NRND status and sourcing posture
Texas Instruments lists the LM3S1138-EQC50-A2 as NRND (Not Recommended for New Designs). This means the part remains available for existing production but is not intended for new design starts. For active BOM lines already qualified on this MCU, we source it to order against an RFQ through independent distribution channels.
Core and memory budget
Built around a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 core clocked at 50 MHz, this MCU delivers the processing headroom for control loops, protocol stacks, and sensor fusion in a single-cycle multiply-accumulate architecture. For a typical industrial protocol gateway or motor-control application, the 16 KB SRAM budget is tight; dynamic allocation should be profiled early.
Package, supply, and temperature grade
The exposed paddle on the underside provides a thermal path to the ground plane. Supply voltage is specified at 2.25 V to 2.75 V — a narrow window that demands a regulated rail within ±0.25 V. A 2.5 V LDO with 1% accuracy and 200 mV dropout covers the range with margin.
46 general-purpose I/O pins are available, with serial connectivity covering I²C, SPI, SSI, UART/USART, and IrDA — enough for a sensor hub aggregating multiple digital buses. The 8-channel 10-bit ADC handles basic analog inputs like potentiometer feedback or thermistor readings. On-chip brown-out detect, power-on reset, and watchdog timer provide the supervisory functions needed for unattended operation without an external supervisor IC.