What this part is and where it fits
The LM3S8970-IQC50-A2 is a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 MCU from Texas Instruments' Stellaris series, built for industrial control nodes that need both Ethernet and CAN connectivity on a single chip. The 50 MHz core handles a Modbus TCP stack and a CANopen slave concurrently without a second processor. 256 KB of Flash and 64 KB of RAM give enough headroom for a bootloader, a real-time control loop, and a modest web server for remote monitoring. The part is surface-mount in a 100-LQFP package (14x14 mm) with 46 available I/O, and operates from 2.25 V to 2.75 V over the industrial temperature range of -40 to 85 °C. That temperature grade suits it for factory-floor enclosures, outdoor telecom cabinets, and engine-bay electronics where ambient heat cycles are a given.
Lifecycle and sourcing reality
The LM3S8970-IQC50-A2 is marked as end-of-life (hot). TI has moved the Stellaris line to its legacy portfolio; no further production runs are planned. For new BOM lines or a last-time-buy, we source sealed reels from factory excess and auction lots — date-code spread and original packaging condition are confirmed at quote. Volume quotes are handled against an RFQ; availability and current pricing are confirmed at that time.