ATMEGA168P-20AU

ATmega168P-20AU is an AVR 8‑bit microcontroller from Atmel (now Microchip), in the ATmega168 family. It uses the AVR RISC core, executing most instructions in one clock cycle, with up to ~20 MIPS at 20 MHz. It offers 16 KB of flash memory, 1 KB SRAM, and 512 bytes of EEPROM. Peripherals include three timers (Timer0 8‑bit, Timer1 16‑bit, Timer2 8‑bit) with PWM, USART, SPI, I2C (TWI), a 10‑bit ADC (up to 8 channels), an analog comparator, watchdog timer, and a rich interrupt system. I/O consists of multiple general‑purpose pins with alternate functions. It operates from 1.8 to 5.5 V; at 20 MHz you typically use the higher end of that range. It supports low‑power sleep modes for efficiency. The AU suffix indicates a 20‑pin small‑outline package. Programming is via SPI (ISP); it’s supported by standard AVR toolchains and can run bootloaders. Typical uses: compact embedded controllers, sensors, and hobby electronics projects.

Key features of ATMEGA168P-20AU (28-pin SOIC):
- AVR 8-bit RISC CPU, up to 20 MIPS at 20 MHz
- Flash memory: 16 KB with In-System Programming (ISP)
- RAM: 1 KB SRAM; EEPROM: 512 bytes
- I/O: ~23 general-purpose I/O pins
- Analog: 8-channel, 10-bit ADC
- Timers/Counters: Timer0 (8-bit PWM), Timer1 (16-bit PWM, input capture), Timer2 (8-bit PWM)
- Communications: USART, SPI, and I2C (TWI)
- Interrupts: external and per-peripheral
- Power features: Brown-out Detector, Watchdog Timer, Power-on Reset
- Operating voltage: 1.8–5.5 V; clock up to 20 MHz
- Low-power sleep modes for energy efficiency
- Package: 28-pin SOIC (ATMEGA168P-20AU)
Optional notes: In-system programming via SPI; suitable for embedded control, sensing, and lightweight data logging.

- Pin count: 44 pins (ATmega168P in AU package, 44-pin TQFP).
- Function: 8-bit AVR microcontroller. Features include 16 KB Flash, 1 KB SRAM, 512 B EEPROM, 32 I/O lines, ADC (10-bit, 8-channel), 3 timers (Timer0/2 8-bit, Timer1 16-bit), USART, SPI, I2C (TWI), PWM, and other standard microcontroller peripherals, up to 20 MHz.

- Manufacturer: Atmel Corporation.
- What kind of company: A semiconductor company that designs and manufactures microcontrollers, memory, and other integrated circuits. Atmel is now part of Microchip Technology (acquired in 2016).

ATmega168P-20AU is a compact 8‑bit AVR microcontroller suitable for low‑cost, low‑power embedded uses. Common application areas:
- Education, hobbyist projects and rapid prototyping
- Consumer electronics and small appliances (remote controls, clocks, meters, peripherals)
- Sensor interfacing and data logging (temperature, light, humidity) via ADC, I2C/SPI, USART
- Robotics and automation (brain of small robots, motor control, PWM, position sensing)
- Industrial instrumentation and simple control panels
- Any embedded product needing moderate I/O, timers and communications without high processing power

ATmega168P-20AU is the 20 MHz version in a 32-pin TQFP (Thin Quad Flat Pack) package. The AU suffix denotes the TQFP package.