Texas Instruments has marked the LM3S2911-EQC50-A2T as Obsolete. No stock-holding claim is made.
Core and memory — what the 50 MHz Cortex-M3 gives you
The ARM Cortex-M3 core runs at 50 MHz — this is the maximum clock from the internal oscillator. For a control loop or protocol stack, the 1.25 MIPS/MHz throughput means about 62.5 MIPS peak, though flash wait states will reduce sustained throughput. The 256 KB program store is enough for a moderate CANopen or Modbus stack plus application code; the 64 KB RAM leaves headroom for multiple packet buffers or a small RTOS heap.
Connectivity includes CANbus, I²C, SPI, SSI, UART/USART, IrDA, and Microwire — a broad set for industrial sensor hubs or motor-control boards that need to talk to multiple fieldbuses. On-chip peripherals include brown-out detect/reset, POR, PWM, and a watchdog timer. The 60 GPIOs in the 100-LQFP package give enough pins to drive a small TFT display or a keypad matrix alongside the serial interfaces.
Package and temperature grade
The exposed pad on the bottom side must be soldered to a thermal land on the PCB for adequate heat dissipation — the datasheet's recommended footprint is a 10x10 mm pad with via array. This industrial temperature range covers most factory-floor and outdoor enclosure applications without active cooling.