decouple VDD and VDD_CORE with 100 nF X7R ceramic capacitors placed within 2 mm of each supply pin. Per NXP's MCX N hardware design guide, add a 4.7 uF bulk capacitor near the VDD pin and a 10 uF bulk on the VBAT rail if RTC backup is used. The integrated LDO requires a 1 uF low-ESR ceramic on VDD_CORE to maintain regulation under transient load steps.
The high-speed USB and 250 MHz Cortex-M33 interfaces require controlled-impedance routing (90 ohm differential for USB, 50 ohm single-ended for GPIO clocks). Per NXP's MCX N hardware design guide, route USB_DP/USB_DN as a length-matched differential pair with maximum 4 mm mismatch, and isolate the high-speed traces from analog ADC inputs to minimize crosstalk. The 12-bit ADC requires a quiet analog ground (AGND) island with a single-point connection to the digital ground at the IC's GND pin.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance confirmed per NXP product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this part targets industrial and consumer applications, not automotive. Lead-free and halogen-free per NXP's standard MCX N series manufacturing.
