ATTINY816-SN - 8-bit AVR tinyAVR 1 MCU, 20MHz, 8KB Flash, 20-SOIC | Microchip
MPN: ATTINY816-SN ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.34 | $1.34 |
| 10 | $1.2 | $12.00 |
| 100 | $1.05 | $105.00 |
| 500 | $0.92 | $460.00 |
| 1,000 | $0.81 | $810.00 |
ATTINY816-SN Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, RAM, non-volatile program memory (Flash), EEPROM, and a set of peripherals on one die. The AVR family uses a modified Harvard RISC architecture with single-cycle instructions and a fetch-decode-execute pipeline tuned for predictable low-latency I/O control. tinyAVR 1-series devices sit at the entry-level of Microchip's 8-bit portfolio and target cost-sensitive, small-footprint designs that still demand on-chip analog and timing peripherals. Above tinyAVR in the hierarchy are megaAVR (more pins and memory), XMEGA (high-performance 8-bit), and 32-bit PIC and SAM families.
Key features of the ATTINY816 include 20 MHz maximum clock, 6-channel 10-bit ADC, configurable custom logic, 16-bit timer/counter with PWM, and the Event System for hardware-triggered peripheral actions without CPU involvement. Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) such as the Configurable Custom Logic (CCL) and analog comparators let timing-critical functions run autonomously, freeing the CPU for application code. The picoPower technology extends sleep-mode current to the microampere range, enabling battery-powered sensors and remote controls.
Architecturally, the device pairs an AVR CPU with a fast interrupt controller and the Event System interconnect, allowing peripherals to be chained without software. The 8 KB Flash is in-system programmable via UPDI (Unified Program and Debug Interface), a single-wire protocol that replaces the older ISP/PDI split. The 20-SOIC package is the SN variant's hallmark, providing a 7.5 mm body width that is easy to hand-prototype and machine-assemble.
Typical applications include consumer appliances, LED lighting controls, sensor nodes, IoT edge devices, capacitive touch user interfaces, and small motor control loops. The +105C industrial temperature rating also opens it to building automation and HVAC peripherals. When migrating code, vertical pin-compatibility with the ATtiny416 (4 KB Flash) and ATtiny1616 (16 KB Flash) within the same 20-pin SOIC footprint lets designers scale memory without re-laying out the PCB.
Designers should evaluate SleepWalking and Event System usage early, as these features let the CPU stay in deep sleep while peripherals service interrupts, dramatically reducing average current. For applications that later require USB or more memory, consider the ATtiny1626-XU (in the Site MPN list) which is the next-generation tinyAVR 2 option. This page synthesizes verified distributor pricing, pin-compatible alternatives, and practical design notes not consolidated on any single vendor page.
Drop-in alternatives for ATTINY816-SN — 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 ATTINY816-SN (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Communication Interfaces, Core Independent Peripherals, Functional Safety (FuSa), Package.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
ATTINY416-SN
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATTINY1616-SN
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATTINY816-SNR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATTINY816-SN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.81 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATTINY814-SN
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ATTINY816-SN Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | AVR 8-bit RISC |
| Series | tinyAVR 1-series |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 8 KB (8K x 8) |
| SRAM | 512 bytes |
| EEPROM | 128 bytes |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +105C (Industrial) |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 12 channels |
| DAC | 8-bit, 1 channel |
| Timers/Counters | 16-bit TCA + TCB + TCD |
| Communication Interfaces | I2C, SPI, USART, LIN (UART) |
| Core Independent Peripherals | Event System, Configurable Custom Logic (CCL), SleepWalking |
| Program/Debug Interface | UPDI (1-wire) |
| Package | 20-pin SOIC (SN), 7.5 mm body |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes / Compliant |
| Functional Safety (FuSa) | Class B capable per datasheet |
| Carrier | Tube (per Mouser listing) |
ATTINY816-SN Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VCC — Power supply input (1.8 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 2 | PA0 — Port A bit 0 / ADC0 / UPDI (alternate) |
| Pin 3 | PA1 — Port A bit 1 / ADC1 |
| Pin 4 | PA2 — Port A bit 2 / ADC2 / AIN0 |
| Pin 5 | PA3 — Port A bit 3 / ADC3 / AIN1 |
| Pin 6 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 7 | PA4 — Port A bit 4 / ADC4 |
| Pin 8 | PA5 — Port A bit 5 / ADC5 |
| Pin 9 | PA6 — Port A bit 6 / ADC6 |
| Pin 10 | PA7 — Port A bit 7 / ADC7 |
| Pin 11 | PB0 — Port B bit 0 / MOSI / SDA |
| Pin 12 | PB1 — Port B bit 1 / MISO / SCL |
| Pin 13 | PB2 — Port B bit 2 / SCK |
| Pin 14 | PB3 — Port B bit 3 |
| Pin 15 | PB4 — Port B bit 4 |
| Pin 16 | PB5 — Port B bit 5 |
| Pin 17 | PC0 — Port C bit 0 |
| Pin 18 | PC1 — Port C bit 1 |
| Pin 19 | PC2 — Port C bit 2 |
| Pin 20 | GND — Ground (also serves as paddle bond) |
Typical Applications
ATTINY816-SN is suitable for 7 applications: IoT Sensor Node Controller, HVAC and Building Automation, Capacitive Touch User Interface, Consumer Appliance Control Board, Small BLDC or Stepper Motor Drive, Portable Medical Accessory, LED Lighting Controllers.
IoT Sensor Node Controller
The ATTINY816-SN is well-matched to wireless sensor nodes where the MCU must stay in deep sleep between measurements and wake peripherals via the Event System. With 1.8-5.5 V supply and sub-uA sleep current, it can run for years on a coin cell. Its 20 MHz CPU gives ample headroom for sensor fusion on a LoRa or Zigbee data frame, and the UPDI one-wire programming simplifies production flashing of fully assembled modules.
Recommended
HVAC and Building Automation
The ATTINY816-SN's +105C industrial temperature range and 20 MHz performance suit HVAC damper actuators and smart thermostat sub-modules. The 10-bit ADC reads thermistor / RTD sensors directly, while the 16-bit timer drives TRIAC phase-angle control for fan regulators. The 20-SOIC package is easy to hand-prototype and reflows cleanly on lead-free assemblies, and Core Independent Peripherals keep the BOM small by removing external logic.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch User Interface
Combined with the Configurable Custom Logic (CCL) and the Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC), the ATTINY816-SN can scan up to 12 self-capacitance touch channels without CPU intervention. The Event System fires an interrupt only when a validated touch is detected, keeping sleep current under 1 uA. The 20 SOIC pins are sufficient to drive 8 LEDs and 4 touch buttons plus a UART debug channel.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Board
The ATTINY816-SN is a low-cost MCU for coffee machines, washing machines, and induction cooktop user interface boards. Its 8 KB Flash fits a UI state machine plus safety monitoring, the 16-bit timer drives PWM-controlled valves and pumps, and the Event System guarantees deterministic response to safety-critical interrupts. The +105C rating supports the appliance under-cabinet thermal envelope.
Recommended
Small BLDC or Stepper Motor Drive
The ATTINY816-SN drives small sensorless BLDC or bipolar stepper motors via its 16-bit TCA and complementary PWM outputs. Fast hardware-triggered ADC sampling synchronizes back-EMF zero-crossing detection, and the high-drive I/O pins source enough current to switch low-side MOSFETs directly. The Configurable Custom Logic reduces software latency on commutation events, allowing smoother torque at low RPM.
Recommended
Portable Medical Accessory
The ATTINY816-SN supports battery-powered medical accessories such as pulse-oximeter cable dongles or pill-box reminders. Functional Safety (FuSa) Class B documentation simplifies IEC 60730 / IEC 60335 compliance for safety-critical routines, and the picoPower SleepWalking keeps standby current low. UPDI programming is ideal for sealed-unit production because the debug pin doubles as GPIO after programming.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controllers
The ATTINY816-SN drives WS2812 / SK6812 addressable LED strips via SPI or DMA-free bit-banging at 20 MHz, supporting up to 50 simultaneous LEDs without flicker. Its 8 KB Flash stores animated color patterns and the 10-bit ADC accepts an ambient-light sensor for daylight harvesting. The 1.8 V minimum supply matches lithium-polymer lighting packs directly.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATTINY816-SN — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | ATTINY416-SN | ATTINY1616-SN | ATTINY816-SNR | ATTINY814-SN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 20-pin SOIC (SN) | 20-pin SOIC (SN) - same | 20-pin SOIC (SN) - same | 20-pin SOIC (SN) - same | 20-pin SOIC (SN) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core | AVR 8-bit, 20 MHz | AVR 8-bit, 20 MHz | AVR 8-bit, 20 MHz | AVR 8-bit, 20 MHz | AVR 8-bit, 20 MHz |
| Flash | 8 KB | 4 KB (-50%) | 16 KB (+100%) | 8 KB (identical) | 8 KB (identical) |
| SRAM | 512 B | 256 B | 2 KB | 512 B (identical) | 512 B (identical) |
| EEPROM | 128 B | 128 B | 256 B | 128 B (identical) | 128 B (identical) |
| Operating Voltage | 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 |
| Temperature Range | -40C to +105C (Industrial) | -40C to +105C | -40C to +105C | -40C to +105C | -40C to +105C |
| Program Interface | UPDI (1-wire) | UPDI (1-wire) | UPDI (1-wire) | UPDI (1-wire) | UPDI (1-wire) |
Key Differentiators
- Best balance of Flash, SRAM, and temperature range in the tinyAVR 1-series SOIC-20 lineup (vs ATTINY416-SN)
- Lower cost and right-sized memory vs the larger ATtiny1616 (vs ATTINY1616-SN)
- FuSa documentation eases IEC 60730 Class B compliance (vs ATTINY816-MN (QFN variant))
Design Notes
The ATTINY816-SN has sub-uA deep-sleep current but several peripherals (ADC, BOD, WDT) must be disabled before entering Power-Down to reach the lowest current. Estimated: with BOD disabled, RTC running from internal 32.768 kHz oscillator, and the Event System idle, sleep current falls to approximately 0.1-0.5 uA per datasheet curve. Always disable unused peripherals via the Power Reduction register to avoid leakage on internal pull-ups.
Keep the UPDI programming pin (alternate function on PA0) accessible via a test pad or 2-pin header. Routing the UPDI trace away from switching nodes and noisy analog inputs prevents programming glitches. Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor within 2 mm of the VCC pin (pin 1) and a 4.7 uF bulk capacitor on the supply rail for transient robustness during Flash writes.
Do not confuse the UPDI pin with the older ISP / PDI / debugWIRE interfaces - those will not program the ATTINY816-SN. Use Atmel Studio / Microchip Studio or pyupdi with a 4.7 kohm resistor to the programming tool. Fuse bit configuration is one-time-programmable for some configurations; double-check clock-source fuses before locking to avoid bricking the part.
When using the ATTINY816-SN to bit-bang WS2812 LEDs or similar timing-critical protocols, configure the CPU clock to 20 MHz (no prescaler) to maintain the 800 kHz/1.2 us reset code window within +/- 150 ns. Estimated: at 20 MHz one CPU cycle is 50 ns, so each WS2812 high/low bit maps to roughly 12 CPU cycles. Avoid enabling interrupts during the bit-bang loop or use the SPI peripheral for deterministic timing.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +105C). Functional Safety (FuSa) Class B collateral available in datasheet DS40001913B. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for general-purpose industrial MCU.
