Microchip has recently released the SAMA7D65 MPU, a high-performance Arm Cortex-A7 embedded processor designed for HMI and connectivity applications across industrial, home, medical, and appliance markets.
The MPU is available in both System-in-Package (SiP) and System-on-Chip (SoC) variants and features various display interfaces, including MIPI DSI, LVDS, and 8-bit Serial RGB interfaces, along with a 2D GPU for graphical acceleration. Memory and storage options include support for 16-bit DDR2/DDR3/DDR3L and LPDDR2/3 memory, optional 1 Gbit or 2 Gbit DDR3 RAM, NAND Flash, eMMC Flash, and SD card. It features dual Gigabit Ethernet with TSN support, an I3C controller, five CAN-FD interfaces, and three high-speed USB ports. Additionally, it comes with various security features, including physically unclonable function (PUF), secure boot, key storage, and cryptographic accelerators for AES, SHA, RSA, and ECC.
Microchip SAMA7D65 SoC/SiP specifications:
- CPU – Arm Cortex-A7 core up to 1 GHz
- Arm TrustZone, NEON, FPU
- 32KB L1 I-cache + 32KB D-cache, 256KB L2 cache
- Embedded Trace Module with 16KB CoreSight ETB
- Voltage and frequency scaling
- 64-bit generic timers
- GPU – 2D GPU only
- No VPU, no NPU
- Memory
- SAMA7D6 (SoC) – Supports external 16-bit DDR2/DDR3/DDR3L/LPDDR2/LPDDR3 memory up to 16Gbit, 533 MHz
- SAMA7D65D1G/D2G (SiP) – Integrated 1 Gbit (128 MB) or 2 Gbit (256 MB) DDR3L SDRAM
- Storage
- eMMC 5.1 flash (HS400/HS200)
- SD 3.0 (SDR104)
- 8-bit NAND (SLC/MLC) with ECC
- Octal & Quad SPI interfaces
- Display – LCD controller – WXGA/720p max, LVDS (single channel), 4-lane MIPI DSI, 8-bit serial RGB
- Audio
- 2x SSC (8-ch TDM), 2x I²S (TDM256), 2x PDM mic input (up to 8 mics)
- S/PDIF Tx/Rx
- Sample rate converter (4 stereo channels)
- Networking – 2x 10/100/1000 Ethernet MAC with TSN support, RMII/RGMII interfaces
- USB
- 2x USB HS Devices
- 3x USB HS Hosts
- 2x USB Type-C controllers
- Peripherals
- Timers & PWM – 6x 64-bit PIT, 2x 3-ch Timer Counters, 1x 4-ch PWM controller
- 142x programmable I/Os
- 2x Quad-SPI or 1x Octal-SPI
- MIPI I3C interface
- 11x FLEXCOM (Configurable as USART/UART/I2C/SPI)
- 5x CAN-FD interfaces with timestamp support
- ADC
- 16 external + 3 internal ADC inputs
- 4x external ACC inputs
- Security
- Secure backup SRAM (5KB) with tamper protection
- 256-bit backup register
- 4 tamper pins with timestamping
- TZAESB: Dual 128-bit AES for on-the-fly DDR/QSPI/SMC encryption
- Secure RTC, SHA, AES, TDES, RNG, PUF
- JTAG/SWD access control
- Misc
- 2x 32-ch DMA, 1x 8-ch memory DMA
- 8 programmable clock outputs
- Power management
- Multiple power domains and modes
- Internal LDOs for analog/PLLs
- Backup mode with SRAM/DDR retention
- Optimized for MCP16501/16502 PMICs
- Package – 343-ball BGA, 14x14x1.2mm, 0.65mm pitch
Please note that the only difference between the SoC and the SiP is that the SoC requires external memory, while the SiP integrates 1 Gbit or 2 Gbit DDR3L SDRAM within the same package for simplified design and reduced PCB footprint.
The company mentions that the device supports various tools and software, including the Linux4SAM platform for embedded Linux development, MPLAB X IDE for configuring and debugging projects, and MPLAB Harmony v3 for building RTOS-based applications. The company also provides example codes for peripherals like ADC and ACC, as well as application notes for topics such as XIP with serial flash, temperature sensor calibration, and product lifetime estimation, making it easy to accelerate development and streamline system integration.
The company also offers the SAMA7D65 Early Access Curiosity Board designed to evaluate and prototype with the Microchip SAMA7D65 microprocessor. The board includes 8 Gbit DDR3L RAM, QSPI NOR and SLC NAND flash, and supports a wide range of connectivity and multimedia interfaces, including dual Gigabit Ethernet with TSN, USB host/device, MIPI DSI, LVDS, and 2D graphics. It also features five CAN-FD controllers, multiple SPI, I2C, and UART options, and secure elements like a TRNG, secure boot, and PUF. Expansion is made easy via Raspberry Pi-compatible headers and mikroBUS sockets.
The SAMA7D65 SoC and SIP compete against other Cortex-A7 microprocessors, such as STMicroelectronics’ STM32MP13 family with a 1 GHz single-core Arm Cortex-A7 core and several Allwinner chips, for instance, the Allwinner T113-S3 dual-core Cortex-A7 processor with 128 MB on-chip RAM.
At the time of writing, the company does not mention any pricing or purchasing details for the SAMA7D65 Cortex-A7 MPU, but you can purchase the SAMA7D65 Early Access Curiosity Board for $169.00 from the official Microchip products page. More information about the chip can be found on the product page and the press release.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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