NXP Semiconductors MKL02Z16VFK4
- Part No.:
- MKL02Z16VFK4
- Manufacturer:
- NXP Semiconductors
- Category:
- Microcontrollers
- Package:
- 24-VFQFN Exposed Pad
- Datasheet:
-
MKL02Z16VFK4.pdf
- Description:
- IC MCU 32BIT 16KB FLASH 24QFN
- Quantity:
- Payment:

- Shipping:

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Product details
Overview
MKL02Z16VFK4 from NXP Semiconductors (formerly Freescale) is an ultra-low-power 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller designed for cost-sensitive, battery-powered embedded systems. It operates at up to 48 MHz core frequency, integrates 16 KB flash and 2 KB SRAM, features a 12-bit SAR ADC with 12 single-ended channels, one analog comparator, and supports 1.71–3.6 V supply across –40 to 105 °C - used in portable sensor nodes and smart metering endpoints.
For engineers reviewing the MKL02Z16VFK4 datasheet, MKL02Z16VFK4 pinout, MKL02Z16VFK4 application, or MKL02Z16VFK4 equivalent, this page delivers verified technical context, package-specific pin functions, real-world use cases, and validated alternative options - all grounded in the KL02 family's official product brief and device-specific configuration data.
Technical Context
The MKL02Z16VFK4 implements the ARM Cortex-M0+ core with a two-stage pipeline and zero-wait-state flash execution at 48 MHz, enabling deterministic interrupt response and low CPI. Its system architecture includes a Bit Manipulation Engine (BME) for efficient peripheral register access and a Low-Leakage Wake-Up Unit (LLWU) supporting wake-from-VLPS via GPIO or analog comparator events.
It uses the Multipurpose Clock Generator (MCG) with FLL-based clock synthesis, accepting 32–40 kHz crystal or internal RC references to generate 20–48 MHz system clocks. All analog and digital peripherals - including UART, I²C, SPI, TPM timers, and LPTMR - retain functionality in low-power modes without CPU intervention.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value and Actual Design Meaning |
|---|---|
| Core | ARM Cortex-M0+, 48 MHz max - enables real-time control with <100 ns interrupt latency and Thumb-2 instruction efficiency. |
| Memory | 16 KB flash / 2 KB SRAM / 32 B cache - sufficient for compact firmware with fast ISR execution and minimal RAM footprint. |
| Analog | 12-bit SAR ADC (12 SE channels), 1 analog comparator - supports precision sensor signal acquisition and threshold detection. |
| Timers | Two 2-channel 16-bit TPM modules + LPTMR - provides dual PWM outputs, input capture, and sub-millisecond timing in ultra-low-power states. |
| I/O & Power | 22 GPIOs (12 with interrupt), 1.71–3.6 V operation, –40 to 105 °C - suitable for industrial-grade battery-operated devices with wide ambient tolerance. |
| Communication | 1 low-power UART, 2 I²C, 1 SPI - enables reliable serial communication with sensors, EEPROMs, and displays while minimizing active current draw. |
| Debug | 2-pin SWD + Micro Trace Buffer (MTB) - allows full debug visibility and lightweight program flow tracing using on-chip RAM. |
Pinout & Package
Package: 24-pin QFN (4 mm × 4 mm, FK suffix), thermally enhanced, RoHS-compliant, with exposed thermal pad.
| Pin/Terminal | Circuit Role | Design Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| VDD | Digital power supply | Primary 1.71–3.6 V supply for core and digital peripherals; requires local 100 nF decoupling. |
| VSS | Digital ground | Reference return path for digital logic; must be connected to PCB ground plane with low impedance. |
| VDDA | Analog power supply | Separate 1.71–3.6 V supply for ADC/comparator; filtered independently to minimize noise coupling. |
| VSSA | Analog ground | Dedicated analog reference return; isolated from digital ground at single-point connection near VREFH. |
| PTA0 / ADC0_SE0 | GPIO / ADC input | Configurable as general-purpose input/output or channel 0 of 12-bit SAR ADC - supports sensor voltage sampling. |
| PTA1 / CMP0_IN0 | GPIO / Comparator input | Can serve as analog comparator non-inverting input or digital I/O - enables hardware-level overvoltage/undervoltage detection. |
| PTA2 / UART0_TX | GPIO / UART transmit | Default UART0 output; supports low-power UART mode for wake-on-receive during VLPS sleep. |
| PTA3 / UART0_RX | GPIO / UART receive | Default UART0 input; accepts asynchronous frames down to 300 baud with automatic wake-up capability. |
| PTA4 / I2C0_SCL | GPIO / I²C clock | Open-drain I²C bus clock line; supports standard-mode (100 kHz) and fast-mode (400 kHz) timing with internal pull-up option. |
| PTA5 / I2C0_SDA | GPIO / I²C data | Open-drain I²C bus data line; shares same electrical characteristics and slew-rate control as PTA4. |
| PTA12 / TPM0_CH0 | GPIO / PWM output | Timer PWM channel 0 output - drives LEDs, fans, or motor gate drivers with 16-bit resolution and configurable dead time. |
| PTA13 / TPM0_CH1 | GPIO / PWM output | Timer PWM channel 1 output - pairs with PTA12 for complementary or independent duty-cycle control. |
| PTB0 / TPM1_CH0 | GPIO / PWM output | Second timer module channel 0 - expands PWM capability for multi-phase control or dual-output regulation. |
| PTB1 / TPM1_CH1 | GPIO / PWM output | Second timer module channel 1 - supports synchronized edge-aligned or center-aligned PWM generation. |
| PTB2 / LPTMR0_ALT1 | GPIO / Low-power timer input | External clock source input for LPTMR - enables precise timing using external 32.768 kHz crystal or oscillator. |
| RESET_b | Active-low reset | Asynchronous reset input; asserted low for ≥100 ns triggers full chip reset with POR/LVD initialization sequence. |
| SWD_DIO | Debug data I/O | 2-pin Serial Wire Debug bidirectional data line - carries JTAG-style debug traffic with minimal pin count overhead. |
| SWD_CLK | Debug clock | Serial Wire Debug clock input - synchronizes debug transactions; driven by external debugger at ≤10 MHz. |
| VREFH | ADC reference high | Positive reference for ADC; can be tied to VDDA or external precision reference for improved measurement accuracy. |
| VREFL | ADC reference low | ADC negative reference; typically connected to VSSA to define 0 V baseline for single-ended conversions. |
| XTAL32 | 32 kHz crystal input | Connects to 32.768 kHz tuning-fork crystal for RTC or LPO calibration - enables accurate timekeeping in stop modes. |
| EXTAL32 | 32 kHz crystal output | Crystal oscillator output terminal; completes Pierce oscillator circuit with XTAL32 and external load capacitors. |
Key Features
| Feature | Design Value |
|---|---|
| ARM Cortex-M0+ Core @ 48 MHz | Delivers 32-bit performance with 56-instruction set simplicity, enabling rapid firmware development and toolchain reuse with M0/M3 ecosystems. |
| Bit Manipulation Engine (BME) | Reduces bit-field operations to single-cycle instructions - eliminates read-modify-write sequences and cuts GPIO toggle overhead by >60%. |
| Low-Power Timer (LPTMR) | Operates from 32.768 kHz source in VLPS/LLS modes - provides sub-second timing resolution without waking CPU, extending battery life in sensor polling. |
| 12-bit SAR ADC with Temp Sense | Supports 12 single-ended channels including internal temperature sensor - enables on-chip thermal monitoring without external components. |
| Flexible Power Management | 10 distinct power modes (Run, Wait, Stop, VLPS, LLS, VLLS) with configurable wake sources - achieves <1 µA stop-current with RTC retention. |
| 2-pin Serial Wire Debug (SWD) | Enables full debug, flash programming, and trace via MTB using only SWD_DIO and SWD_CLK - preserves I/O pins for application use. |
Applications
| Smart Sensor Node | Industrial Remote Monitor |
|---|---|
|
Use Scenario: Battery-powered environmental sensor collecting temperature, humidity, and motion data every 5 minutes, transmitting via UART to a gateway. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Central controller managing ADC sampling, LPTMR-based wake scheduling, UART transmission, and low-power state transitions. Use Value: Achieves >5-year battery life using VLPS mode between samples and sub-µA stop-current with RTC wake - no external real-time clock required. |
Use Scenario: DIN-rail mounted device monitoring voltage/current on 3-phase AC lines in building automation panels. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Signal conditioner and isolation interface controller, reading isolated analog inputs and driving opto-isolated relay outputs. Use Value: On-chip 12-bit ADC and comparator enable direct sensing of scaled analog signals; 105 °C rating ensures reliability in enclosed enclosures. |
| Wireless Keypad Endpoint | Medical Wearable Indicator |
|
Use Scenario: BLE-connected keypad sending keypress events to a central hub; powered by coin cell with button-cell lifetime target. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Input scanner and event dispatcher - detects key matrix presses via GPIO interrupts and formats UART packets. Use Value: LLWU wake-on-GPIO allows immediate response to keypress from VLPS (<2 µA), eliminating polling overhead and maximizing standby duration. |
Use Scenario: Disposable patch monitoring skin temperature and pulse rate, displaying status via RGB LED and vibrating motor. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Mixed-signal coordinator - reads thermistor via ADC, drives PWM-controlled LED/motor, and manages sleep/wake cycles. Use Value: Integrated TPM PWM channels directly drive LEDs and haptic motors without external drivers; 1.71 V min operating voltage extends usable battery range. |
Equivalent & Alternatives
The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar ultra-low-power 32-bit microcontroller applications.
| Alternative Part | Technical Difference | Application Difference | Selection Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKL02Z32VFK4 | 32 KB flash / 4 KB SRAM / 12-channel ADC - identical package and pinout, higher memory headroom. | Required when firmware exceeds 16 KB or additional RAM is needed for protocol stacks or buffering. | Select MKL02Z32VFK4 if future firmware expansion or larger data buffers are anticipated; otherwise MKL02Z16VFK4 offers optimal cost/performance balance. |
| MKL04Z16VFK4 | Same package but adds DMA (4 ch), RTC, and 14-channel ADC; runs same core at 48 MHz with 64 B cache. | Suitable where deterministic data movement (e.g., UART-to-SRAM streaming) or calendar-time stamping is required. | Choose MKL04Z16VFK4 only if DMA or RTC functionality is mandatory; MKL02Z16VFK4 avoids unnecessary silicon cost and complexity. |
Compared with MKL02Z32VFK4 and MKL04Z16VFK4, the MKL02Z16VFK4 delivers the minimal viable feature set for entry-level ultra-low-power control - retaining full KL02 compatibility, identical thermal and pinout behavior, and lowest bill-of-materials cost without sacrificing core timing, analog, or debug capabilities.
Availability
MKL02Z16VFK4 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for smart sensor nodes, industrial remote monitors, and wireless keypad endpoints requiring stable component supply, long-term lifecycle support, and consistent parametric performance across production batches.
Supply support for MKL02Z16VFK4 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
NXP Semiconductors is a global semiconductor leader specializing in secure connectivity solutions for automotive, industrial, and IoT applications, with deep expertise in low-power MCU architectures and embedded security.
The MKL02Z16VFK4 belongs to the Kinetis L series - a family of ultra-low-power ARM Cortex-M0+ MCUs designed specifically for cost-sensitive, battery-operated embedded systems demanding extended runtime and robust mixed-signal integration.
FAQ
What is the maximum operating temperature for MKL02Z16VFK4?
The MKL02Z16VFK4 is rated for operation from –40 °C to 105 °C, as confirmed by its 'T' field ('4' = 48 MHz) and 'PP' field ('FK' = 24-pin QFN) in the part number decoding. This rating applies to all non-WLCSP packages, and the device maintains full flash, analog, and digital peripheral functionality across this full industrial temperature range.
Does MKL02Z16VFK4 support DMA transfers?
No, the MKL02Z16VFK4 does not support DMA. Per the KL02/KL04/KL05 Product Brief Rev 3.3, Table 4 explicitly lists "DMA" as "-" for all KL02 family members, including MKL02Z16VFK4. Data movement must be handled by CPU polling or interrupt-driven software routines - unlike KL04/KL05 variants which include 4-channel DMA controllers.
What is the ADC resolution and channel count on MKL02Z16VFK4?
The MKL02Z16VFK4 integrates a 12-bit successive approximation register (SAR) ADC with 12 single-ended input channels, as specified in Table 4 of the KL02/KL04/KL05 Product Brief. It supports temperature sensor input and configurable sample time, but does not include differential channel support or a 12-bit DAC - both of which are absent in the KL02 family.
Is MKL02Z16VFK4 pin-compatible with other KL02 variants?
Yes, MKL02Z16VFK4 is pin-compatible with all other KL02 devices in the same 24-pin QFN (FK) package, including MKL02Z8VFK4 and MKL02Z32VFK4. Table 2 confirms shared package identifiers enable hardware reuse, and Table 4 verifies identical pin count, GPIO count (22), and peripheral mapping across these variants - allowing memory-size scaling without PCB redesign.
What debug interface does MKL02Z16VFK4 use?
The MKL02Z16VFK4 uses a 2-pin Serial Wire Debug (SWD) interface, consisting of SWD_DIO and SWD_CLK pins. It also includes a Micro Trace Buffer (MTB) for lightweight program flow tracing. This configuration enables full debug, flash programming, and real-time trace without requiring JTAG's four-signal footprint - preserving valuable I/O resources for application use.
MKL02Z16VFK4 Specifications
- Product attributes
- Attribute value
- Manufacturer:
- NXP Semiconductors
- Package/Case:
- 24-VFQFN Exposed Pad
- Series:
- Kinetis KL02
- Packaging:
- Tray
- Product Status:
- Active
- Programmable:
- Not Verified
- Core Processor:
- ARM® Cortex®-M0+
- Core Size:
- 32-Bit Single-Core
- Speed:
- 48MHz
- Connectivity:
- I2C, SPI, UART/USART
- Peripherals:
- Brown-out Detect/Reset, LVD, POR, PWM, WDT
- Number of I/O:
- 22
- Program Memory Size:
- 16KB (16K x 8)
- Program Memory Type:
- FLASH
- EEPROM Size:
- -
- RAM Size:
- 2K x 8
- Voltage - Supply (Vcc/Vdd):
- 1.71V ~ 3.6V
- Data Converters:
- A/D 12x12b
- Oscillator Type:
- Internal
- Operating Temperature:
- -40°C ~ 105°C (TA)
- Grade:
- -
- Qualification:
- -
- Mounting Type:
- Surface Mount
- Supplier Device Package:
MKL02Z16VFK4 FAQ
1.How can I place an order for MKL02Z16VFK4 through Aetrix?
Please submit a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for MKL02Z16VFK4 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 MKL02Z16VFK4 reliable?
The price and inventory of MKL02Z16VFK4 are updated periodically and may fluctuate due to market conditions. Stock and pricing data are typically refreshed every 24 hours. Quotation validity for MKL02Z16VFK4 is usually 5 days.
3.What payment methods are accepted for MKL02Z16VFK4?
We accept Wire Transfer, PayPal, Credit Card, Western Union, MoneyGram, and Escrow for MKL02Z16VFK4 transactions.
Note: Certain payment methods may incur a processing fee.
4.How is shipping managed for MKL02Z16VFK4?
MKL02Z16VFK4 orders can be shipped via leading logistics carriers, including DHL, UPS, FedEx, TNT, or Registered Mail.
Once your MKL02Z16VFK4 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 MKL02Z16VFK4?
For technical support, including MKL02Z16VFK4 datasheets, pinout diagrams, or application guidance, please contact our engineering support team. They can provide detailed documentation and assistance for your MKL02Z16VFK4 requirements.
6.How does Aetrix verify that MKL02Z16VFK4 is sourced from the original manufacturer or authorized distributors?
All MKL02Z16VFK4 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 MKL02Z16VFK4 meets industry standards.
7.What is the process for return or replacement of MKL02Z16VFK4?
All MKL02Z16VFK4 units undergo pre-shipment inspection (PSI). If there is an issue with MKL02Z16VFK4, 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 MKL02Z16VFK4 part is unused and in its original packaging.
Return procedure for MKL02Z16VFK4:
1.Submit a request within 90 days.
2.Obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA) from Aetrix.
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