ARM-based Solutions

The Atmel SAMA5 family is our next-generation ARM® Cortex™-A processor-based offering, delivering marked enhancements in performance and power compared to its predecessor and competitive products. The SAMA5D3 eMPUs, the first series of devices in the new family, deliver up to 850DMIPS at under 0.5mW in low-power mode, support for Linux, a floating-point unit, peripherals including Gigabit Ethernet, HS USB and dual CAN, and state-of-the-art security features, including AES/DES encryption engine, SHA and TRNG.

The Atmel® entry point into ARM® Cortex™ M3 technology, the SAM3N intelligently combines high-performance architecture, peripherals and power–saving techniques to deliver uncompromised performance. Available in multiple memory densities, pin counts and package types, the SAM3N offers a scalable solution to meet application requirements. It is supported by a full set of software libraries, project examples, tools and a worldwide ecosystem to shorten development cycle time. Pin-to-pin compatible with the SAM7S and the SAM3S, the SAM3N facilitates migration within the family.

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The Atmel® SAM3S Cortex™ M3 Flash MCU integrates features to simplify PCB design and reduce power consumption down to 2.3 mW at 1 MHz, 1.45mW/MHz at 64 MHz operation and 1.6 uA in backup mode with the RTC running. Inspired by the best-selling SAM7S series, the SAM3S is the ideal migration path to a more powerful and feature-rich MCU. A renewed peripheral set provides system control, sensor interfaces, an optional external parallel bus interface, connectivity and user interface support.

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The Atmel® SAM4L microcontrollers (MCUs) redefine the power benchmark for Cortex™-M4 processor-based devices, delivering the lowest power in active mode (down to 90µA/MHz) as well as sleep mode with full RAM retention (1.5µA) with the shortest wake-up time (down to 1.5µs). Embedding Atmel picoPower® technology, the SAM4L family provides highly efficient signal processing, ease of use and high-speed communication peripherals—ideal for power-sensitive designs in the industrial, healthcare and consumer application areas.


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The Atmel® SAM4E series of Flash microcontrollers (MCUs) is based on the high-performance 32-bit ARM® Cortex™-M4 RISC processor with floating point unit (FPU). It operates at a maximum speed of 120MHz and features up to 1024KB of Flash, 2KB of cache memory and up to 128KB of SRAM.
The SAM4E series offers a rich set of advanced connectivity peripherals including 10/100Mbps Ethernet MAC supporting IEEE 1588 and dual CAN. With a single-precision FPU, advanced analog features as well as a full set of timing and control functions, SAM4E MCUs are ideal for industrial automation and building control applications.

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Based on the powerful ARM® Cortex®-M4 core, the Atmel® SAM4S series extends the Atmel Cortex-M portfolio to offer:

• Optimized performance and power consumption
• Increased Flash memory up to 2MB
• And a rich peripheral set for connectivity, control, analog and timing functions

Leveraging the digital signal processing capability of the ARM core, the SAM4S series accelerates execution speed and improves power efficiency. Devices are pin-to-pin and software compatible with current Atmel Cortex-M-based and ARM7TDMI®-based MCUs, facilitating migration within the family. 

The Atmel® SAM3U is the industry's first ARM®®Cortex™ M3 Flash microcontroller with on-chip high speed USB Device-and-Transceiver, SDIO/SDCard/MMC and SPI interfaces. This connectivity, together with the SAM3U's 96 MHz/1.25 DMIPS/MHz operating frequency, makes the SAM3U the unique Cortex M3 device suited to applications with intensive communications requirements, such high speed gateways in industrial, medical, data processing and consumer applications. For rapid evaluation and code development, industry-leading third parties provide a full range of dev tools, RTOS, middleware and support services to reduce time-to-market to a minimum.

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The Atmel® SAM3A ARM® Cortex™-M3 Flash-based microcontroller (MCU) features connectivity peripherals including a dual CAN interface and high-speed USB (HS USB) MiniHost and device with on-chip physical layer (PHY). Devices are available in a dual-bank configuration of 256KB and 512KB Flash total and in 100-pin QFP and BGA package options. The architecture is designed to support high-speed data transfers and includes a multi-layer bus matrix plus dual SRAM banks, direct memory access (DMA) channels and peripheral DMA controller (PDC) for applications supporting multi-task operations. The SAM3A series is ideal for networking applications in the industrial embedded market and in home and building automation, smart grids and industrial automation.

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The Atmel® SAM3X ARM® Cortex™-M3 Flash-based microcontroller (MCU) brings more connectivity to the SAM3 family by adding Ethernet, dual CAN and high-speed USB (HS USB) MiniHost and device with on-chip physical layer (PHY). Devices feature a dual-bank configuration of 256KB and 512KB Flash total and are available in 100-pin and 144-pin QFP and BGA package options. The architecture is designed to support high-speed data transfers and includes a multi-layer bus matrix plus dual SRAM banks, direct memory access (DMA) channels and peripheral DMA controller (PDC) for applications supporting multi-task operations. The SAM3X series is ideal for networking applications in the industrial embedded market and in home and building automation, smart grids and industrial automation.

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The Atmel® SAM7S/SE ARM7TDMI® Flash MCU provides a strong migration path for 8/16-bit microcontroller users seeking additional performance, extended memory, and optimized system integration. The products feature high-speed Flash, SRAM, and extensive peripherals, as well as a complete set of system functions to minimize the number of external components. Peripheral DMA Controller channels eliminate processor bottlenecks during peripheral-to-memory transfers to maximize performance. Selected devices feature an External Bus Interface that provides access to external NAND Flash, SDRAM, CompactFlash, SRAM and ROM storage.

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Atmel® SAM7X/XC ARM7TDMI® Flash MCU offer power and flexibility, delivering a cost-effective solution for extensively networked, real-time embedded systems. They feature embedded high-speed Flash and SRAM, a large set of standard peripherals, plus a USB 2.0 Device, a 10/100 Ethernet MAC and a CAN controller. To optimize performance, dedicated peripheral DMA channels eliminate processor bottlenecks during peripheral-to-memory transfers. For secure data transfers, the SAM7XC is available with a hardware AES encryption accelerator and a Triple Data Encryption System.

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The Atmel® SAM7L is a high-performance, ultra-low power ARM7TDMI®-based microcontroller, offering reduced power consumption in active and standby modes. With power consumption levels as low as 100nA, the SAM7L is unique in its category. To achieve this, Atmel implements power-saving techniques such as programmable operating voltage and operating frequency, the use of DMA instead of the CPU for data transfers, and embedded power switches and voltage regulators. The extensive peripheral set includes a 40-segment LCD controller, USART, SPI, Timer Counter, RTC and ADC, as well as a complete set of system functions.

The Atmel® SAM9XE Flash microcontroller combines a 200-MIPS ARM926EJ-S™ processor core with up to 512K bytes of on-chip Flash. It offers an unrivalled combination of performance and functionality on a single chip, making the SAM9XE ideal for space-constrained applications where high level of integration and small footprint is required. The SAM9XE shares the maximum of peripherals and technology with Atmel’s ARM7® and Cortex™ M3-based families, making the migration between the Flash microcontroller families easy. The SAM9XE microcontrollers are fully supported by a worldwide ecosystem of industry-leading suppliers of development tools, operating systems and protocol stacks.

Based on the ARM926EJ™-S processor, the SAM9N and SAM9CN embedded MPUs run at 400MHz and are the ideal devices for cost-sensitive industrial applications that require security features. The SAM9N and SAM9CN offer:

• Support for current and next-generation memories
• A solid peripheral set with multiple connectivity interfaces
• Low power consumption and reduced system cost through innovative design techniques
• Cryptographic engine and secure boot for highest security implementation

The Atmel® SAM9R ARM926-based embedded MPU provides high throughput, optional LCD controller and touch and OS support for high-speed USB peripherals. The 480 Mbits/sec USB 2.0 Device is connected to a distributed memory and DMA architecture to prevent bottlenecks and release the CPU for the application. To meet the requirements of space-constrained applications, the SAM9R64 is available in a small footprint package. The SAM9RL64 includes LCD and touchscreen controllers, making it suitable for use as a processor in user interfaces connected over high-speed USB to a central processing unit. The evaluation kits are delivered with free packages for Microsoft® Windows® and Linux® from Atmel, and are fully supported by a worldwide ecosystem of industry-leading suppliers of development tools, operating systems and protocol stacks.

The SAM9G devices build the foundation of the Atmel® ARM926®-based embedded MPU line. Designed to complement the power of the ARM926 core, these flexible devices deliver a rich combination of peripherals in a highly integrated design. The high bandwidth architecture is based on a multi-layer bus matrix, multiple DMA channels and External Bus Interface to ensure internal and external data flows with minimum processor overhead. Integrated power management techniques preserve the power budget and reduce BOM cost.

To ease application development, evaluation boards are available, delivered with free packages for Android™, Microsoft® Windows® and Linux®. The SAM9G devices are fully supported by a worldwide ecosystem of industry-leading suppliers of development tools, operating systems, protocol stacks and applications.

The ARM926-based Atmel® SAM9X embedded MPU is a high-performance, highly integrated processors. Running at 400 MHz, it delivers a rich set of connectivity peripherals, such as dual Ethernet and dual CAN, triple USB ports and a unique soft modem solution. Additional features include TFT LCD controller and LPDDR/DDR2 memory support. A multi-layer bus matrix architecture and multiple DMA channels ensure uninterrupted data transfer with minimum processor intervention. Low voltage, low power consumption and reduced system cost make the SAM9X ideal for cost-sensitive machine-to-machine applications. The processor is supported by fullfeatured evaluation kits to enable rapid application development, as well as a worldwide ecosystem of industryleading suppliers of development tools, operating systems, protocol stacks and applications.

The Atmel® SAM9M ARM926-based embedded MPU integrates an on-chip hardware video decoder and 2D accelerator, ensuring high-quality video functionality while preserving the full processing power of the CPU for the application. Additional features include an embedded TFT LCD controller, resistive touchscreen support, camera interface, audio, high-speed serial communication and DDR2 memory support. Architectured for maximum performance, the SAM9M is still power-efficient, with typical consumption levels below 300uW/MHz. The SAM9M11 includes AES, TDES and SHA hardware encryption, making the device suitable for secured networked applications and software authentication. For rapid evaluation and code development, an evaluation kit is available, delivered with free packages for Android™, Microsoft® Windows® and Linux® to enable rapid application development. Industry-leading third parties supply a full range of development tools, operating systems, protocol stacks and applications to minimize time to market.

In 1998, Atmel engineering teams complemented the ARM7TDMI® CPU with a unique set of system peripherals such as interrupt controllers, timers and atomic bit manipulation, making the world's first ARM®-based microcontroller. This launched a new trend in the market, combining low power consumption, 32-bit performance and 16-bit system cost. Atmel standardized the implementation of DMA for data transfer peripherals, releasing CPU performance for the application.

Atmel's innovation made ARM technology accessible to a broader market base and so accelerated the development of the ARM ecosystem of development tools & RTOS by leading third party suppliers.

In 2003, Atmel introduced its first embedded MPU based on the ARM9 CPU, raising the performance level to 200+ MIPS and launching Atmel's first open source Linux platform.

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