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Microchip Technology ATSAMR21E16A-MUT
- Part No.:
- ATSAMR21E16A-MUT
- Manufacturer:
- Microchip Technology
- Category:
- RF Transceiver ICs
- Package:
- 32-VFQFN Exposed Pad
- Datasheet:
-
ATSAMR21E16A-MUT.pdf
- Description:
- IC RF TXRX+MCU ISM>1GHZ 32QFN
- Quantity:
- Payment:
- Shipping:
Inventory:2,556
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Product details
Overview
ATSAMR21E16A-MUT from Microchip Technology (formerly Atmel) is a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+ wireless microcontroller in a 32-pin QFN package, integrating an ultra-low-power 2.4GHz ISM band transceiver with 250 kB/s data rate, -99 dBm RX sensitivity, and +4 dBm TX output power. It features 64KB Flash, 8KB SRAM, operates at up to 48 MHz, supports SleepWalking peripherals, and targets battery-powered IoT sensor nodes and mesh network endpoints.
For engineers reviewing the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT datasheet, ATSAMR21E16A-MUT pinout, ATSAMR21E16A-MUT application, or ATSAMR21E16A-MUT equivalent, key selection criteria include RF transceiver integration, low-power sleep modes with autonomous peripheral wake-up, SERCOM-configurable interfaces (USART/I²C/SPI), 4-channel 12-bit ADC with oversampling, and 16 GPIOs with capacitive touch support.
Technical Context
The ATSAMR21E16A-MUT implements a single-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor with Thumb-2 ISA, 48 MHz max clock, and Micro Trace Buffer for non-intrusive debug. Its system architecture includes three 16-bit Timer/Counters (TC), three 16-bit Timer/Counters for Control (TCC), and a 12-channel DMA controller tightly coupled to the AHB/APB bus matrix.
RF functionality is delivered via an integrated AT86RF233-compatible 2.4GHz transceiver with hardware-assisted MAC (auto-acknowledge, auto-retry), SFD detection, CRC-16 computation, and antenna diversity control. The device uses dedicated RF pins (RFP/RFN), a 16MHz crystal oscillator (XOSCRF), and supports SleepWalking - enabling peripherals like the Event System and RTC to operate autonomously in standby mode without CPU intervention.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value and Actual Design Meaning |
|---|---|
| CPU Core | ARM Cortex-M0+, 48 MHz max - enables deterministic real-time control with 2.14 CoreMark/MHz efficiency |
| Memory | 64 KB Flash / 8 KB SRAM - sufficient for Zigbee/Thread stack + application firmware in compact footprint |
| RF Transceiver | 2.4 GHz ISM band, 250 kB/s, -99 dBm RX, +4 dBm TX - meets IEEE 802.15.4 PHY requirements for low-power WPANs |
| ADC | 4-channel 12-bit @ 350 kSPS with oversampling to 16-bit - supports precision analog sensing with hardware decimation |
| Low-Power Modes | Idle and Standby with SleepWalking - allows RTC, Event System, and peripherals to run while CPU is halted, reducing active current to µA range |
| I/O & Interfaces | 16 programmable GPIOs; 4 SERCOMs configurable as USART/I²C/SPI/LIN; no USB or I²S - optimized for sensor interface and RF coexistence |
| Operating Range | 1.8–3.6 V supply, -40°C to +85°C - suitable for industrial and outdoor edge-node deployments |
Pinout & Package
ATSAMR21E16A-MUT is housed in a 32-pin QFN package (5 × 5 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) with an exposed thermal pad internally connected to GND. The pad must be soldered to PCB ground for mechanical stability and thermal performance; it is not a functional signal pin.
| Pin/Terminal | Circuit Role | Design Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| XTAL1 / XTAL2 | 16 MHz RF crystal oscillator input/output | Direct connection to external 16 MHz crystal for transceiver timing; no software multiplexing |
| RFP / RFN | Differential RF antenna interface | 50 Ω matched RF output/input pair; requires impedance-controlled layout and balun for antenna coupling |
| PA08 / PA09 | SERCOM0/PAD[0–1], TCC0/WO[0–1] | Primary I²C-capable pins supporting touch controller or sensor interface; also drive PWM for lighting/motor control |
| PA14 / PA15 | XOSC RF crystal pins, SERCOM2/PAD[2–3] | Dual-role: dedicated XOSC inputs for transceiver clock; alternate SERCOM2 function for UART/SPI bridging |
| PA30 / PA31 | SWCLK / SWDIO | Two-pin Serial Wire Debug interface - enables programming and non-intrusive debug without halting real-time RF operation |
| GNDANA / VDDANA | Analog ground/power domain | Isolated analog supply pins for ADC, AC, and RF sections; require separate low-noise LDO and filtering |
Key Features
| Feature | Design Value |
|---|---|
| Integrated 2.4 GHz Transceiver | Eliminates external RF IC and matching network, reducing BOM count and PCB area for IEEE 802.15.4-compliant designs |
| SleepWalking Peripherals | Enables RTC alarm, Event System triggers, or ADC sampling to wake peripherals and initiate actions without CPU power-up overhead |
| 12-Channel Event System | Hardware routing of asynchronous events between peripherals (e.g., TC overflow → ADC trigger → DMA transfer), offloading CPU scheduling |
| 4 SERCOM Modules | Each configurable as USART, I²C (up to 3.4 MHz), or SPI - supports concurrent sensor communication and host interface with flexible pin mapping |
| Capacitive Touch Support | Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) with 6×2 X/Y line matrix - enables up to 12-button touch interface using only 8 pins, no external IC required |
Applications
| Smart Home Sensor Node | Industrial Wireless Monitor |
|---|---|
Use Scenario: Battery-powered temperature/humidity sensor transmitting data every 5 minutes to a gateway via Zigbee. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Primary SoC handling sensor acquisition, RF packet assembly, MAC-layer processing, and ultra-low-power sleep management. Use Value: Integrated transceiver and SleepWalking reduce average current to <15 µA in deep sleep, enabling >5-year coin-cell operation. | Use Scenario: DIN-rail mounted vibration monitor in factory machinery, reporting FFT-derived metrics over TSCH-based mesh network. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Real-time data acquisition engine with synchronized ADC sampling, hardware CRC, and deterministic RF transmission timing. Use Value: Hardware-assisted MAC and 12-channel DMA enable jitter-free sensor-to-RF data path without CPU intervention. |
| Wireless Lighting Control | Asset Tracking Beacon |
Use Scenario: DALI-2 gateway node controlling LED drivers via wired DALI bus while receiving commands wirelessly via 2.4 GHz mesh. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Dual-role controller managing DALI timing-critical signaling and concurrent IEEE 802.15.4 packet reception/transmission. Use Value: Three TCC modules generate precise DALI dimming waveforms while SERCOMs handle DALI UART and RF SPI simultaneously. | Use Scenario: Small-form-factor BLE-like beacon tracking warehouse pallets using RSSI-based proximity and motion-triggered wake-up. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Low-duty-cycle endpoint detecting movement via PTC or GPIO interrupt, then initiating encrypted RF broadcast. Use Value: PTC-based proximity sensing + hardware AES encryption enable secure, battery-efficient location tagging without external sensors. |
Equivalent & Alternatives
The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar wireless microcontroller applications.
| Alternative Part | Technical Difference | Application Difference | Selection Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATSAMR21G16A-MUT | 48-pin QFN, 28 GPIOs, 5 SERCOMs, 8 ADC channels, XOSC32K support | Higher I/O count and SERCOM availability suits gateway or multi-sensor hub designs | Select when additional peripheral flexibility or RTC calendar alarm granularity is required |
| ESP32-WROOM-32 | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth dual-mode, 4MB Flash, 520KB SRAM, no SleepWalking, higher active power | Better suited for cloud-connected devices requiring TCP/IP stack and high-bandwidth uplinks | Choose for Wi-Fi/BLE ecosystems; avoid where sub-GHz range, ultra-low sleep current, or deterministic RF timing are critical |
Compared with ATSAMR21G16A-MUT, the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT trades I/O and SERCOM count for smaller footprint and lower system cost; versus ESP32-WROOM-32, it delivers superior RF determinism and µA-level standby but lacks Wi-Fi protocol stack integration.
Availability
ATSAMR21E16A-MUT is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for smart home sensor nodes, industrial wireless monitors, and wireless lighting control systems requiring stable component supply across long-lifecycle embedded programs.
Supply support for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT 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 acquired Atmel in 2016 and maintains full support for the SMART SAM portfolio, delivering ARM-based microcontrollers with integrated analog and wireless peripherals.
The SAM R21 product line was designed specifically for ultra-low-power IEEE 802.15.4-compliant wireless sensor networks, emphasizing RF integration, autonomous peripheral operation, and seamless migration within the SAM ecosystem.
FAQ
What is the maximum operating frequency and core type of the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT?
The ATSAMR21E16A-MUT integrates an ARM Cortex-M0+ processor core with a maximum operating frequency of 48 MHz. It achieves 2.14 CoreMark/MHz performance and includes a single-cycle hardware multiplier and Micro Trace Buffer for efficient real-time execution and debug. This core configuration is confirmed in the official Atmel-42223AS preliminary datasheet summary.
Does the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT include an integrated RF transceiver, and what are its key RF specifications?
Yes, the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT includes an integrated ultra-low-power 2.4 GHz ISM band transceiver compatible with IEEE 802.15.4. Key RF specs include 250 kB/s data rate, -99 dBm receiver sensitivity, +4 dBm transmit output power, hardware-assisted MAC (auto-acknowledge, auto-retry), and 128-byte TX/RX frame buffer. These values are specified in the Atmel-42223AS datasheet summary.
How many ADC channels does the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT support, and what resolution options are available?
The ATSAMR21E16A-MUT supports four external ADC input channels. It features a 12-bit, 350 kSPS SAR ADC with programmable gain (1/2x to 16x), automatic offset/gain error compensation, and hardware oversampling with decimation to achieve effective resolutions of 13-, 14-, 15-, or 16-bit. This capability is documented in the "Features" section of the Atmel-42223AS datasheet summary.
What low-power modes are supported by the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT, and how does SleepWalking work?
The ATSAMR21E16A-MUT supports Idle and Standby sleep modes. In Standby mode, SleepWalking allows selected peripherals - such as the RTC, Event System, and ADC - to operate autonomously, triggering actions (e.g., timer expiry → ADC sample → DMA store) without waking the CPU. This feature is explicitly defined in the "Low Power" section of the Atmel-42223AS datasheet summary.
What is the package type and pin count of the ATSAMR21E16A-MUT, and are there exposed thermal pads?
The ATSAMR21E16A-MUT uses a 32-pin QFN package (5 × 5 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) with an exposed metal thermal pad on the underside, internally connected to GND. The pad must be soldered to PCB ground for mechanical stability and thermal dissipation, as specified in Section 4.2 ("SAM R21E – QFN32") of the Atmel-42223AS datasheet summary.
ATSAMR21E16A-MUT Specifications
- Product attributes
- Attribute value
- Manufacturer:
- Microchip Technology
- Series:
- SMART™ SAM R21
- Package/Case:
- 32-VFQFN Exposed Pad
- Packaging:
- Tape & Reel (TR)
- Product Status:
- Active
- Programmable:
- Not Verified
- Type:
- TxRx + MCU
- RF Family/Standard:
- General ISM > 1GHz
- Protocol:
- -
- Modulation:
- O-QPSK
- Frequency:
- 2.4GHz
- Data Rate (Max):
- 250kbps
- Power - Output:
- 4dBm
- Sensitivity:
- -99dBm
- Memory Size:
- 64kB Flash, 8kB SRAM
- Serial Interfaces:
- I2C, SPI, UART, USART, USB
- GPIO:
- 16
- Voltage - Supply:
- 1.8V ~ 3.6V
- Current - Receiving:
- 11.3mA ~ 11.8mA
- Current - Transmitting:
- 7.2mA ~ 13.8mA
- Operating Temperature:
- -40°C ~ 85°C
- Grade:
- -
- Qualification:
- -
- Supplier Device Package:
- 32-QFN (5x5)
ATSAMR21E16A-MUT FAQ
1.How can I place an order for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT through Aetrix?
Please submit a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT on Aetrix. Our sales agent will provide a competitive quotation and guide you through the order confirmation once you accept the terms.
2.Are the price and stock information for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT reliable?
The price and inventory of ATSAMR21E16A-MUT are updated periodically and may fluctuate due to market conditions. Stock and pricing data are typically refreshed every 24 hours. Quotation validity for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT is usually 5 days.
3.What payment methods are accepted for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT?
We accept Wire Transfer, PayPal, Credit Card, Western Union, MoneyGram, and Escrow for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT transactions.
Note: Certain payment methods may incur a processing fee.
4.How is shipping managed for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT?
ATSAMR21E16A-MUT orders can be shipped via leading logistics carriers, including DHL, UPS, FedEx, TNT, or Registered Mail.
Once your ATSAMR21E16A-MUT order is processed, you will receive an email with the shipment details and tracking number.
Note: Tracking information may take up to 24 hours to appear. Express delivery typically takes 3–5 business days.
5.How can I obtain technical support or documentation for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT?
For technical support, including ATSAMR21E16A-MUT datasheets, pinout diagrams, or application guidance, please contact our engineering support team. They can provide detailed documentation and assistance for your ATSAMR21E16A-MUT requirements.
6.How does Aetrix verify that ATSAMR21E16A-MUT is sourced from the original manufacturer or authorized distributors?
All ATSAMR21E16A-MUT products on Aetrix are procured from qualified distributors and authorized channels. Our dedicated quality assurance team conducts strict verification, including traceability checks and, if necessary, third-party testing. This ensures that ATSAMR21E16A-MUT meets industry standards.
7.What is the process for return or replacement of ATSAMR21E16A-MUT?
All ATSAMR21E16A-MUT units undergo pre-shipment inspection (PSI). If there is an issue with ATSAMR21E16A-MUT, returns or replacements are accepted under the following conditions:
1.Quantity discrepancies, incorrect items, or visible external defects (such as breakage or corrosion), acknowledged by Aetrix.
2.The issue is reported within 90 days of delivery.
3.The ATSAMR21E16A-MUT part is unused and in its original packaging.
Return procedure for ATSAMR21E16A-MUT:
1.Submit a request within 90 days.
2.Obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA) from Aetrix.
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