ATmega328

The ATmega328 is a single chip micro-controller created by Atmel and belongs to the megaAVR series.

Specifications

The high-performance Atmel 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller combines 32 KB ISP flash memory with read-while-write capabilities, 1 KB EEPROM, 2 KB SRAM, 23 general purpose I/O lines, 32 general purpose working registers, three flexible timer/counters with compare modes, internal and external interrupts,serial programmable USART, a byte-oriented 2-wire serial interface, SPI serial port, 6-channel 10-bit A/D converter (8-channels in TQFP and QFN/MLF packages), programmable watchdog timer with internal oscillator, and five software selectable power saving modes. The device operates between 1.8-5.5 volts. By executing powerful instructions in a single clock cycle, the device achieves throughputs approaching 1 MIPS per MHz, balancing power consumption and processing speed.

Key parameters

PARAMETERS	VALUE
Flash	32 Kbytes
RAM	2 Kbytes
Pin Count	28
Max. Operating Frequency	20 MHz
CPU	8-bit AVR
# of Touch Channels	16
Hardware QTouch Acquisition	No
Max I/O Pins	26
Ext Interrupts	24
USB Interface	No
USB Speed	No

Series alternatives

A common alternative to the ATmega328 is the ATmega328P. A comprehensive list of all other member of the megaAVR series can be found here [1]

Applications

Today the ATmega328 is commonly used in many projects and autonomous systems where a simple, low-powered, low-cost micro-controller is needed. Perhaps the most common implementation of this chip is on the ever popular Arduino development platform, namely the Arduino Uno and Arduino Nano models.

Using the ATmega328 as an Arduino alternative

A comprehensive guide on how to use an ATmega328 as an Arduino alternative on a breadboard can be found here.