Do you want breakthroughs in performance and power consumption,
while also hoping for a safe and easy-to-use underlying design technology?
Based on the Microchip Atmel ARM® Cortex®-A5 processor series (MPU), this balance is achieved through a rich set of peripherals and user interfaces.
The SAMA5 MPU provides high performance, market-leading low power, and advanced security for cost-sensitive industrial and consumer applications. These devices come with free Atmel Linux and Android™ ports, Qt SDK, and a complete set of C examples for non-operating system users. The SOM (System on Module), PMIC (Power Management IC), memory, and kits from multiple software and hardware partners make this product even more complete.
This MPU based on the SAMA5 ARM Cortex-A5 can run at frequencies up to 600 MHz, providing up to 945 DMIPS processing capability at low power, making it an ideal choice for all high-performance, low-power cost-sensitive industrial applications. These features make it the preferred choice for control panels, smart grid devices, and barcode scanners (i.e., any device requiring high levels of connectivity, enhanced user interfaces, stable and reliable security, or battery power).
Key Highlights:
High Performance
The SAMA5 series is designed to compensate for the power shortcomings of the ARM Cortex-A5 core, with devices capable of delivering up to 945 DMIPS processing capability at power levels as low as 150 mW.
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1.58 DMIPS/MHz ARM Cortex-A5 core
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Maximum operating frequency up to 600 MHz (945 DMIPS)
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64-bit internal bus architecture and 32-bit DDR interface
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Neon and floating-point unit (FPU) for high-precision calculations and fast data processing
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The performance of the ARM Cortex-A5 FPU is three times that of the ARM Cortex-A8 FPU
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L2 cache for improved overall system performance
Low Power
The SAMA5 devices use innovative technologies to reduce power consumption in all modes and can achieve:
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Operating frequencies up to 536 MHz at power consumption below 150 mW (in active mode) with all peripherals activated
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Power consumption below 0.5 mW in low-power mode with SRAM and register retention, with wake-up time shorter than 0.5 ms. Power consumption is approximately 1.2 µA in backup mode running the RTC (real-time clock)
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Ideal for battery-powered systems
Connectivity
The SAMA5 devices embed various advanced communication peripherals, making them ideal for bridges and gateways.
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Ethernet MAC supporting IEEE1588 and Gigabit Ethernet MAC, dual CAN ports
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Three high-speed USB ports configurable as three hosts or two hosts and one device port
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Ethernet MAC supporting IEEE1588 and Gigabit Ethernet MAC, dual CAN ports
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Three high-speed USB ports configurable as three hosts or two hosts and one device port
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Multiple SDIO/SD/MMC ports, UART, SPI, TWI, soft modem, CMOS image sensor interface, ADC, 32-bit timers, etc.
Enhanced Interface
Using the SAMA5 MPU, stylish and smooth user interfaces required for today’s applications can be created.
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Graphic LCD controller with image composition overlay and integration features (such as α blending, scaling, color conversion, and rotation)
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720p hardware video decoder for accelerating playback of today’s mainstream video standards
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Resistive touchscreen interface
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CMOS image sensor interface
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Two SSC (Synchronous Serial Channel) interfaces
Security
The SAMA5 series includes features that prevent cloning, ensure authenticity, and protect the communication and data storage of applications.
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Secure boot
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Hardware encryption engine, such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)/Triple DES, RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) as well as SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) and TRNG (True Random Number Generator)
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On-the-fly encryption/decryption of code through external DDR memory
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Pin tamper detection to protect the system from physical intrusion
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Secure storage of keys and data
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ARM TrustZone for partitioning system, peripheral, and memory resources to isolate security-critical software from the open environment operating system
Safety
The SAMA5 series features that make it easy to implement safety standards such as IEC61508.
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Main crystal oscillator clock with fault detector
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Power-on reset
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Independent watchdog timer
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Register write protection
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Memory Management Unit (MMU) allows region protection to be set in memory
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SHA-based ICM (Integrity Check Monitor) for verifying the integrity of memory contents
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Arm TrustZone
Low System Cost
The SAMA5 reduces the need for other expensive components while achieving maximum flexibility, thanks to high system integration.
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0.8mm ball pitch packaging simplifies PCB design and reduces costs
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Lowest power solutions require chip discrete power or low-cost PMIC
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Three high-speed USB ports save the cost of external hubs
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Impedance control on DDR (Double Data Rate) memory lines saves external resistors
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Embedded RTC saves external components
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Integrated soft modem solution saves costs of external modem devices
| SMART SAMA5D2 series expands the SAMA5 product line, integrating numerous features into low pin count packages, making them ideal for applications focused on safety, power consumption, or space.
SAMA5D3 Series:
|SMART SAMA5D3 MPU can deliver up to 850 DMIPS processing capability at power consumption below 150 mW, making it an ideal choice for all high-performance, low-power, cost-sensitive industrial applications.
SAMA5D4 Series:
| SMART SAMA5D4 MPU achieves processing capability up to 945 DMIPS, includes a 720p hardware video decoder, and is highly secure, making it the ideal choice for any high-performance industrial application requiring video playback, security, and cost. The A5D4 speed increases from 528 MHz to 600 MHz.