MK20DX256VMC7 - Kinetis K20 72MHz Cortex-M4 MCU 256KB | NXP
MPN: MK20DX256VMC7 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $11.2 | $11.20 |
| 10 | $10.05 | $100.50 |
| 100 | $8.95 | $895.00 |
| 500 | $7.8 | $3,900.00 |
| 1,000 | $6.95 | $6,950.00 |
MK20DX256VMC7 Overview
A Kinetis K20 MCU is a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller designed for mixed-signal embedded designs that need Cortex-class DSP and FPU performance with deterministic low-power behavior. Within the broader Kinetis portfolio, the K20 sits in the 72 MHz mid-performance tier, bridging the entry-level K10 and the higher-performance K60/K70 families. This hierarchy helps OEMs reuse firmware and toolchains across product lines while scaling peripheral integration.
Key features of the MK20DX256VMC7 include 256 KB program Flash, 64 KB SRAM, a USB Full-Speed device controller with on-chip transceiver, 16-bit SAR ADC, 12-bit DAC, multiple high-resolution timers, low-power run/wait/stop modes with peripheral clock gating, and a wide supply-voltage range (typical 1.71 V to 3.6 V for VDD). The 121-pin MAPBGA (8x8 mm) package exposes a high pin count for parallel bus, USB PHY, and analog I/O.
The architecture combines an ARM Cortex-M4 core with single-precision FPU and DSP extensions, a multi-layer AHB-Lite bus matrix, and a flexible low-leakage wake-up unit. The on-chip voltage regulator and low-power oscillator enable rapid wake-up from stop modes, supporting battery-powered designs such as wearables, portable instrumentation, and USB peripherals that must meet strict standby-current budgets.
Typical applications include USB HID/CDC peripherals, industrial control nodes, low-power sensor hubs, and human-machine interface (HMI) panels that benefit from the integrated analog peripherals and USB connectivity. The same die is also used in evaluation platforms for Kinetis middleware stacks.
Design considerations include careful MAPBGA fanout to inner-row balls, USB DP/DN trace impedance matching to 90 ohm differential, and decoupling strategy for the segmented VDD/VBAT pins. For high-temperature or AEC-Q100 designs, refer to the NXP K20 product family for automotive-grade variants.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in pin-compatible alternatives from the same Kinetis K20 family, and practical design notes drawn from the K20 reference manual - information gain beyond what the manufacturer datasheet provides in isolation.
Drop-in alternatives for MK20DX256VMC7 — 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 MK20DX256VMC7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Mounting Type, ADC, Core, Maximum Clock Frequency.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MK20DX256VMC10
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MK20DX64VMC7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →MK40DX256VMC7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →MK20DX256VMC7R
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MK53DX256ZCLQ10
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$11.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →MK20DX256VMC7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU and DSP |
| CPU Bit Width | 32-bit |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 72 MHz |
| Program Flash | 256 KB (256K x 8) |
| SRAM | 64 KB |
| USB Controller | USB Full-Speed Device with on-chip transceiver |
| Package | 121-MAPBGA (8x8 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.71 V to 3.6 V (typical 3.3 V) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +105 C (industrial) |
| ADC | 16-bit SAR ADC |
| DAC | 12-bit DAC |
| Low-Power Modes | Wait, Stop, VLPR, VLPS |
| MSL Level | 3 (per JEDEC J-STD-020) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Series | Kinetis K20 |
| Sub-Family | MK20DX256 |
MK20DX256VMC7 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | VDD — MCU supply voltage (1.71-3.6 V) |
| Pin B6 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin D5 | USB0_DP — USB D+ data line |
| Pin D6 | USB0_DM — USB D- data line |
| Pin E10 | VBAT — RTC / backup supply |
| Pin H5 | RESET_b — Active-low reset |
| Pin J10 | PTA0 — GPIO / TSI channel |
| Pin K6 | PTB0 — GPIO / ADC channel |
Typical Applications
MK20DX256VMC7 is suitable for 6 applications: USB HID / CDC Peripherals, Industrial Control Nodes, Low-Power Sensor Hubs, Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels, Portable Medical Devices, Audio USB Headset / Microphone Bridge.
USB HID / CDC Peripherals
The MK20DX256VMC7's integrated USB Full-Speed device controller with on-chip transceiver and 72 MHz Cortex-M4 with FPU make it well-suited for USB HID, CDC, and vendor-class peripherals. Typical use: a custom keyboard, mouse, or data-acquisition dongle needs 256 KB Flash for HID descriptor tables and 64 KB SRAM for HID ring buffers; the 72 MHz core handles 1000 Hz polling and DSP-style filtering without dropping packets. Placed as the only IC on a small 4-layer PCB with 90 ohm differential DP/DN routing, the design replaces an MCU plus external PHY plus EEPROM. Versus an 8-bit MCU + FTDI bridge, the MK20DX256VMC7 consolidates firmware, PHY, and code storage into one BGA, reducing BOM and PCB area.
Recommended
Industrial Control Nodes
The 72 MHz Cortex-M4 with FPU and DSP extensions lets the MK20DX256VMC7 run PID loops, Kalman filtering, or FFT-based vibration analysis on industrial sensors. The 16-bit SAR ADC samples multi-channel analog inputs while the 12-bit DAC drives analog set-points or 4-20 mA loop interfaces. With 256 KB Flash the node can host a full Modbus RTU or CANopen stack alongside DSP firmware, and 64 KB SRAM holds circular sample buffers. The 121-MAPBGA package keeps the design compact inside a sealed IP65 enclosure, and the -40 to +105 C industrial temperature rating supports factory-floor deployment without derating.
Recommended
Low-Power Sensor Hubs
The MK20DX256VMC7's low-leakage wake-up unit, peripheral clock gating, and VLPR/VLPS modes enable a sensor hub that sleeps in single-digit microamps and wakes on GPIO, RTC alarm, or low-power timer to service a sensor array. 64 KB SRAM is enough to buffer sensor bursts before the Cortex-M4 wakes and pushes data over USB or BLE companion. The 256 KB Flash supports over-the-air update staging. Compared to a discrete MCU + external RTC + boost regulator, the MK20DX256VMC7 integrates all of this in a single 8x8 mm BGA, simplifying the bill of materials for coin-cell or Li-ion powered IoT edge nodes.
Recommended
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels
The 16-bit ADC, 12-bit DAC, and rich timer/PWM peripherals of the MK20DX256VMC7 suit compact HMI panels with capacitive touch scanning, LED backlight dimming, and buzzer drive. The 256 KB Flash holds a touch library plus a small graphics/UI framework, while 64 KB SRAM keeps frame buffers and touch events in memory. The Cortex-M4 FPU accelerates any on-device signal conditioning (FFT, FIR) used in acoustic feedback or motor-driven knob emulation. The 121-MAPBGA exposes enough I/O for an RGB interface, segment LCD controller, and multiple UARTs for sub-modules in industrial appliances.
Recommended
Portable Medical Devices
For portable medical peripherals such as glucose meters, pulse-oximeter dongles, or handheld spirometers, the MK20DX256VMC7 provides 256 KB Flash for FDA-traceable firmware, 64 KB SRAM for sample averaging, and an integrated USB Full-Speed device port for tethered data upload to a clinician PC. The 16-bit ADC captures biosensor waveforms directly, while the low-power modes keep quiescent draw low for AAA or rechargeable Li-ion battery operation. The 121-MAPBGA footprint fits a single-board layout that meets IEC 60601 isolation through external barrier components.
Recommended
Audio USB Headset / Microphone Bridge
The USB Full-Speed device controller and Cortex-M4 DSP extensions let the MK20DX256VMC7 implement a USB audio class 1.0 headset bridge with on-the-fly DSP for noise reduction and AGC. 256 KB Flash stores USB descriptors and DSP coefficient tables, while 64 KB SRAM holds audio sample buffers. The 12-bit DAC and PWM timers can drive a small Class-D amplifier stage or external codec handshake. Operating at 72 MHz, the core sustains 48 kHz / 16-bit stereo USB audio without buffering underruns, replacing a USB audio codec plus dedicated DSP chip with a single BGA.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MK20DX256VMC7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MK20DX256VMC10 | MK20DX64VMC7 | MK40DX256VMC7 | MK53DX256ZCLQ10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors - same | NXP Semiconductors - same | NXP Semiconductors - same | NXP Semiconductors - same |
| Package | 121-MAPBGA (8x8) | 121-MAPBGA (8x8) - same | 121-MAPBGA (8x8) - same | 121-MAPBGA (8x8) - same | 121-MAPBGA (8x8) - same |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 72 MHz | 100 MHz | 72 MHz - same | 72 MHz - same | 100 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB | 256 KB - same | 64 KB | 256 KB - same | 256 KB - same |
| SRAM | 64 KB | 64 KB - same | 64 KB - same | 64 KB - same | 128 KB |
| USB Controller | USB Full-Speed Device | USB Full-Speed Device | USB Full-Speed Device | USB Full-Speed Device | USB Full-Speed + High-Speed (varies by sub-variant) |
| Sub-Family / Peripherals | K20 (USB-centric) | K20 (USB-centric) | K20 (USB-centric) | K40 (FlexBus/Ethernet) | K53 (mixed-signal) |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.71-3.6 V | 1.71-3.6 V | 1.71-3.6 V | 1.71-3.6 V | 1.71-3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated USB Full-Speed device with on-chip PHY (vs MK20DX64VMC7)
- 72 MHz K20 mid-performance tier (vs MK20DX256VMC10)
- USB-centric peripheral mix versus K40 (vs MK40DX256VMC7)
Design Notes
The 121-MAPBGA (8x8 mm) package has a 0.65 mm ball pitch with a partial depopulated inner array. Use a 4-layer PCB with 0.5 oz copper on outer layers and continuous VDD/VSS power planes for the inner two layers. Fanout the BGA with via-in-pad or dog-bone escape routed on the top layer only; keep via count under 300 per square inch to maintain yield. Reference designators and polarity markers on the silkscreen must align with pin A1 corner indicator per IPC-7351.
Route USB0_DP and USB0_DM as a 90 ohm differential pair with length matching within 150 mil and a maximum stub length of 0 mm. Place the common-mode choke and ESD diode array within 5 mm of the BGA DP/DN balls. Keep the pair clear of switching regulator inductors and any clock trace longer than 25 mm; refer to the NXP K20 hardware design guide for the reference layout.
Decouple each VDD/VSS pair with a 100 nF X7R ceramic placed within 2 mm of the BGA ball. Add one bulk 4.7 uF X5R near the MCU and one 10 uF tantalum or polymer at the regulator output. For low-noise analog, separate VDDA/VREF from VDD with a ferrite bead and add a dedicated 1 uF + 100 nF RC network on VDDA. Estimated power consumption at 72 MHz running Dhrystone is approximately 30 mA; in VLPS mode it drops to single-digit microamps.
Do not power the MCU before VBAT stabilizes if RTC retention is required; floating VBAT during VDD ramp can corrupt backup registers. Ensure RESET_b is held low through a 10 kohm pull-up plus a 100 nF cap to create a clean POR. Avoid toggling the JTAG pins as GPIO without disabling SWD_LOCK in the SIM, or you will lose debug access on a locked part.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free per NXP product page. Industrial temperature grade -40 to +105 C. AEC-Q100 variants are not listed for this MPN; consult the K20 product family for automotive grade parts.
