Hi,
I am looking at a circuit built around an ATmega103L device. The circuit is supplying 4.08 volts (uncalibrated DVM) to the ATmega103L - the cct-diagram says VCC is 5V.
The ATmega103L data sheet contains these specifications:
Device : Power Supply (page 132)
------------------------------- ATmega103L : 2.7 - 3.6V ATmega103 : 4.0 - 5.5V
Device: Supply Voltage during Programming (page 100)
--------------------------------- ATmega103L : 3.2 - 3.6V (serial*) ATmega103 : 4.0 - 5.0V (serial*)
*Note: this is not the ISP serial programming mode.
Question is: Are these voltage ranges critical? I.e. If the ATmega103L WAS programmed with a supply voltage at 4.08 volts, would this cause problems? If the ATmega103L WAS operated with a supply voltage of 4.08 volts, would this cause problems with the stability of the device (disregarding the effect on other components).
Or is the lower voltage range simply a constraint to keep device withing the L(ow) power specification, yet if it is exceeded, the device still functions correctly but with a higher power consumption?
What do you suppose would happen if this device were operated in the dead supply area of 3.6 - 4.0 volts?
Joe