Microchip Technology ATSAMA5D24A-CUR

Overview

ATSAMA5D24A-CUR from Microchip Technology is an ultra-low-power Arm® Cortex®-A5 microprocessor unit (MPU) operating at up to 500 MHz, featuring integrated DDR3L/LPDDR2/LPDDR3 memory controller, 10/100 Ethernet MAC (GMAC), dual CAN-FD controllers, USB high-speed host/device ports, and hardware crypto accelerators (AES-256, SHA-256, TRNG). It targets secure industrial HMI, IoT gateways, and point-of-sale terminals requiring real-time connectivity and tamper-resistant boot.

For engineers reviewing the ATSAMA5D24A-CUR datasheet, ATSAMA5D24A-CUR pinout, ATSAMA5D24A-CUR application, or ATSAMA5D24A-CUR equivalent, key selection considerations include its 128 I/O count with 8-channel capacitive touch support, dual CAN-FD with SRAM-based mailboxes, 12-bit 12-channel ADC with resistive touchscreen capability, and TrustZone-enabled secure boot architecture.

Technical Context

The ATSAMA5D24A-CUR implements a dual-bus multilayer matrix architecture with two 16-channel XDMAC controllers and dedicated peripheral DMAs, enabling zero-overhead data transfers for LCD, ISC, and audio subsystems. Its Armv7-A core includes NEON SIMD, FPU, 32-KB L1 instruction/data caches, and configurable 128-KB L2 cache usable as internal SRAM.

Security is enforced via Arm TrustZone, 5-KB scrambled secure SRAM (1-KB nonerasable on tamper), eight tamper detection pins (PIOBU0–7), Integrity Check Monitor (ICM) with SHA-256, and on-the-fly AES encryption for DDR/QSPI memories. Low-power operation supports ULP0/ULP1 and Backup modes with DDR self-refresh retention.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

ATSAMA5D24A-CUR is housed in a 289-ball LFBGA package (14×14 mm², 0.8 mm pitch, 1.4 mm thickness), optimized for high-density industrial PCB layouts with thermal and EMI robustness.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar MPU applications.

Compared with ATSAMA5D24A-CUR, ATSAMA5D27A-CUR reduces package size and peripheral count for simpler designs, while i.MX6ULL offers higher clock speed but relies on software layers for security-making ATSAMA5D24A-CUR superior for certified safety/secure boot applications demanding hardware-rooted trust.

Availability

ATSAMA5D24A-CUR is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial HMI, secure IoT gateways, and medical data loggers requiring stable component supply across extended temperature ranges (-40°C to +105°C).

Supply support for ATSAMA5D24A-CUR includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Microchip Technology is a global semiconductor company delivering microcontrollers, analog, FPGA, and security solutions with emphasis on reliability, longevity, and embedded systems integration.

The SAMA5D2 product line was designed for secure, ultra-low-power Linux-capable MPUs targeting industrial automation, IoT edge nodes, and human-machine interfaces where hardware-enforced security and deterministic real-time responsiveness are mandatory.

FAQ

What is the maximum supported DDR memory configuration for ATSAMA5D24A-CUR?

ATSAMA5D24A-CUR supports up to 512 Mbytes of DDR2, DDR3, DDR3L, LPDDR1, LPDDR2, or LPDDR3 memory via its 32-bit double-data-rate controller. The device requires DLL-off operation for DDR3/DDR3L and includes on-the-fly AES encryption/decryption for DDR traffic. ATSAMA5D24A-CUR's memory controller is validated for industrial temperature range (-40°C to +105°C) operation.

Does ATSAMA5D24A-CUR support ISO 16845-1:2016 CAN FD conformance testing?

No, ATSAMA5D24A-CUR implements MCAN controllers using the non-ISO CAN FD frame format and therefore does not pass the CAN FD Conformance Test per ISO 16845-1:2016. ATSAMA5D24A-CUR's dual CAN-FD interfaces support time-triggered transmission and SRAM-based mailboxes but require protocol stack validation against the Microchip-specific frame definition rather than ISO standard compliance.

How does ATSAMA5D24A-CUR implement hardware-based secure boot?

ATSAMA5D24A-CUR executes a 64-KB scrambled and maskable ROM bootloader that verifies digital signatures of subsequent firmware images using SHA-256 and RSA-2048. The process enforces TrustZone memory isolation, locks configuration registers after boot, and erases 4-KB of secure SRAM upon tamper detection. ATSAMA5D24A-CUR's secure boot chain is certified for IEC 60730 Class B functional safety.

What power management features distinguish ATSAMA5D24A-CUR in ultra-low-power applications?

ATSAMA5D24A-CUR offers three software-selectable low-power modes: Idle (CPU stopped, peripherals active), Ultra-Low-Power (ULP0/ULP1 with sub-100 µA sleep current), and Backup mode with RTC + 5-KB SRAM retention. It supports DDR self-refresh during Backup mode and wake-up from nine dedicated pins-including PIOBU0–7 for tamper-triggered events-enabling sub-100 µs resume latency. ATSAMA5D24A-CUR integrates with MCP16502/MCP16501 PMICs for leakage-free power sequencing.

Can ATSAMA5D24A-CUR directly interface with a 5-megapixel image sensor?

Yes, ATSAMA5D24A-CUR includes a dedicated Image Sensor Controller (ISC) supporting parallel 12-bit Raw Bayer, YCbCr, Monochrome, and JPEG-compressed interfaces at up to 5 megapixels. The ISC performs on-the-fly debayering, color space conversion, and gamma correction without CPU load. ATSAMA5D24A-CUR's ISC connects via dedicated ISC_D0–D11, ISC_HSYNC, ISC_VSYNC, and ISC_PCK signals, eliminating need for external image processing ASICs.