ATMEGA169PA-MCH - 8-bit AVR MCU 16KB Flash 16MHz 64-QFN | Microchip
MPN: ATMEGA169PA-MCH β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.85 | $2.85 |
| 10 | $2.55 | $25.50 |
| 100 | $2.25 | $225.00 |
| 500 | $2.05 | $1,025.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.85 | $1,850.00 |
| 3,000 | $1.68 | $5,040.00 |
ATMEGA169PA-MCH Overview
An 8-bit AVR microcontroller is a single-chip processor that integrates a RISC CPU core, program flash, data SRAM, EEPROM, and peripheral functions such as timers, USART, SPI, and ADC on one die. Within the power management and embedded control hierarchy, MCUs like the ATmega169PA sit at the heart of any embedded system, executing application firmware directly from self-programmable flash. The AVR architecture is widely used in industrial control, consumer appliances, and battery-powered devices thanks to its single-cycle instruction execution and low-power operating modes.
Key features include the picoPower technology suite for ultra-low sleep-mode consumption, 54 general purpose I/O lines, 32 general purpose working registers, and a JTAG interface for on-chip debugging and boundary scan. The 16KB flash supports 10,000 write cycles and in-system programming via SPI, while the 512B EEPROM retains calibration and configuration data through 100,000 erase/write cycles.
The AVR enhanced RISC core executes 133 powerful instructions, most in a single clock cycle, achieving up to 16 MIPS throughput at 16MHz. Advanced peripherals typically include an 8-channel 10-bit ADC, two 8-bit timers, one 16-bit timer, USART, SPI, and analog comparator, providing a complete signal-chain and communication platform without external components.
Typical applications include LCD-equipped battery-powered instruments, industrial sensor nodes, consumer appliance control panels, and low-power data loggers where picoPower sleep modes extend battery life. The 64-pin QFN (MCH) footprint suits compact, space-constrained PCB designs.
A key design consideration is supply voltage: the ATmega169PA operates from 2.7V to 5.5V (per digchip verified data), so confirm the voltage-speed derating curve when running above 8MHz at lower supplies.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-brand drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, with prices referenced as of 2026-09-16.
Drop-in alternatives for ATMEGA169PA-MCH 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 ATMEGA169PA-MCH (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Flash Memory, Package.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATMEGA169A-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA169PV-8MU
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA329PA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$5.18 / Unit
View Datasheet βATMEGA649PA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA3290PA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA6490PA-MU
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA169PA-MCH Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | AVR |
| Core Size | 8-Bit |
| Speed | 16MHz |
| Flash Memory | 16KB (8K x 16) |
| EEPROM | 512B |
| SRAM | 1KB |
| Connectivity | SPI, UART/USART |
| General Purpose I/O | 54 |
| Number of Pins | 64 |
| Package | 64-QFN (7x7 mm) with exposed pad |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.7V to 5.5V |
| Data Bus Width | 8 Bit |
| Instructions | 133 (mostly single-cycle) |
| Debug Interface | JTAG (on-chip debug and boundary scan) |
| Low Power Technology | picoPower |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Lifecycle Status | Active |
ATMEGA169PA-MCH 64-qfn (7x7 mm) with exposed pad Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for ATMEGA169PA-MCH (64-qfn (7x7 mm) with exposed pad 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 ATMEGA169PA-MCH.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
ATMEGA169PA-MCH is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Portable Instruments, Industrial Sensor Nodes, Consumer Appliance Control Panels, Low-Power Data Loggers, Embedded Communication Controllers, Medical and Health Monitoring Devices.
Battery-Powered Portable Instruments
The ATMEGA169PA-MCH fits battery-powered instruments because picoPower technology minimizes current draw in idle, power-down, and power-save sleep modes, directly extending battery life in handheld meters, loggers, and testers. Its 2.7V to 5.5V supply range allows direct operation from two AA cells or a 3V lithium coin cell without a regulator, while the 10-bit ADC and analog comparator enable direct sensor acquisition. In a typical design, the MCU sleeps at microamp-level current between measurement bursts, waking via timer or external interrupt; the 16KB flash holds a full measurement, calibration, and communication firmware image, and the 512B EEPROM stores factory calibration constants through power cycles.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Nodes
In industrial sensing nodes, the ATMEGA169PA-MCH provides the SPI and UART/USART links needed to interface with ADCs, EEPROMs, and RS-485 or wireless modules, while the 54 GPIO lines handle multiplexed sensor selection and status indication. The industrial temperature capability and wide 2.7V to 5.5V supply range tolerate noisy factory power rails, and the JTAG boundary-scan interface supports production-board test. Firmware stored in the 16KB read-while-write flash can log data to the 1KB SRAM buffer between transmission windows. Designers typically combine this MCU with an RS-485 transceiver for robust long-cable communication and a precision voltage reference for the ADC front end.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Panels
Appliance control panels benefit from the ATMEGA169PA-MCH combination of ample GPIO, low cost, and robust AVR architecture. The 54 I/O lines drive keypads, LEDs, relays, and display backlights, while the 16MHz core executes button scanning, state machines, and safety interlocks with predictable single-cycle timing. The 512B EEPROM retains user settings and fault codes across power interruptions, a hard requirement for appliance firmware. Its surface-mount 64-QFN (7x7 mm) footprint keeps the control PCB compact, and in-system programming via SPI permits last-stage firmware configuration on the production line, reducing SKU proliferation across product families sharing one PCB.
Recommended
Low-Power Data Loggers
For data loggers, the ATMEGA169PA-MCH pairs picoPower sleep modes with a 16MHz active clock, so the MCU can burst-process samples at high speed and then drop to power-save mode between logging intervals. The 1KB SRAM buffers sensor readings, the SPI interface writes blocks to external flash or SD-card media, and the USART streams data to a host during retrieval. The 10-bit ADC digitizes analog channels directly, and the 512B EEPROM holds a wear-leveled configuration table. Designs should budget sleep-mode current carefully, gate sensor power with a GPIO-driven switch, and use the watchdog timer to bound wake cycles for multi-year battery operation.
Recommended
Embedded Communication Controllers
As a communication controller, the ATMEGA169PA-MCH runs protocol stacks for UART and SPI networks, bridging field devices to higher-level controllers. The 16MHz AVR core executes 16 MIPS, sufficient for modbus-style polling loops and packet framing, while hardware SPI sustains multi-Mbps peripheral links. The read-while-write flash allows parameter updates without stalling execution in simple cases, and JTAG debugging accelerates protocol bring-up. The 64-pin QFN package offers enough GPIO for device addressing, chip selects, and flow control in multi-drop topologies. At lower bus speeds the 8MHz drop-in ATMEGA169PV-8MU can be substituted for reduced EMI and power.
Recommended
Medical and Health Monitoring Devices
Portable health monitoring devices leverage the ATMEGA169PA-MCH low sleep current, quiet single-clock-per-cycle AVR core, and integrated 10-bit ADC for vital-sign signal acquisition such as pulse and temperature channels. The 2.7V operation supports single-cell lithium designs, and the 512B EEPROM stores patient configuration locally. The MCU processes samples in short active bursts, then powers down between measurements to maximize battery life in wearable or bedside formats. Its 54 GPIO lines manage button interfaces, alarm indicators, and display drivers without extra glue logic. For medical designs, verify the applicable regulatory qualification path, since this commercial-grade MCU is not inherently a medical-certified component.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATMEGA169PA-MCH β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATMEGA169A-MU | ATMEGA169PV-8MU | ATMEGA329PA-MU | ATMEGA649PA-MU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 64-QFN (7x7 mm) | 64-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 64-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 64-QFN (7x7 mm) - same | 64-QFN (7x7 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 16KB | 16KB | 16KB | 32KB | 64KB |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 16MHz | 16MHz | 8MHz | 16MHz | 16MHz |
| picoPower Low-Power Modes | Yes | No (A-variant) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Debug Interface | JTAG | JTAG | JTAG | JTAG | JTAG |
Key Differentiators
- picoPower technology for battery designs (vs ATMEGA169A-MU)
- Double the clock speed of the low-power sibling (vs ATMEGA169PV-8MU)
- Lowest cost per feature in the family (vs ATMEGA329PA-MU)
Design Notes
Operate the ATMEGA169PA-MCH within its verified 2.7V to 5.5V supply window, and consult the datasheet voltage-frequency derating curve before running 16MHz clocks near the low-voltage end. For battery designs, place a 100nF ceramic decoupling capacitor at each supply pin pair plus a 10uF bulk capacitor, and exploit picoPower sleep modes with the watchdog or asynchronous timer as the wake source to minimize average current. Estimated: cutting duty cycle from 100% active to 1% active can reduce average current roughly proportionally, assuming datasheet active and sleep current figures.
The 64-QFN (7x7 mm) MCH package has an exposed pad that must be soldered to a grounded thermal land pattern with an array of thermal vias for reliable attachment and heat dissipation. Follow the Microchip QFN land-pattern guidelines: oversize the center pad slightly, use a solder-mask-defined aperture, and keep decoupling capacitors within 2mm of the VCC pins. Insufficient exposed-pad solder is a leading cause of intermittent ground faults in QFN assemblies, so inspect via X-ray or electrical test on first articles.
Do not substitute the 8MHz-rated ATMEGA169PV-8MU into a 16MHz design - it will fail to meet timing. Verify the voltage-frequency curve whenever changing supply voltage or crystal frequency. Keep RESET properly debiased with a 10k pull-up and consider a external brown-out configuration via fuses; enabling the brown-out detector in firmware/fuses prevents EEPROM and SRAM corruption during slow supply decay. When programming via ISP, ensure the SPI lines are not loaded by conflicting peripherals during programming.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free status not stated verbatim in the provided verified data; confirm on the Microchip product page or LCSC listing C1340586 before compliance-critical designs.
