ATmega48/88/168
7.7
Minimizing Power Consumption
There are several possibilities to consider when trying to minimize the power consumption in an
AVR controlled system. In general, sleep modes should be used as much as possible, and the
sleep mode should be selected so that as few as possible of the device’s functions are operat-
ing. All functions not needed should be disabled. In particular, the following modules may need
special consideration when trying to achieve the lowest possible power consumption.
7.7.1
7.7.2
Analog to Digital Converter
If enabled, the ADC will be enabled in all sleep modes. To save power, the ADC should be dis-
abled before entering any sleep mode. When the ADC is turned off and on again, the next
conversion will be an extended conversion. Refer to ”Analog-to-Digital Converter” on page 239
for details on ADC operation.
Analog Comparator
When entering Idle mode, the Analog Comparator should be disabled if not used. When entering
ADC Noise Reduction mode, the Analog Comparator should be disabled. In other sleep modes,
the Analog Comparator is automatically disabled. However, if the Analog Comparator is set up
to use the Internal Voltage Reference as input, the Analog Comparator should be disabled in all
sleep modes. Otherwise, the Internal Voltage Reference will be enabled, independent of sleep
mode. Refer to ”Analog Comparator” on page 235 for details on how to configure the Analog
Comparator.
7.7.3
7.7.4
Brown-out Detector
If the Brown-out Detector is not needed by the application, this module should be turned off. If
the Brown-out Detector is enabled by the BODLEVEL Fuses, it will be enabled in all sleep
modes, and hence, always consume power. In the deeper sleep modes, this will contribute sig-
nificantly to the total current consumption. Refer to ”Brown-out Detection” on page 46 for details
on how to configure the Brown-out Detector.
Internal Voltage Reference
The Internal Voltage Reference will be enabled when needed by the Brown-out Detection, the
Analog Comparator or the ADC. If these modules are disabled as described in the sections
above, the internal voltage reference will be disabled and it will not be consuming power. When
turned on again, the user must allow the reference to start up before the output is used. If the
reference is kept on in sleep mode, the output can be used immediately. Refer to ”Internal Volt-
age Reference” on page 48 for details on the start-up time.
7.7.5
7.7.6
Watchdog Timer
If the Watchdog Timer is not needed in the application, the module should be turned off. If the
Watchdog Timer is enabled, it will be enabled in all sleep modes and hence always consume
power. In the deeper sleep modes, this will contribute significantly to the total current consump-
tion. Refer to ”Watchdog Timer” on page 49 for details on how to configure the Watchdog Timer.
Port Pins
When entering a sleep mode, all port pins should be configured to use minimum power. The
most important is then to ensure that no pins drive resistive loads. In sleep modes where both
the I/O clock (clkI/O) and the ADC clock (clkADC) are stopped, the input buffers of the device will
be disabled. This ensures that no power is consumed by the input logic when not needed. In
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2545E–AVR–02/05
MICROCHIP [ MICROCHIP ]
