ATMEGA88PA-MUR - 8-bit AVR MCU 8KB Flash 20MHz QFN-32 | Microchip
MPN: ATMEGA88PA-MUR ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.42 | $1.42 |
| 10 | $1.28 | $12.80 |
| 100 | $1.02 | $102.00 |
| 500 | $0.85 | $425.00 |
| 1,000 | $0.71 | $710.00 |
ATMEGA88PA-MUR Overview
An 8-bit AVR microcontroller is a single-chip computer that executes the Advanced RISC architecture, in which most of the 130 instructions complete in a single clock cycle, giving roughly 1 MIPS per MHz of performance. MCUs of this class sit at the low end of the microcontroller hierarchy, below 32-bit ARM devices, and are widely used where cost, power consumption, and code density matter more than raw processing throughput.
Key features include 23 programmable general-purpose I/O lines, 32 general-purpose working registers, an 8-channel 10-bit ADC (8 single-ended channels or differential pairs with programmable gain), three flexible timer/counters with compare and PWM modes, and serial peripherals including USART, SPI, and TWI (I2C). The picoPower technology delivers low sleep-mode currents, down to sub-uA levels in power-down mode with RTC running from a 32 kHz watch crystal.
Technical depth: the ATmega88PA is the picoPower-enhanced revision of the ATmega88 core, rated from 1.8 V to 5.5 V supply. It supports two on-chip oscillators (8 MHz RC and 128 kHz RC) plus an external crystal option, brown-out detection, watchdog timer, six sleep modes, and debugWIRE single-wire on-chip debugging. Program memory is ISP-flash with read-while-write capability, and the device can be self-programmed for bootloader applications.
Typical applications include battery-powered sensor nodes, industrial control and motor supervision, HVAC and appliance control, and hobby/embedded products such as Arduino-compatible boards. The wide 1.8 V to 5.5 V range allows direct battery or 5 V rail operation.
Design consideration: the QFN package requires an exposed die pad that must be soldered to a ground array for reliability; use via stitching under the pad for the best thermal and solder joint quality.
This page synthesizes verified distributor data, drop-in alternatives, application notes, and design guidance not found in a single manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for ATMEGA88PA-MUR — 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 ATMEGA88PA-MUR (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status, General Purpose I/O, ADC Resolution.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATMEGA88PA-MU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.26 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA88PA-CCUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.08 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA88A-MUR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.38 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA88PA-MMHR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA88-20MU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →ATMEGA88PA-MUR Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | AVR 8-bit RISC |
| Core Size | 8-Bit |
| Speed | 20 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 8 KB (4K x 16) |
| EEPROM | 512 B |
| SRAM | 1 KB |
| Supply Voltage | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| General Purpose I/O | 23 |
| ADC Resolution | 10-bit, 8 channels |
| Timers/Counters | 2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit |
| Communication Interfaces | USART, SPI, TWI (I2C) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (TA) |
| Package | 32-VQFN (5x5 mm) exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Oscillator Type | Internal |
| Programming | ISP Flash, self-programmable (bootloader) |
| Debug Interface | debugWIRE |
| Power Technology | picoPower |
| Instructions | 130 powerful instructions, mostly single-cycle |
ATMEGA88PA-MUR 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, crystal pin 1 / timer oscillator input |
| Pin 8 | PB7 (PCINT7/XTAL2/TOSC2) — Port B bit 7, crystal pin 2 / timer oscillator output |
| 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 |
| Pin 14 | PB2 (PCINT2/SS/OC1B) — Port B bit 2, pin change interrupt 2, SPI slave select, Timer1 output compare B |
| Pin 15 | PB3 (PCINT3/MOSI/OC2A) — Port B bit 3, pin change interrupt 3, SPI master output, Timer2 output compare A |
| Pin 16 | PB4 (PCINT4/MISO) — Port B bit 4, pin change interrupt 4, SPI master input |
| Pin 17 | PB5 (PCINT5/SCK) — Port B bit 5, pin change interrupt 5, SPI clock |
| Pin 18 | AVCC — ADC supply voltage |
| Pin 19 | ADC6 — ADC input channel 6 |
| Pin 20 | AREF — Analog reference voltage for ADC |
| Pin 21 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 22 | ADC7 — ADC input channel 7 |
| Pin 23 | PC0 (PCINT8/ADC0) — Port C bit 0, pin change interrupt 8, ADC input channel 0 |
| Pin 24 | PC1 (PCINT9/ADC1) — Port C bit 1, pin change interrupt 9, ADC input channel 1 |
| Pin 25 | PC2 (PCINT10/ADC2) — Port C bit 2, pin change interrupt 10, ADC input channel 2 |
| Pin 26 | PC3 (PCINT11/ADC3) — Port C bit 3, pin change interrupt 11, ADC input channel 3 |
| Pin 27 | PC4 (PCINT12/SDA/ADC4) — Port C bit 4, pin change interrupt 12, TWI data line, ADC input channel 4 |
| Pin 28 | PC5 (PCINT13/SCL/ADC5) — Port C bit 5, pin change interrupt 13, TWI clock line, ADC input channel 5 |
| Pin 29 | PC6 (PCINT14/RESET) — Port C bit 6, pin change interrupt 14, reset input / debugWIRE |
| Pin 30 | PD0 (PCINT16/RXD) — Port D bit 0, pin change interrupt 16, USART receive |
| Pin 31 | PD1 (PCINT17/TXD) — Port D bit 1, pin change interrupt 17, USART transmit |
| Pin 32 | PD2 (PCINT18/INT0) — Port D bit 2, pin change interrupt 18, external interrupt 0 |
Typical Applications
ATMEGA88PA-MUR is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes, Industrial Control and Monitoring, Hobby and Arduino-Compatible Boards, Home Appliance Control, Human Interface Devices and Controls, Motor Control and Power Supervision.
Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes
The ATMEGA88PA-MUR fits battery-powered sensor nodes because its picoPower technology delivers sub-uA power-down currents and a wide 1.8 V to 5.5 V operating range that tracks a discharging lithium or alkaline cell directly. The internal 8 MHz RC oscillator removes the need for a crystal in coarse-timing nodes, cutting BOM cost and board area, while the 128 kHz RC oscillator supports low-power timing loops. A typical node sleeps in power-down with watchdog wakeups, samples with the 10-bit ADC, and transmits over USART or SPI to a radio module; because the ADC reference can be tied to VCC, a known supply enables ratiometric measurement without a dedicated reference IC. Designers should budget clock tolerance for RC-oscillator operation or add a watch crystal for accurate timekeeping.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Monitoring
In industrial control panels, the ATMEGA88PA-MUR provides a cost-effective supervisory controller with -40C to +85C industrial temperature rating and brown-out detection that prevents corrupted operation during supply dips. The three timer/counters with PWM outputs drive relays, heaters, or small motors, while the 8-channel 10-bit ADC reads analog transducers such as 4-20 mA-conditioned process signals or potentiometers. TWI (I2C) connects front-panel displays and EEPROM configuration storage, and the USART links to modems or PLC backplanes. Because the part survives 5 V rails natively, it interfaces directly with legacy 5 V industrial logic without level shifters. For harsher enclosures exceeding +85C, the same-footprint ATMEGA88PA-CCUR extends the rating to +105C without a PCB redesign.
Recommended
Hobby and Arduino-Compatible Boards
The ATMEGA88PA-MUR is well suited to Arduino-compatible and educational boards because it uses the same AVR ISP programming model, debugWIRE debugging, and bootloader ecosystem as the classic Arduino Uno ATmega328P, at lower cost and in a compact 5x5 mm QFN. With 8 KB Flash, roughly 6 KB remains after a 2 KB bootloader, which is enough for sensor reads, serial links, and small state machines but not for large libraries, so educators often target direct ISP sketches instead. The 23 GPIO lines support shields over SPI, I2C, and UART, and the internal RC oscillator enables crystal-less designs for wearables. Board designers should expose the reset pin (PC6) and SPI header for easy reprogramming of the QFN-mounted part.
Recommended
Home Appliance Control
Home appliance controllers benefit from the ATMEGA88PA-MUR's combination of 5 V native operation, PWM timer outputs for triac or motor-drive control, and ADC channels for temperature sensing via NTC thermistors. The watchdog timer and brown-out detector provide the fault-tolerance expected in safety-adjacent appliance firmware, and the internal 8 MHz RC oscillator eliminates the crystal typically compromised by vibration or condensation in wash and cool environments. EEPROM (512 B) retains user settings and fault logs across power cycles. Sleep modes allow standby-power compliance targets in mains-off states. Designers should observe creepage and isolation rules on the PCB between the MCU domain and mains circuitry, and choose the +105C ATMEGA88PA-CCUR variant for oven-adjacent control boards.
Recommended
Human Interface Devices and Controls
Key panels, rotary encoders, and capacitive touch front-ends map naturally onto the ATMEGA88PA-MUR: 23 GPIO lines handle key matrices and LEDs, PCINT pin-change interrupts wake the device from power-down on any keypress, and the 10-bit ADC with internal reference can implement simple capacitive sensing on spare channels. Timer PWM drives LED brightness dimming and buzzer tones with no CPU load. picoPower sleep currents are essential for battery remotes that must last years, and the internal 128 kHz RC oscillator can keep a soft timer running in idle. The USART eases communication with display drivers or wireless dongles. Layout practice: keep analog touch channels away from switching loads and use the exposed ground pad as the low-inductance return.
Recommended
Motor Control and Power Supervision
The ATMEGA88PA-MUR supervises small motor drives by generating complementary PWM from the 16-bit Timer1, reading current via the ADC with differential inputs and programmable gain, and shutting down outputs through GPIO when faults occur. Fast analog-to-digital conversion at up to 10-bit resolution supports average current regulation for DC fans and pumps, while the 20 MHz clock provides the timer resolution needed for quiet PWM frequencies above the audible band. Brown-out detection protects flash integrity during supply sag at motor start. Because the ADC is ratiometric to VCC or an external reference on AREF, low-side shunt sensing is straightforward. For designs needing faster 16-bit PWM resolution or CAN, Microchip's ATmega64M1 family is the recommended next step up within the same AVR ecosystem.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATMEGA88PA-MUR — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATMEGA88PA-MU | ATMEGA88PA-CCUR | ATMEGA88A-MUR | ATMEGA88PA-MMHR | ATMEGA88-20MU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | VQFN-32 (5x5 mm) | VQFN-32 (5x5 mm) - same | VQFN-32 (5x5 mm) - same | VQFN-32 (5x5 mm) - same | VQFN-32 (5x5 mm) - same | VQFN-32 (5x5 mm) - same |
| Flash Memory | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB |
| Maximum Clock | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 2.7 V to 5.5 V |
| picoPower Technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Packing | Tape & Reel | Tray | Tape & Reel | Tape & Reel | Tape & Reel | Tray |
Key Differentiators
- picoPower sleep performance (vs ATMEGA88A-MUR)
- Extended temperature option in same footprint (vs ATMEGA88PA-CCUR)
- Cost-efficient memory point (vs ATMEGA328P)
Design Notes
The QFN exposed die pad must be soldered to ground for mechanical reliability and EMC. Use a solder-mask-defined array of via-in-pad openings (4-6 vias) connecting to internal ground planes; do not leave the pad unconnected even though the ATmega88PA die pad is nominally ground. Follow the Microchip MLF/QFN assembly application guidance for stencil design - roughly 50-70% pad coverage with ventilation channels to prevent voiding and float during reflow.
Decouple each VCC pin (pins 4 and 6) and AVCC (pin 18) with 100 nF ceramic capacitors placed within 2 mm of the pins, plus one bulk 4.7-10 uF per rail. Tie AVCC to VCC through an RC filter (e.g., 10 ohm + 100 nF) when ADC accuracy matters, keeping AVCC between 1.8 V and VCC. Enable the internal brown-out detector at 2.7 V for 5 V systems to prevent flash corruption during brown-out events.
Keep the reset pin (PC6/debugWIRE) trace short and add a 10 k-47 k pull-up; avoid driving it during power-up or debugWIRE will be disabled by external circuitry contention. If using PB6/PB7 as GPIO instead of a crystal, note their weaker drive configuration. Maintain series resistance of 100-200 ohms on ISP lines (PB3-PB5) if they are shared with peripheral loads so programming is not blocked.
Clock speed is voltage-limited: 20 MHz requires VCC near 4.5-5.5 V, whereas a 3.3 V design should not exceed roughly 13.3 MHz on an external clock (the safe internal-oscillator choice is 8 MHz). Attempting 20 MHz at 3.3 V causes unreliable operation. Also remember PC6 is reset by default - using it as GPIO requires setting the RSTDISBL fuse, which permanently disables further ISP reprogramming.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant and lead-free per Microchip green packaging for the ATmega88PA family (distributor listings). REACH/halogen/conflict-minerals declarations should be confirmed via the current Microchip certificate of conformance.
