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Atmel integrates a boost converter inside the ATtiny43U, converting a DC voltage to a higher level, and bridging the gap between minimum supply voltage of the MCU and the typical output voltages of a standard single cell battery. The boost converter provides the MCU with a fixed supply voltage of 3.0V from a single battery cell even when the battery voltage drops down to 0.7V.

The ATtiny43U allows non-rechargeable batteries to be drained to the minimum, thus extending the battery life, the company said. To avoid damage of battery cell of rechargeable batteries, there are programmable shut-off levels above the critical minimum voltage level.