Tag Archives: SAM4N

28 new application notes for Atmel | SMART SAM4S devices

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Atmel engineers recently published 28 application notes for the company’s comprehensive Atmel | SMART SAM4S devices. Based on the powerful ARM Cortex-M4 core, this Atmel | SMART product line extends our Cortex-M portfolio to offer:

  • Increased performance and power efficiency
  • Higher memory densities: up to 2MB of Flash and 160KB of SRAM
  • And a rich peripheral set for connectivity, system control and analog interfacing

According to an Atmel engineering rep, the application notes target the use of peripheral modules and are based on drivers already available in the ASF (Atmel Software Framework).

“The application notes highlight the availability of the drivers and offers the reader relevant details about the API (application programming interface),” the rep told Bits & Pieces.

“This significant increase in the number of application notes for the SAM4 series gives the engineer a better starting point for using the products. More specifically, the new application notes cover the Atmel SAM4S/SD, SAM4N, SAM4L/LS, SAM4E, and to some extent, also the SAM4C and SAM G51/53 families.”

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So without further ado, the following app notes are now available from the Atmel website in PDF format:

Atmel expands ARM Cortex-M4 Flash lineup with SAM4N series

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Atmel has expanded its ARM Cortex-M4 Flash lineup with the entry-point SAM4N series. The new microcontrollers – which feature a 100MHz operating frequency – boast up to 1MB of Flash memory, multiple serial communication peripherals and analog capability.

“This combination of features, coupled with low power consumption, makes the SAM4N series ideal for a wide range of applications, including the industrial automation, consumer appliance and energy metering markets,” an Atmel engineer told Bits and Pieces.

“In addition, the SAM4N series offers pin-to-pin compatibility with the Atmel SAM4S, SAM3S, SAM3N and SAM7S devices – facilitating easy migration within the SAM lineup.”

As noted above, the SAM4N is built around a low power sipping design, achieving real-world consumption levels down to 170µA/MHz in active mode; down to 20µA in sleep mode with full RAM retention & wake-up time down to 10µs; and down to 1µA in backup mode with the RTC running.

Key hardware specs include fast serial communication with 7 UARTs, four SPIs and three I2Cs; 12-bit ADC, 10-bit DAC, integrated voltage reference, multiple timers and PWM.

On the software side, there is full IDE support for Atmel Studio 6, IAR and Keil, while a Modbus Demo (RTOS + Modbus RTU) will go live later this month. In addition, Atmel’s SAM4N Xplained Pro is available as a starter or evaluation kit – and is probably the most ideal platform for evaluating and prototyping with the SAM4N. Of course, extension boards can also be purchased individually. Additional information about Atmel’s new SAM4N lineup can be found here.