32-bit MCUs run at up to 120MHz
Article By : Microchip Technology
The SAM D5x and E5x MCUs feature up to 1MB of dual-panel Flash with Error Correction Code to enable live updates with no interruption to the running system.
Microchip Technology has released two new 32-bit MCU families, offering extensive connectivity interfaces and hardware-based security for a wide variety of applications.
The SAM D5/E5 microcontrollers combine the performance of an ARM Cortex-M4 processor with a Floating Point Unit (FPU), which offloads the Central Processing Unit (CPU) to increase system efficiency and enable process-intensive applications on a low-power platform. Running at up to 120MHz, the D5x and E5x MCUs feature up to 1MB of dual-panel Flash with Error Correction Code (ECC), enabling live updates with no interruption to the running system. Additionally, these families are available with up to 256KB of SRAM with ECC, vital to mission-critical applications such as medical devices or server systems.
Figure 1: SAM D51 and SAM E51. (Source: Microchip)
The new MCUs have multiple interfaces providing design flexibility for even the most demanding connectivity needs. Both families include a Quad Serial Peripheral Interface (QSPI) with an Execute in Place (XIP) feature. This allows the system to use high-performance serial Flash memories, which are both small and inexpensive compared to traditional pin parallel Flash, for external memory needs.
The SAM D5/E5 devices also feature a Secure Digital Host Controller (SDHC) for data logging, a Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) for capacitive touch capabilities and active power performance (65µA/MHz) for applications requiring power efficiency. Additionally, the SAM E5 family includes two CAN-FD ports and a 10/100Mbps Ethernet Media Access Controller (MAC) with IEEE 1588 support, making it well suited for industrial automation, connected home and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Figure 2: SAM D5x and E5x block diagram. (Source: Microchip)
Both the SAM D5x and E5x families contain comprehensive cryptographic hardware and software support, enabling developers to incorporate security measures at a design’s inception. Hardware-based security features include a Public Key Cryptographic Controller (PUKCC) supporting Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and RSA schemes as well as an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher and Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA).
The SAM D5x and SAM E5x devices are available today in a variety of pin counts and package options in volume production quantities.