ATMEGA324PA-CUR - 8-bit AVR MCU 32KB Flash 20MHz | Microchip
MPN: ATMEGA324PA-CUR ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.59 | $3.59 |
| 10 | $3.35 | $33.50 |
| 100 | $3.05 | $305.00 |
| 500 | $2.8 | $1,400.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.58 | $2,580.00 |
ATMEGA324PA-CUR Overview
An 8-bit AVR microcontroller is a Harvard-architecture processor that executes most instructions in a single clock cycle, sitting at the entry level of the microcontroller hierarchy (MCU -> 8-bit MCU -> AVR ATmega family). AVR MCUs combine program Flash, data SRAM, and EEPROM on a single die, making them self-contained embedded controllers for cost- and power-sensitive designs.
Key features include the Advanced RISC architecture with 131 powerful instructions, read-while-write Flash for in-system programming, Microchip's picoPower technology for sub-uA sleep currents, and operation across 2.5V/3.3V/5V supply rails. The 32 general-purpose working registers are directly connected to the ALU, enabling single-cycle execution and high code density for C and assembly development.
The picoPower technology uses multiple sleep modes (Idle, Power-down, Power-save, Standby) with an asynchronous timer that keeps a real-time clock running in the deepest low-power states, extending battery life in portable and metering products. The VFBGA ball-grid package minimizes board area to 25 mm2, ideal for compact, two-sided PCB layouts.
Typical applications include battery-powered portable instruments, industrial sensor nodes, consumer appliances, and low-cost embedded control where 32 KB Flash is sufficient for the application firmware.
For design, note that maximum clock frequency derates with supply voltage; verify the speed-versus-voltage curve in the manufacturer datasheet before selecting a 20 MHz crystal at 2.5V operation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATMEGA324PA-CUR — 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 ATMEGA324PA-CUR (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Flash Memory, Package, SRAM, Supply Voltage, Instruction Set.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATMEGA324A-CUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.29 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA324PA-CU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA324PA-MCHR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA164PA-CU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA644PA-CUR
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA324PA-CUR Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | AVR 8-bit RISC |
| Flash Memory | 32 KB (16K x 16) ISP Flash with read-while-write |
| EEPROM | 1 KB |
| SRAM | 2 KB |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Instruction Set | 131 powerful instructions, mostly single-cycle |
| Supply Voltage | 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5 V operation |
| Supply Voltage Range (5V grade) | 4.5 V to 5.5 V |
| General Purpose I/O | 32 I/O lines |
| General Purpose Working Registers | 32 |
| Low Power Technology | picoPower |
| Package | 49-VFBGA (5 x 5 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tape & Reel (R suffix) |
| Life Cycle Stage | Active |
| Programming | In-System Programmable (ISP) |
| Manufacturer | Microchip Technology (Atmel) |
ATMEGA324PA-CUR 49-vfbga (5 x 5 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATMEGA324PA-CUR (49-vfbga (5 x 5 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 ATMEGA324PA-CUR.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATMEGA324PA-CUR is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Portable Instruments, Industrial Sensor Nodes, Consumer Appliance Control, IoT Edge Nodes and Smart Home Devices, Medical Monitoring Accessories, Automotive Body and Comfort Subsystems (Non-Safety).
Battery-Powered Portable Instruments
The ATMEGA324PA-CUR fits handheld meters, data loggers, and portable test tools where sleep current dominates battery budget. Its picoPower technology supports Power-down and Power-save modes with an asynchronous timer that maintains a real-time clock while the core is off, so a duty-cycled design spends most of its life in deep sleep. The 32 KB Flash accommodates calibration tables, display drivers, and communication stacks without an external memory chip, and the 5x5 mm 49-VFBGA package keeps the PCB footprint under 26 mm2 for compact enclosures. Running from a 3.3V lithium cell directly eliminates a regulator stage; the design trade-off is that clock frequency must be derated at low voltage per the datasheet speed-versus-VCC curve, so time-critical loops should be sized with margin.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Nodes
In factory automation and condition-monitoring nodes, the ATMEGA324PA-CUR provides 32 GPIO lines to interface ADCs, relays, and industrial transducers, while its 8-bit AVR core executes 131 mostly single-cycle instructions for deterministic bit-banged protocols such as Modbus over UART. The 1 KB EEPROM stores node address, calibration constants, and wear-leveled counters across power cycles without external nonvolatile memory. The 2.5V/3.3V/5V supply flexibility lets the node run directly from a 5V industrial rail or a 3.3V logic domain. Because the part is Active in lifecycle status per distributor data, long-term production programs can standardize on it; the design consideration is confirming industrial temperature grade ordering codes when ambient exceeds commercial ranges.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control
White goods, small appliances, and HVAC controllers use the ATMEGA324PA-CUR as the main UI and motor-timing controller. Its 32 KB ISP Flash with read-while-write capability allows field firmware updates over UART without halting running control loops, an advantage for serviceability. The 20 MHz maximum clock gives ample headroom for capacitive-touch scanning, LED multiplexing, and buzzer tone generation in a single MCU, and the 32 working registers keep interrupt service routines fast for precise AC zero-crossing timing. The VFBGA package suits two-sided consumer PCBs where board area directly affects cost; layout teams should plan ball-escape routing on 0.5 mm-pitch-class fanout rules typical of 5x5 mm BGA footprints.
Recommended
IoT Edge Nodes and Smart Home Devices
For smart-home actuators, door sensors, and battery beacons, the ATMEGA324PA-CUR pairs with a sub-GHz or 2.4 GHz radio module over SPI/UART. PicoPower sleep modes let the node wake on asynchronous timer or external interrupt, transmit a packet, and return to Power-down within milliseconds, which is the operating pattern that determines years of coin-cell life. The 2 KB SRAM comfortably buffers mesh-networking stacks such as lightweight mesh implementations, and the 32 KB Flash leaves room for OTA-capable bootloader plus application. Designers should note the maximum 20 MHz clock derates at reduced supply voltage, so radio-timing-critical SPI rates should be validated at the minimum battery voltage.
Recommended
Medical Monitoring Accessories
Low-cost medical accessories such as vital-sign patches, pill timers, and home health peripherals benefit from the ATMEGA324PA-CUR's combination of ultra-low sleep current and enough Flash for signal-filtering firmware. The 8-bit AVR executes 131 mostly single-cycle instructions, giving predictable timing for sampling loops around front-end amplifiers, while the on-chip EEPROM holds patient calibration and usage counters required by consumable-tracking schemes. The 5x5 mm 49-VFBGA package enables small, lightweight wearable form factors. Note that medical designs must verify the specific ordering code's temperature grade and manufacturing-site qualification data from Microchip, and should institute incoming inspection procedures since distributor stock for this part is limited and lead times are quoted as to-be-confirmed.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Comfort Subsystems (Non-Safety)
Non-safety automotive comfort functions such as seat-position memory, interior lighting sequencers, and switch-deglitching modules can leverage the ATMEGA324PA-CUR's 32 GPIO lines and EEPROM for configuration storage. The 5V supply compatibility means it can sit directly on a regulated 5V module rail derived from the 12V battery bus, and the wide 2.5V to 5V operating envelope tolerates rail sag during cranking when the regulator droops. Its 20 MHz clock provides headroom for LIN-style UART timing. Important qualification caveat: this commercial-grade part is not AEC-Q100 qualified based on the retrieved data, so automotive programs must either confirm a Q-grade ordering code with Microchip or restrict usage to non-automotive variants of the product line.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATMEGA324PA-CUR — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATMEGA324A-CUR | ATMEGA324PA-CU | ATMEGA164PA-CU | ATMEGA644PA-CUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 49-VFBGA (5x5 mm) | 49-VFBGA (5x5 mm) - same | 49-VFBGA (5x5 mm) - same | 49-VFBGA (5x5 mm) - same | 49-VFBGA (5x5 mm) - same (verify ordering code) |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 1 KB | 4 KB |
| EEPROM | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB | 512 B | 2 KB |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Low Power Technology | picoPower | Standard (non-picoPower) | picoPower | picoPower | picoPower |
| GPIO Count | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
Key Differentiators
- picoPower ultra-low sleep currents (vs ATMEGA324A-CUR)
- Double the program memory of the smaller sibling (vs ATMEGA164PA-CU)
- Compact 25 mm2 BGA footprint (vs ATMEGA324P-20AUR (TQFP))
Design Notes
The ATMEGA324PA-CUR operates from 2.5V, 3.3V, or 5V rails, but the 20 MHz maximum clock only applies at the upper voltage grade (approximately 4.5V to 5.5V per the summary datasheet). When running from a 3.3V rail, verify the maximum-frequency-versus-VCC curve in the manufacturer datasheet and derate the system clock accordingly - typical AVR speed grading restricts full-speed operation to the highest voltage range. Estimate: a 3.3V design targeting 16 MHz should be validated across the full battery discharge curve, not just at nominal voltage.
The 49-ball VFBGA (5x5 mm, 0.8 mm-class ball field) requires controlled fanout: plan via-in-pad or dogbone escapes on all signal balls, and reserve solid copper under the ball field for VCC/GND balls to minimize supply impedance. Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor within a few millimeters of each supply ball pair, plus a 4.7-10 uF bulk capacitor near the package. Because BGA rework is difficult, verify ball-map against the manufacturer datasheet before tape-out and confirm your assembly house supports BGA x-ray inspection.
Distributor data conflicts on package: some aggregator sites list TQFP data for the ATmega324PA family while DigiKey and Heisener confirm the CUR ordering code is 49-VFBGA. Always confirm the ordering-code-to-package mapping from Microchip's official packaging information before ordering. Also note the 'PA' picoPower variant and the 'A' standard variant differ in sleep current - firmware that depends on ultra-low Power-down current will not meet battery targets on the ATMEGA324A-CUR substitute.
Compliance Information
The 'C' package suffix conventionally denotes Microchip's green/RoHS-compliant packaging, but formal RoHS/REACH certificate data was not present in the retrieved web data, so values are set to unknown pending confirmation from Microchip's environmental documentation. AEC-Q100 qualification is not indicated anywhere in the retrieved data.
