ATMEGA48-15MT1 - 8-bit AVR MCU 4KB 16MHz 32-QFN | Microchip
MPN: ATMEGA48-15MT1 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.32 | $1.32 |
| 10 | $1.19 | $11.90 |
| 100 | $1.02 | $102.00 |
| 500 | $0.88 | $440.00 |
| 1,000 | $0.76 | $760.00 |
ATMEGA48-15MT1 Overview
An 8-bit AVR microcontroller is a Harvard-architecture RISC processor in which most instructions execute in a single clock cycle, yielding throughput approaching 1 MIPS per MHz. Within the power-management hierarchy, MCUs like the ATmega48 act as the central system controller, integrating CPU, program memory, data memory, timers, ADC, and communication peripherals on a single silicon die.
Key features include the AVR enhanced RISC core delivering up to 16 MIPS at 16MHz, 23 general-purpose I/O lines, two 8-bit and one 16-bit timer/counter with PWM, a 6-channel 10-bit ADC, and USART, SPI, and I2C (TWI) serial interfaces. The 4KB self-programming FLASH supports In-System and Application programming for field firmware updates.
Architecturally, the ATmega48/88/168 family shares a common AVR RISC core with 32 general-purpose registers directly connected to the ALU, combining rich instruction set density with single-cycle execution. On-chip debug via debugWIRE and a range of sleep modes (down to 0.1 uA in power-down at 1.8V class conditions) optimize energy versus speed.
Typical applications include industrial control and sensor nodes, consumer appliances, embedded HVAC and lighting control, and small battery-powered instruments where a compact 5x5 mm QFN and low power matter.
Design consideration: the -15 speed grade carries a 105C maximum ambient specification per Mouser listing; verify thermal budget when running 16MHz at elevated temperature, and decouple VCC and AVCC with 100nF ceramics close to the exposed pad.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives such as the ATMEGA48PA-MU, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATMEGA48-15MT1 — 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 ATMEGA48-15MT1 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Communication Interfaces, Flash Memory, Timers, EEPROM.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATMEGA48PA-MU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.08 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA48PA-15MZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.68 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA48-15MZ
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA48A-MU
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATMEGA88PA-MU
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1.26 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA168PA-MU
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1.72 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA328PB-MU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.19 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA48-15MT1 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit AVR RISC |
| Flash Program Memory | 4 KB (2K x 16) |
| SRAM | 512 B |
| EEPROM | 256 B |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 16 MHz |
| Throughput | Up to 16 MIPS (1 MIPS/MHz) |
| Number of I/O | 23 |
| Package | 32-VFQFN Exposed Pad (5x5 mm) |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit with PWM |
| ADC | 6-channel 10-bit |
| Serial Interfaces | USART, SPI, TWI (I2C) |
| Operating Temperature (MT suffix) | Up to 105 C per distributor listing |
| In-System Programming | Yes (ISP and debugWIRE) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
ATMEGA48-15MT1 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | PD3 (PCINT19/OC2B/INT1) — Port D bit 3, pin change interrupt 19, Timer2 output compare B, external interrupt 1 |
| Pin 2 | PD4 (PCINT20/XCK/T0) — Port D bit 4, pin change interrupt 20, USART external clock, Timer0 external clock |
| Pin 3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 4 | VCC — Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 6 | VCC — Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 7 | PB6 (PCINT6/XTAL1/TOSC1) — Port B bit 6, pin change interrupt 6, crystal oscillator input 1, timer oscillator |
| Pin 8 | PB7 (PCINT7/XTAL2/TOSC2) — Port B bit 7, pin change interrupt 7, crystal oscillator output 2 |
| Pin 9 | PD5 (PCINT21/OC0B/T1) — Port D bit 5, pin change interrupt 21, Timer0 output compare B, Timer1 external clock |
| Pin 10 | PD6 (PCINT22/OC0A/AIN0) — Port D bit 6, pin change interrupt 22, Timer0 output compare A, analog comparator positive input |
| Pin 11 | PD7 (PCINT23/AIN1) — Port D bit 7, pin change interrupt 23, analog comparator negative input |
| Pin 12 | PB0 (PCINT0/CLKO/ICP1) — Port B bit 0, pin change interrupt 0, system clock output, Timer1 input capture |
| Pin 13 | PB1 (PCINT1/OC1A) — Port B bit 1, pin change interrupt 1, Timer1 output compare A (PWM) |
| Pin 14 | PB2 (PCINT2/SS/OC1B) — Port B bit 2, pin change interrupt 2, SPI slave select, Timer1 output compare B (PWM) |
| Pin 15 | PB3 (PCINT3/OC2A/MOSI) — Port B bit 3, pin change interrupt 3, Timer2 output compare A (PWM), SPI master data out |
| Pin 16 | PB4 (PCINT4/MISO) — Port B bit 4, pin change interrupt 4, SPI master data in |
| Pin 17 | PB5 (PCINT5/SCK) — Port B bit 5, pin change interrupt 5, SPI serial clock |
| Pin 18 | AVCC — ADC supply voltage (connect to VCC through low-pass filter) |
| Pin 19 | ADC6 — Analog input channel 6 |
| Pin 20 | AREF — Analog reference voltage for ADC |
| Pin 21 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 22 | ADC7 — Analog input channel 7 |
| Pin 23 | PC0 (PCINT8/ADC0) — Port C bit 0, pin change interrupt 8, ADC channel 0 |
| Pin 24 | PC1 (PCINT9/ADC1) — Port C bit 1, pin change interrupt 9, ADC channel 1 |
| Pin 25 | PC2 (PCINT10/ADC2) — Port C bit 2, pin change interrupt 10, ADC channel 2 |
| Pin 26 | PC3 (PCINT11/ADC3) — Port C bit 3, pin change interrupt 11, ADC channel 3 |
| Pin 27 | PC4 (PCINT12/SDA/ADC4) — Port C bit 4, pin change interrupt 12, TWI data line (I2C SDA), ADC channel 4 |
| Pin 28 | PC5 (PCINT13/SCL/ADC5) — Port C bit 5, pin change interrupt 13, TWI clock line (I2C SCL), ADC channel 5 |
| Pin 29 | PC6 (PCINT14/RESET) — Port C bit 6, pin change interrupt 14, active-low RESET (also debugWIRE data line) |
| Pin 30 | PD0 (PCINT16/RXD) — Port D bit 0, pin change interrupt 16, USART receiver input |
| Pin 31 | PD1 (PCINT17/TXD) — Port D bit 1, pin change interrupt 17, USART transmitter output |
| Pin 32 | PD2 (PCINT18/INT0) — Port D bit 2, pin change interrupt 18, external interrupt 0 |
Typical Applications
ATMEGA48-15MT1 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Automation Nodes, Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes, Consumer Appliance Control, LED Lighting and Dimming Control, Small Embedded Instruments and Meters, HVAC and Motor Control Interfaces.
Industrial Control and Automation Nodes
The ATMEGA48-15MT1 fits industrial control nodes that need a compact, dependable 8-bit controller: its 23 GPIO lines drive relays, optocouplers, and status LEDs, while the 10-bit ADC reads potentiometers, current shunts via amplifiers, and NTC temperature sensors. The 16MHz AVR core delivers about 16 MIPS, sufficient for PID loops and MODBUS-over-UART polling at typical line rates. The USART, SPI, and TWI interfaces connect isolated RS-485 transceivers, EEPROMs, and RTCs. Because it integrates flash self-programming, firmware can be field-updated over the existing serial link, avoiding site visits. Designers should budget the 105C MT temperature rating against enclosure heat rise; at modest clock speeds the die dissipates only tens of milliwatts, allowing sealed enclosures without heatsinking.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes
For battery-powered sensing, the ATMEGA48-15MT1 offers multiple sleep modes (idle, ADC noise reduction, power-save, power-down) that let the MCU sleep between measurement bursts and wake on pin change, timer overflow, or watchdog interrupt. The 6-channel 10-bit ADC samples analog sensors such as humidity, light, and temperature directly, and the internal 1.1V bandgap reference enables supply monitoring without external components. Running at 1MHz-8MHz from the internal RC oscillator removes the crystal and its start-up energy cost. Note that for microamp-class standby current, the picoPower ATMEGA48PA-MU revision in the same 32QFN package achieves roughly 0.1 uA power-down class sleep current, making it the preferred drop-in for multi-year coin-cell designs.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control
Appliance front-end control is a classic ATmega48 application: button matrices on GPIO with internal pull-ups, LED segment display scanning via 8-bit timers, buzzer PWM output, and acoustic or IR feedback loops. The 4KB flash accommodates state machines, debounce logic, and EEPROM-backed user settings (256 bytes stores last-used cycles, fault logs). TWI connects capacitive-touch controllers and small OLED displays, while SPI drives shift registers to expand outputs at minimal pin cost. The 32-QFN 5x5 mm package keeps the controller PCB footprint small inside slim control panels. Using the watchdog timer plus brown-out detection, the design meets basic appliance robustness expectations for mains sags and ESD events when combined with proper input filtering.
Recommended
LED Lighting and Dimming Control
The ATMEGA48-15MT1 generates up to three hardware PWM channels (two 8-bit timers and one 16-bit timer) suitable for LED dimming, color mixing, and phase-control dimming of triac-driven lamps. The 16-bit timer provides 16-bit PWM resolution for flicker-free deep dimming, and timer outputs can drive MOSFET gate drivers directly. The 10-bit ADC reads zero-cross detection, thermistor feedback, and dimmer potentiometers. Running the core at 16MHz leaves ample timing margin for 100Hz-2kHz PWM with software-composed sequences. Its 105C MT temperature rating suits enclosed LED driver environments. The exposed thermal pad QFN also conducts die heat into the PCB copper, keeping junction temperature comfortable at the low power levels an 8-bit MCU dissipates in this role.
Recommended
Small Embedded Instruments and Meters
Handheld meters and small instruments benefit from the ATmega48's balance of ADC precision, serial connectivity, and low cost. The 10-bit ADC with internal 1.1V reference performs relative measurements and battery monitoring; oversampling pushes effective resolution for slow signals. SPI connects precision ADCs (e.g., delta-sigma front ends) when higher resolution is required, while USART links to PCs or Bluetooth modules for data upload. The 4KB flash typically holds a menu-driven UI, calibration tables in EEPROM, and linearization curves. debugWIRE single-wire debugging over the RESET line simplifies development without consuming application pins, a practical advantage in pin-limited instrument layouts using the 32-QFN 5x5 mm package.
Recommended
HVAC and Motor Control Interfaces
In HVAC boards and small fan/pump controllers, the ATMEGA48-15MT1 reads NTC thermistors and pressure sensors via its 10-bit ADC, generates PWM for brushless fan drivers, and communicates over TWI or UART with room units and BMS gateways. The 16-bit timer implements center-aligned PWM for quiet fan control, and analog comparator functionality supports simple over-current protection thresholds without CPU intervention. The 105C MT temperature rating aligns with the elevated ambient near heat exchangers. Combined with external gate drivers and appropriate freewheeling provisions, the MCU supervises motor states while remaining inexpensive. Firmware stored in self-programmable flash allows field tuning of control curves, and the 5x5 mm QFN fits crowded existing control board footprints.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATMEGA48-15MT1 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATMEGA48PA-MU | ATMEGA48A-MU | ATMEGA88PA-MU | ATMEGA328PB-MU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 32-VFQFN (5x5 mm) Exposed Pad | 32-VFQFN (5x5 mm) - same | 32-VFQFN (5x5 mm) - same | 32-VFQFN (5x5 mm) - same | 32-VFQFN (5x5 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB | 8 KB | 32 KB |
| SRAM | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 1 KB | 2 KB |
| Max Clock Frequency | 16 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Power Technology | Original ATmega48 die | picoPower (lower sleep current) | Re-characterized standard die | picoPower | Low-power revised core |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit + 1 x 16-bit | 2 x 8-bit + 1 x 16-bit | 2 x 8-bit + 1 x 16-bit | 2 x 8-bit + 1 x 16-bit | 3 x 8-bit + 2 x 16-bit |
| Core Peripherals / UARTs | 1 USART, 1 SPI, 1 TWI | 1 USART, 1 SPI, 1 TWI | 1 USART, 1 SPI, 1 TWI | 1 USART, 1 SPI, 1 TWI | 2 USART, 1 SPI, 1 TWI |
| Drop-in Compatibility | Reference | Pin-to-pin, firmware compatible | Pin-to-pin, firmware compatible | Pin-compatible, minor vector changes | Pin-compatible, register-level changes |
Key Differentiators
- 105C-class MT temperature suffix (vs ATMEGA48PA-MU)
- Lowest-cost entry point in the ATmega48/88/168 footprint (vs ATMEGA328PB-MU)
- Drop-in migration path upward (vs ATMEGA88PA-MU)
Design Notes
Connect AVCC (pin 18) to VCC through a low-pass filter (e.g., 10uH inductor or 100-ohm resistor plus 100nF capacitor) to keep ADC noise low; never leave AVCC floating even if the ADC is unused. Decouple both VCC pins (4 and 6) with 100nF ceramic capacitors placed within a few millimeters of the pins, and add 4.7uF-10uF bulk capacitance near the package. Tie the exposed pad to GND for thermal and grounding integrity.
The -15MT1 is the original (non-picoPower) ATmega48 die; if your BOM was qualified against ATMEGA48PA current-consumption figures, do not mix suffixes without re-verifying sleep currents. Also, PC6/RESET (pin 29) doubles as the debugWIRE line - if debugWIRE is fused on, ISP programming is disabled until debugWIRE is turned off. Always verify lock/fuse settings before field programming, and design a reset circuit (10k pull-up, optional 100nF) on PC6.
For the 5x5 mm 32-QFN, use a 0.5 mm pitch land pattern with via stitching on the exposed pad (4-9 vias to the ground plane) to ensure solder fillet reliability and heat transfer. Keep the XTAL1/XTAL2 crystal traces short and guard them with ground pour if a 16MHz crystal is used. Route ADC analog inputs away from SPI/USART switching lines; a ground island under the AREF/ADC traces measurably reduces 10-bit ADC noise in mixed-signal layouts.
Estimated: at 5V, 16MHz active with all peripherals, current draw is typically in the 10-20 mA class for original ATmega48 die, giving roughly 50-100 mW dissipation. With the QFN package thermal resistance to ambient on a standard 4-layer PCB (typically 30-45 C/W class), junction rise above ambient is only a few degrees Celsius - no heatsink required even at the 105C MT ambient rating, provided PCB-level ambient is managed.
Compliance Information
Suffix-specific compliance data was not present in the provided web data. Verify RoHS/REACH status on the Microchip official product page or distributor compliance certificates before shipping to regulated jurisdictions.
