Microchip Technology ATSAMA5D26A-CNR

Overview

ATSAMA5D26A-CNR from Microchip Technology is an ultra-low-power Arm Cortex-A5 microprocessor unit (MPU) operating at up to 500 MHz, featuring dual CAN-FD controllers, 10/100 Ethernet MAC with IEEE 802.1AS timestamping, and hardware crypto acceleration (AES-256, SHA-512, TRNG). It integrates a 128-Kbyte configurable L2 cache, 12-channel 12-bit ADC with resistive touchscreen support, and supports DDR3L/LPDDR2/LPDDR3 memory for industrial HMI and secure IoT gateway applications.

For engineers reviewing the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR datasheet, ATSAMA5D26A-CNR pinout, ATSAMA5D26A-CNR application, or ATSAMA5D26A-CNR equivalent, key selection considerations include its dual MCAN controllers (non-ISO CAN FD), extended industrial temperature rating (−40°C to +105°C), TrustZone-enabled secure boot, and 289-ball LFBGA package with 128 I/Os supporting multiplexed FLEXCOM, QSPI, and SDMMC interfaces.

Technical Context

The ATSAMA5D26A-CNR implements an Armv7-A architecture Cortex-A5 core with NEON SIMD engine and floating-point unit, paired with a multilayer bus matrix and two 16-channel DMA controllers for zero-overhead peripheral data movement. Its security subsystem includes Arm TrustZone, 5-Kbyte scrambled SRAM with tamper response, and Integrity Check Monitor (ICM) for runtime memory integrity verification.

Power management features three software-selectable low-power modes: Idle (CPU halted, peripherals active), Ultra-Low-Power (ULP0/ULP1 with sub-1-kHz clocking and partial wake-up), and Backup mode with RTC and DDR self-refresh. The device uses two independent PLLs-one for system clock (600–1200 MHz), one optimized for USB HS (480 MHz)-and a digital fractional audio PLL.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

ATSAMA5D26A-CNR is housed in a 289-ball Low-Profile Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array (LFBGA) package measuring 14 mm × 14 mm with 0.8 mm ball pitch and 1.4 mm thickness. This package supports 128 fully programmable I/Os, each configurable for up to eight peripheral functions including UART, SPI, TWI, FLEXCOM, QSPI, SDMMC, CAN, GMAC, and USB transceivers.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar high-performance, secure Arm Cortex-A5 MPU applications.

Compared with ATSAMA5D26A-CNR, ATSAMA5D27A-CNR adds environmental monitoring and tamper pin count for enhanced physical security validation, while ATSAMA5D28A-CNR extends cryptographic assurance with QSPI encryption and SHA-512 ICM-making both alternatives more suitable for certified safety-critical or high-assurance deployments, whereas ATSAMA5D26A-CNR delivers optimal balance of performance, security, and cost for industrial gateways and secure edge nodes.

Availability

ATSAMA5D26A-CNR is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial HMI gateways, secure IoT edge nodes, and medical point-of-care displays requiring stable component supply across extended temperature ranges and long production lifecycles.

Supply support for ATSAMA5D26A-CNR 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 Inc. is a leading provider of microcontrollers, analog components, FPGAs, and security solutions, serving industrial, automotive, and communications markets with vertically integrated silicon and development tools.

The SAMA5D2 series was designed specifically for secure, ultra-low-power Linux-capable embedded applications demanding industrial-grade reliability, hardware-enforced security, and rich peripheral integration-including dual CAN-FD, Ethernet AVB, and advanced graphics interfaces.

FAQ

What is the maximum operating frequency of the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR CPU core?

The ATSAMA5D26A-CNR features an Arm Cortex-A5 core rated for operation up to 500 MHz under typical conditions. This frequency is sustained with appropriate power delivery and thermal management, and is supported across the full −40°C to +105°C industrial temperature range. The device includes PLLs and clock monitoring circuitry to ensure stable operation at this speed, with dynamic voltage and frequency scaling capabilities managed through the Power Management Controller (PMC).

Does the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR support ISO-compliant CAN FD?

No, the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR implements MCAN controllers using the non-ISO CAN FD frame format and does not pass the CAN FD Conformance Test per ISO 16845-1:2016. It is intended for applications where vendor-specific or proprietary CAN FD extensions are acceptable, such as internal industrial networks or OEM diagnostic systems. For ISO-compliant CAN FD, external transceivers or alternative MPUs with ISO-certified controllers are required.

What memory types does the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR support for external storage?

The ATSAMA5D26A-CNR supports DDR2, DDR3, DDR3L, LPDDR1, LPDDR2, and LPDDR3 SDRAM via its 32-bit DDR controller, along with QSPI flash (up to 4-byte addressing), e.MMC 4.51 (via SDMMC0), SD 3.0, and 8-bit SLC/MLC NAND Flash with up to 32-bit PMECC correction. These interfaces enable flexible boot options, including QSPI XIP, e.MMC boot, and NAND with BCH ECC, all compatible with the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR's secure bootloader.

How many tamper detection pins does the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR have?

The ATSAMA5D26A-CNR provides six dedicated tamper detection pins (PIOBU0–PIOBU5) located in the backup domain. These pins support both static and dynamic intrusion detection, and trigger immediate erasure of 1 Kbyte of nonerasable and 4 Kbytes of erasable scrambled SRAM upon tamper event detection. This capability is integral to the device's secure boot and key storage architecture, and is validated for use in IEC 62443 and UL 60730 Class B safety applications.

Is the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR pin-compatible with other SAMA5D2 variants in the same package?

Yes, the ATSAMA5D26A-CNR in the 289-ball LFBGA package shares identical pinout and footprint with other SAMA5D2 family members offered in that package, including ATSAMA5D27A-CNR and ATSAMA5D28A-CNR. This allows direct hardware reuse across variants when upgrading security, environmental monitoring, or cryptographic features-provided PCB layout adheres to Microchip's recommended decoupling, signal integrity, and thermal guidelines for the LFBGA package.