ATMEGA164P-15AT1 - 8-bit AVR MCU, 16KB Flash, 44-TQFP | Microchip
MPN: ATMEGA164P-15AT1 β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 |
| 10 | $4.55 | $45.50 |
| 100 | $4.2 | $420.00 |
| 500 | $3.9 | $1,950.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.6 | $3,600.00 |
ATMEGA164P-15AT1 Overview
An 8-bit AVR microcontroller is a Harvard-architecture RISC processor that separates program and data memory, allowing an instruction to be fetched and executed in the same cycle. Within the semiconductor hierarchy, the ATmega164P sits in the general-purpose MCU class of power-management-friendly embedded processors, one memory tier above the 8 KB ATmega16/ATmega162 family and below the 64 KB ATmega644P, sharing the same 40-plus-pin TQFP footprint family.
Key features include read-while-write (RWW) flash for self-programming, the picoPower technology suite for microamp-level sleep currents, an internal RC oscillator that removes the need for an external crystal in non-timing-critical designs, and two 8-bit and one 16-bit timer for PWM generation. The 15 speed grade is the industrial grade supplied on tape and reel for automated assembly.
Technically, the advanced RISC architecture pairs 32 general purpose working registers directly with the ALU, so a single-cycle operation executes register-to-register arithmetic without accumulator bottlenecks. Peripherals include USART, SPI, two-wire (I2C-compatible) interface, analog comparator, and an 8-channel 10-bit ADC with a differential mode and gain stage.
Typical applications span industrial sensor nodes, HVAC and building automation controllers, battery-powered metering, and consumer appliance boards where 16 KB of code is sufficient and the picoPower sleep modes extend battery life.
Design-wise, remember that the low-frequency crystal oscillator is optimized for very low power with reduced crystal drive strength, so crystal load capacitance and ESR must be re-verified when migrating from ATmega16/32 designs, per Microchip application note AVR505.
This page synthesizes verified distributor pricing, drop-in family alternatives, application guidance, and design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATMEGA164P-15AT1 β 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 ATMEGA164P-15AT1 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Maximum Clock Speed, RAM Size, Temperature Grade, Working Registers.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATMEGA164P-15AT
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2.35 / Unit
View Datasheet βATMEGA164PA-15AT
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA164A-AU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA324P-15AT
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$3.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βATMEGA644P-15AT
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA164P-15AT1 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit AVR RISC |
| Core Speed | 16 MHz |
| Program Memory Size | 16 KB (8K x 16) Flash |
| Program Memory Type | ISP Flash with read-while-write |
| RAM Size | 1 KB (1K x 8) SRAM |
| EEPROM Size | 512 B |
| Number of I/O | 32 |
| Working Registers | 32 general purpose |
| Instructions | 131 powerful instructions |
| Oscillator Type | Internal |
| Package / Case | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tape & Reel (TR) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial |
| Low Power Technology | picoPower |
| Programming Interface | ICSP / in-circuit debug via RESET + 2 I/O pins |
ATMEGA164P-15AT1 44-tqfp (10x10 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATMEGA164P-15AT1 (44-tqfp (10x10 mm) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for ATMEGA164P-15AT1.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATMEGA164P-15AT1 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Sensor Nodes, Battery-Powered Metering, HVAC and Building Automation Controllers, Consumer Appliance Control Boards, Embedded Security and Access Panels, Hobby, Maker, and Rapid Prototyping.
Industrial Sensor Nodes
The ATMEGA164P-15AT1 fits industrial sensor acquisition nodes because its 8-channel 10-bit ADC reads multiple analog transducers directly, while the 16 MHz AVR core handles local filtering and the USART or two-wire interface streams results to a PLC or gateway. The internal oscillator removes the crystal BOM cost in non-timing-critical nodes, and picoPower sleep modes cut standby draw for battery or energy-harvesting powered sensors. Placed in a 44-TQFP (10x10 mm), 32 GPIOs drive relays, LEDs, and status signaling without port expanders. The 1 KB SRAM is sufficient for ring-buffered sampling at moderate rates, and read-while-write flash lets the node log calibration data to its own program array without halting execution.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Metering
Utility and sub-metering products benefit from the ATMEGA164P-15AT1 picoPower architecture: deep sleep modes reduce average current to microamp levels, so a coin cell or primary lithium cell can power a metering head for years. The 512 B EEPROM stores billing counters and calibration coefficients through power cycles, and the 10-bit differential ADC with gain stage measures shunt-derived current signals without an external amplifier in some designs. The 16 KB flash accommodates a protocol stack plus OTA-style self-programming via read-while-write. Designers should use the reduced-drive 32.768 kHz oscillator for timekeeping and re-verify crystal ESR per Microchip AVR505 to preserve low-power startup margins in the field.
Recommended
HVAC and Building Automation Controllers
Zone controllers and damper actuators in HVAC systems use the ATMEGA164P-15AT1's 32 I/O lines to drive triac or relay outputs, read thermostat inputs, and communicate over the two-wire (I2C-compatible) interface or USART to a supervisory network. The two 8-bit timers and one 16-bit timer generate PWM for valve and fan control at 16 MHz with single-cycle instructions keeping control-loop jitter low. Industrial temperature grade and the robust 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) package tolerate panel environments, while the internal RC oscillator simplifies boards where mains-derived timing suffices. Read-while-write flash permits runtime parameter storage, reducing external memory content in cost-sensitive controller PCBs.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Boards
Washer, dishwasher, and small appliance main boards use the ATMEGA164P-15AT1 as the user-interface and motor-control MCU: the ADC reads mode-selector pots and NTC temperature sensors, GPIOs drive a 7-segment or LCD-class display via multiplexing, and PWM timers command universal-motor triac phase control. The 16 KB flash holds both the appliance state machine and a bootloader enabling field firmware updates over a single-wire USART service line - important for compliance revisions after shipment. The picoPower 15-grade tape-and-reel format supports high-volume automated SMT assembly. Its 44-TQFP footprint matches many existing ATmega16/162 appliance layouts, easing cost-down migrations documented in Microchip application note AVR505.
Recommended
Embedded Security and Access Panels
Door-access and small alarm panels rely on the ATMEGA164P-15AT1 for keypad scanning (up to 32 direct GPIO keys via matrix), buzzer PWM tones, and tamper-loop monitoring through the analog comparator. The 512 B EEPROM stores access credentials and event indices across power interruptions, while the internal oscillator plus the 16 MHz rating provide responsive UI. Communication with a central controller uses the USART at RS-485 levels, and read-while-write flash enables logged-event buffering inside program memory between sessions. The 44-TQFP industrial grade covers unheated outdoor gate enclosures, and the picoPower sleep modes keep battery-backed panels within standby-current limits required by alarm-system specifications.
Recommended
Hobby, Maker, and Rapid Prototyping
The ATMEGA164P-15AT1 is a popular choice in the maker ecosystem because the MCUdude MightyCore Arduino hardware package directly supports the ATmega164 family, giving instant access to digitalRead/analogRead/PWM APIs and the standard Arduino bootloader flow via ICSP. The 16 KB flash and 1 KB SRAM comfortably run sensor sketches, and the 44-pin TQFP breakout boards expose all 32 GPIOs for breadboarding through adapters. The internal oscillator means a minimal working board needs only power, decoupling, and reset - a two-component start. The same package family hosts ATmega324P and ATmega644P upgrades, so a prototype PCB can scale memory without relayout, and the MPLAB SNAP debugger bridges maker projects into professional tooling.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATMEGA164P-15AT1 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATMEGA164P-15AT | ATMEGA164PA-15AT | ATMEGA164A-AU | ATMEGA324P-15AT | ATMEGA644P-15AT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB | 2 KB | 4 KB |
| EEPROM | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 1 KB | 2 KB |
| Max Core Speed | 16 MHz | 16 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| picoPower Technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (A revision) | Yes | Yes |
| Firmware Compatibility | Reference (ATmega164 core) | Identical - recompile-free | Compatible, verify errata | Compatible, verify sleep specs | Migration required (AVR505) | Migration required (AVR505) |
| Packaging Format | Tape & Reel | Tray | Tray | Tray | Tray | Tray |
Key Differentiators
- Read-while-write self-programming flash (vs ATMEGA164A-AU)
- picoPower sleep architecture (vs ATMEGA16A / ATMEGA162 family)
- Same-footprint memory scaling path (vs ATMEGA324P-15AT / ATMEGA644P-15AT)
Design Notes
Crystal selection on migration is the single most common ATmega164P pitfall. Per Microchip application note AVR505, the low-frequency crystal oscillator is optimized for very low power and uses reduced crystal drive strength compared with ATmega16/32 parts. When porting an existing ATmega16/32 PCB, re-verify the 32.768 kHz crystal's load capacitance and equivalent series resistance (ESR); a marginal crystal that started reliably on an ATmega16 may show long or failed startup on the 164P. Choose lower-ESR watch crystals or reduce load capacitors if startup margin is thin.
For the 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) package, place 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitors at each VCC/GND pair (pins 5/6 and 14/15) within a few millimeters of the pins, plus a 10 uF bulk capacitor near the supply entry. Decouple AVCC separately with an RC filter (10 ohm + 100 nF) when ADC accuracy matters, since digital switching noise couples into the analog domain through the shared die. Keep the RESET line (pin 4) short with a 10 kohm pull-up for reliable ICSP programming via the MPLAB SNAP 8-pin connector.
To exploit picoPower sleep modes, configure all unused GPIOs as inputs with internal pull-ups enabled or drive them as outputs to a defined level - floating inputs cause shoot-through and can dominate sleep current. Disable the digital input clock of unused analog blocks (digital input buffer disable) and power down unused peripherals (timers, USI/SPI, analog comparator) via the power reduction registers before entering sleep. Estimated: with these settings, battery designs achieve multi-year life on a primary lithium cell; leaving one floating pin can raise sleep current by tens of microamps.
When using read-while-write self-programming, the flash write process momentarily stalls instruction execution and causes supply-current transients. Estimated: write current peaks can reach several mA during page erase/write versus sub-mA in normal operation. Add a local bulk capacitor (1-10 uF) near the MCU and size the regulator for the peak, not the average, to prevent brown-out resets during self-programming. Enable the brown-out detector and set its threshold appropriately so that flash writes are not corrupted by a sagging supply.
Compliance Information
Standard commercial/industrial grade part. The AEC-Q100 automotive variant in the family is the ATMEGA164P-B15AZ (per FindIC comparison); this -15AT1 industrial grade is not automotive qualified. RoHS/REACH status not stated in the verified web data and must be confirmed on the Microchip product page.
