Obsolete — what that means for your BOM line
Texas Instruments has marked the LM3S1816-IQR50-C3T as Obsolete. This part is sourced through independent distribution channels — quantities are lot-specific and confirmed at RFQ time.
Core and memory — what fits on the die
The ARM Cortex-M3 core runs at 50 MHz, delivering the 32-bit single-core throughput typical of the Stellaris 1000 series. On-chip program memory is 256 KB of Flash (256K x 8), paired with 32K x 8 of SRAM. For a firmware engineer, that Flash footprint accommodates a moderate RTOS plus application stack, with the SRAM leaving headroom for data buffers and peripheral DMA descriptors.
Peripherals and I/O — what connects to the bus
33 general-purpose I/O lines are multiplexed with a peripheral set that includes I²C, SPI, SSI, UART/USART, IrDA, and Microwire. An 8-channel 10-bit ADC handles analog inputs. On-chip peripherals also include brown-out detect/reset, DMA, POR, PWM, and a watchdog timer. The internal oscillator reduces external component count — useful when board space is tight in a 64-LQFP (10x10 mm) package.
Supply and temperature — operating envelope
Surface-mount assembly in the 64-LQFP package — the 0.50 mm pitch demands a controlled reflow profile and a clean solder-paste stencil aperture.