ATMEGA1284P-XPLD - AVR ATmega1284P Xplained Eval Kit | Microchip
MPN: ATMEGA1284P-XPLD ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 10 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 100 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 500 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 1,000 | $0 | $0.00 |
ATMEGA1284P-XPLD Overview
An evaluation board is a printed circuit assembly that exposes a microcontroller's peripherals, power options, and programming interfaces so firmware engineers can prototype applications without designing custom hardware. Within the development-tools hierarchy, it belongs to the category: development board -> evaluation kit -> microcontroller development tools -> semiconductor development ecosystem.
Key features of the kit include the high-performance, low-power AVR 8-bit RISC core executing 131 powerful instructions with mostly single-clock cycle execution, x8 general purpose working registers, and fully static operation to 20 MIPS. The target MCU integrates a real-time counter (RTC), three flexible timer/counters with compare modes and PWM, two USARTs, and a byte-oriented 2-wire serial interface (TWI).
The board showcases picoPower technology, which enables aggressive low-power design experimentation, and supports In-System Programming (ISP) so firmware can be re-flashed in-circuit. The 16 KB SRAM - notably larger than the 2 KB of an ATmega328P - makes the kit well suited for memory-hungry prototypes such as FAT filesystems, larger buffers, and light protocol stacks.
Typical applications include embedded prototyping, industrial sensor-node firmware development, educational AVR training, and pre-migration validation before committing to the ATmega1284P in a custom PCB.
Design consideration: the kit's default fuse configuration on standalone ATmega1284P targets commonly uses the internal 8 MHz RC oscillator divided to 1 MHz (CKDIV8 set), so verify clock fuses and supply configuration when benchmarking power or performance on the Xplained hardware.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, Xplained kit comparison data, and practical selection notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, giving engineers a single citable reference for procurement and evaluation decisions.
Drop-in alternatives for ATMEGA1284P-XPLD — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with ATMEGA1284P-XPLD (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core Architecture, Instructions, Package, Working Registers, SRAM.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATMEGA328P-XMINI
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA1284P-MUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →ATMEGA1284-AUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.61 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA1281V-8MU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.92 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA1284P-XPLD Specifications (manufacturer-published)
| Product Type | Evaluation Board (Development Board) |
| Target MCU | ATmega1284P 8-bit AVR RISC |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB ISP Flash (read-while-write) |
| EEPROM | 4 KB |
| SRAM | 16 KB |
| General Purpose I/O Lines | 32 |
| Working Registers | 32 general purpose |
| Instructions | 131 powerful instructions, most single-clock cycle |
| Max Throughput | 20 MIPS (fully static operation) |
| Timers | 3 flexible Timer/Counters with compare modes and PWM |
| USART | 2 |
| Serial Interfaces | Byte-oriented 2-wire interface (TWI), SPI |
| RTC | Real Time Counter included |
| Low Power Technology | picoPower technology |
| Programming Support | In-System Programming (ISP) |
| Kit Family | Xplained (AVR) |
| Core Architecture | Advanced RISC, 8-bit |
ATMEGA1284P-XPLD Interfaces & Connectors
No manufacturer-published interface list is available for ATMEGA1284P-XPLD. Refer to the manufacturer documentation for connector and header details.
Refer to the manufacturer documentation for the full expansion header pinout and connector pin numbering.
Typical Applications
ATMEGA1284P-XPLD is suitable for 6 applications: Embedded Firmware Prototyping, Industrial Sensor Nodes, IoT and Smart Home Devices, Educational and University Labs, Data Loggers and Instrumentation, Motor Control and PWM Actuation.
Embedded Firmware Prototyping
The ATMEGA1284P-XPLD removes all hardware bring-up barriers for 8-bit AVR firmware development: power regulation, clocking, reset circuitry, and ISP programming are pre-wired on the Xplained board, so engineers can compile and flash code within minutes of unboxing. The 128 KB ISP Flash with read-while-write capability allows large application images with bootloader partitions, while 16 KB of SRAM comfortably holds the buffers, state machines, and lookup tables typical of embedded control code. Because the ATmega1284P core executes 131 mostly single-cycle instructions at up to 20 MIPS, C-compiled firmware approaches hand-assembly efficiency. The kit is the standard first step before committing the ATmega1284P (e.g., ATMEGA1284P-MUR production package) into a custom PCB.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Nodes
Industrial sensor nodes demand nonvolatile parameter storage, reliable serial links, and low idle power - all native strengths of the ATmega1284P on the XPLD board. The 4 KB EEPROM stores calibration coefficients and node IDs without external memory, the two hardware USARTs connect a sensor front end and an RS-485/Modbus transceiver simultaneously, and the byte-oriented TWI interface reads digital sensors over I2C. PicoPower technology minimizes sleep-mode consumption for battery- or energy-harvesting-powered nodes, while the Real Time Counter maintains timestamps in low-power states. Engineers use the XPLD kit to validate sensor driver firmware, protocol stacks, and duty-cycle strategies before porting code unchanged to the production ATmega1284P device.
Recommended
IoT and Smart Home Devices
Connected home products - thermostats, door sensors, light controllers - benefit from the ATmega1284P's combination of 16 KB SRAM and dual USARTs, which let a single 8-bit MCU handle a Wi-Fi/LoRa module link plus a debug or peripheral UART at the same time. The XPLD board accelerates IoT firmware bring-up: developers prototype AT command handling, JSON fragment parsing, and OTA-style bootloader logic in the roomy 128 KB Flash before freezing hardware. Three timer/counters with PWM channels drive triac dimmers, fan control, or RGB indicators directly, while the TWI bus manages touch controllers and environment sensors. PicoPower sleep modes support always-on, coin-cell-adjacent duty cycling expected of smart-home endpoints.
Recommended
Educational and University Labs
The ATmega1284P architecture - a classic Harvard RISC with 32 directly accessible working registers and 131 single-cycle instructions - remains a favored teaching platform for embedded-systems courses. The XPLD kit lowers the barrier for students: no soldering, no external programmer, and immediate feedback through the ISP re-flash cycle. Its generous 16 KB SRAM lets classroom projects incorporate FAT filesystems, VGA-style output buffers, or interpreted mini-languages that would crash smaller AVRs. Community support is exceptional: the MCUdude MightyCore Arduino package explicitly supports the ATmega1284 family, so students can transition from Arduino sketches to bare-metal C on the same hardware, bridging hobbyist and professional toolchains in one lab.
Recommended
Data Loggers and Instrumentation
Standalone data loggers need large circular buffers, precise timing, and dual communication paths - exactly the ATmega1284P's profile evaluated on this board. The 16 KB SRAM holds thousands of ADC samples as a ring buffer, bridging burst captures and slower SD-card or UART writes; the three timer/counters generate exact sampling interrupts, and the RTC maintains wall-clock timestamps during sleep. With two USARTs, one channel streams to a host while the other accepts GPS or modem data. Engineers validate logging firmware, power-gating sequences, and SD/SPI drivers on the XPLD kit, then scale to the production ATMEGA1284P-MUR. PicoPower modes keep battery-powered loggers alive for months in the field.
Recommended
Motor Control and PWM Actuation
The ATmega1284P's three flexible timer/counters with compare modes and PWM outputs make the XPLD kit an efficient sandbox for motor-control and actuation firmware. Developers prototype closed-loop control with encoder feedback on one timer, drive H-bridge PWM on another, and reserve the third for system tick or servo generation - all on one 8-bit core updating at 20 MIPS. The TWI and USART interfaces connect digital motor drivers or host supervisory links, while the picoPower idle modes allow the controller to sleep between control cycles in battery-driven robotics. Because the Xplained board exposes the MCU's I/O directly, PWM polarity, dead-time, and duty-cycle algorithms can be tuned on real hardware before PCB release.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATMEGA1284P-XPLD — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATMEGA328P-XMINI | ATMEGA1284P-MUR | ATMEGA1284-AUR | ATMEGA1281V-8MU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package / Form Factor | Xplained evaluation board (ATmega1284P 128KB-class 8-bit AVR kit) | Xplained MINI evaluation board | 44-pin VQFN (production MCU, no board) | 44-pin TQFP (production MCU, no board) | 64-pin TQFP (production MCU, no board) |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB ISP Flash | 32 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB |
| picoPower Technology | Yes (ATmega1284P) | Yes (ATmega328P) | Yes | No (standard ATmega1284) | Yes (picoPower family) |
| On-board Programming/Debug | Yes - Xplained evaluation board with ISP support | Yes - Xplained MINI debugger | No - external programmer required | No - external programmer required | No - external programmer required |
| Typical Use Stage | Evaluation / prototyping | Evaluation / prototyping | Production BOM | Production BOM | Production BOM |
Key Differentiators
- Largest SRAM in the classic megaAVR line evaluated out-of-the-box (vs ATMEGA328P-XMINI)
- Complete evaluation platform, not just a chip (vs ATMEGA1284P-MUR)
- picoPower low-power silicon (vs ATMEGA1284-AUR)
Design Notes
Remember that the XPLD is an evaluation board, not a production part: once firmware is validated, order the ATmega1284P itself (for example ATMEGA1284P-MUR in 44-pin VQFN) for your BOM. Also verify clock fuses on final hardware - on standalone ATmega1284P targets the factory default uses the internal 8 MHz RC oscillator with the CKDIV8 fuse set, so the chip runs at 1 MHz until you change fuses. Boards and chips share the same part-number prefix but are not interchangeable procurement items.
Use the picoPower ATmega1284P to its advantage by exploiting the two internal oscillators: the 8 MHz and 128 kHz RC oscillators allow operation without any external crystal, and the CKDIV8 fuse divides the 8 MHz clock to 1 MHz for reduced dynamic power. When benchmarking sleep current on the Xplained board, disconnect or account for on-board peripherals (LEDs, pull-ups, debugger section) since board-level leakage can mask the MCU's true nanoamp-range picoPower figures.
The ATmega1284P supports fully static operation to 20 MIPS, so high-speed external clocking is possible, but on custom boards derived from XPLD prototypes keep crystal traces short and place decoupling capacitors at each VCC/AVCC pair. The byte-oriented TWI and two USARTs should use appropriate pull-ups on SDA/SCL and, for long RS-485 links via USART, add transient protection. Prototype timing margins observed on the evaluation board may differ slightly from a dense production PCB, so re-validate UART baud tolerance at the final system clock.
Compliance Information
Compliance data for the ATMEGA1284P-XPLD was not present in the verified web data snapshot; confirm RoHS/REACH status on the Microchip product page or distributor certificate of conformity.
