DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM - 16-bit DSC 60MHz 256KB Flash QFN-28 | Microchip
MPN: DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5.62 | $5.62 |
| 10 | $5.08 | $50.80 |
| 100 | $4.61 | $461.00 |
| 500 | $4.18 | $2,090.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.79 | $3,790.00 |
DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM Overview
A Digital Signal Controller combines the computational throughput of a DSP with the peripheral integration and ease of use of a microcontroller, sitting within the broader hierarchy: DSC -> 16-bit microcontroller -> embedded processor. The dsPIC33E general purpose family is designed for control-loop intensive applications such as digital power conversion, motor control, and sensor processing, where a single-chip solution must execute DSP-class math while managing rich analog and communication peripherals.
Key features include a 16-bit dsPIC33E core with DSP engine (single-cycle MAC, 40-bit accumulators, dual operand fetch), high-speed PWM modules for power conversion, on-chip op amps and comparators that reduce external BOM count, an enhanced CAN 2.0B peripheral for industrial networking, and a Peripheral Trigger Generator (PTG) that automates internal sequencing to offload the CPU. Up to 12-bit ADC capability with fast sample rates supports precise current and voltage sensing.
Architecturally, the device pairs the DSP engine with Harvard bus architecture, achieving deterministic single-cycle execution of multiply-accumulate operations. Flash self-programming supports field firmware updates, while the CTMU (Charge Time Measurement Unit) enables touch or time-of-flight style measurements. The E-version silicon implements Microchip's errata-corrected final family design documented in the DS70000657 family data sheet.
Typical applications include brushless DC and PMSM motor control drives, digital power supplies and LED drivers exploiting the high-resolution PWM, and industrial nodes using CAN or UART networking. The analog front-end (comparators, op amps) makes it a compact fit for sensor conditioning.
Design consideration: with a QFN-28 package, thermal dissipation is concentrated in the exposed paddle under the die - connect it to a solid ground plane and place at least a 10 uF bulk and 0.1 uF ceramic capacitor on each VDD pin pair for supply integrity.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, verified drop-in alternatives from the same dsPIC33EP family, practical design notes, and package/pinout guidance not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Communication Interfaces, Core, Maximum CPU Speed.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
DSPIC33EP128MC202T-E/MM
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.41 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP128GP502-I/MM
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$4.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP64GP502-I/MM
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP32GP502-I/MM
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | dsPIC33E 16-bit core |
| Core Speed | 60 MHz (60 MIPS) |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB |
| SRAM | 32 KB |
| Supply Voltage Range | 3.0 V to 3.6 V (VDD) |
| Package | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (I grade) |
| Communication Interfaces | CAN 2.0B, UART, SPI, I2C |
| ADC | 10-bit / 12-bit ADC (advanced analog family) |
| Comparators | On-chip comparators |
| Op Amps | On-chip operational amplifiers |
| PWM | High-Speed PWM |
| Peripheral Trigger Generator | PTG included |
| CTMU | Charge Time Measurement Unit included |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tube |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lifecycle Status | In Production (per Microchip product page) |
DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR — Master clear reset / programming voltage input |
| Pin 2 | AN0/VREF+/CN3/RB0 — Analog input 0 / positive ADC reference / change notification / port B |
| Pin 3 | AN1/VREF-/CN2/RB1 — Analog input 1 / negative ADC reference / change notification / port B |
| Pin 4 | PGD/AN2/SS1/CN4/RB2 — In-circuit debug data / analog input 2 / SPI slave select / port B |
| Pin 5 | PGC/AN3/CN5/RB3 — In-circuit debug clock / analog input 3 / port B |
| Pin 6 | AN4/C1IN-/CN6/RB4 — Analog input 4 / comparator 1 inverting input / port B |
| Pin 7 | VDD — Positive supply (3.0 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | AN5/C1IN+/CN7/RB5 — Analog input 5 / comparator 1 non-inverting input / port B |
| Pin 10 | AN9/RP15/RB15 — Analog input 9 / remappable peripheral pin / port B |
| Pin 11 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 12 | AN10/RP14/RB14 — Analog input 10 / remappable peripheral pin / port B |
| Pin 13 | AN11/RP13/RB13 — Analog input 11 / remappable peripheral pin / port B |
| Pin 14 | AN12/RP12/RB12 — Analog input 12 / remappable peripheral pin / port B |
| Pin 15 | OSC1/CLKI/RA2 — Primary oscillator input / external clock input / port A |
| Pin 16 | OSC2/CLKO/RA3 — Primary oscillator output / clock output / port A |
| Pin 17 | SOSCI/RP4/CN1/RC13 — Secondary oscillator input / remappable peripheral pin / port C |
| Pin 18 | SOSCO/RP3/CN0/RC14 — Secondary oscillator output / remappable peripheral pin / port C |
| Pin 19 | VDD — Positive supply (3.0 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 20 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 21 | RP2/RC15 — Remappable peripheral pin / port C |
| Pin 22 | RP20/RF4 — Remappable peripheral pin / port F |
| Pin 23 | RP21/RF5 — Remappable peripheral pin / port F |
| Pin 24 | RP18/RF3 — Remappable peripheral pin / port F |
| Pin 25 | RP19/RF2 — Remappable peripheral pin / port F |
| Pin 26 | RP1/RF0 — Remappable peripheral pin / port F |
| Pin 27 | RP4/RF1 — Remappable peripheral pin / port F |
| Pin 28 | VSS — Ground reference (QFN exposed paddle also connects to VSS) |
Typical Applications
DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM is suitable for 6 applications: BLDC / PMSM Motor Control, Digital Power Supplies and LED Drivers, Industrial CAN Networking Nodes, Sensor Signal Acquisition and Conditioning, Portable Instrumentation and Handheld Test Tools, Embedded Control with Field Firmware Updates.
BLDC / PMSM Motor Control
The DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM fits single-motor drives because its high-speed PWM provides complementary outputs with hardware dead-time, the fast 10/12-bit ADC samples phase currents synchronously with PWM, and on-chip comparators trip the PWM outputs on overcurrent without CPU latency. In a field-oriented control (FOC) loop, the DSP engine's single-cycle MAC executes Clarke/Park transforms and PI current loops well within the 60 MIPS budget, leaving headroom for sensorless observers. Typical topology: PWM gates the inverter through gate drivers, shunt currents feed the ADC through op-amp conditioning that can partially use the integrated op amps, and CAN links the drive to a host controller. The trade-off versus larger GM-family parts is limited PWM channel count, so it targets one motor per MCU.
Recommended
Digital Power Supplies and LED Drivers
Digital SMPS topologies benefit directly from the DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM's high-speed PWM resolution and deterministic DSP math. The controller closes voltage or current loops at switching-frequency rates, with the ADC triggered by the PWM timer for consistent sampling instants, and the Peripheral Trigger Generator (PTG) automating measurement sequences to offload the CPU. The on-chip comparators implement hardware cycle-by-cycle current limiting that protects the power stage during transients even if firmware stalls. With 256 KB of flash, engineers can store compensation tables, multi-topology firmware, and field-update bootloaders simultaneously. The main design consideration is thermal: keep the QFN exposed pad well grounded because control-loop jitter and ADC noise both degrade with poor supply integrity around the 3.3 V rail.
Recommended
Industrial CAN Networking Nodes
The Enhanced CAN (ECAN) module makes the DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM a compact industrial node controller for CAN 2.0B networks at up to 1 Mbps. The DSC handles protocol framing in hardware, so the 60 MIPS DSP core remains available for sensor fusion, filtering, or local control loops between bus transactions. Typical roles include distributed I/O modules, pump or fan controllers, and gateways bridging CAN to UART or SPI devices. With 256 KB flash, the node can hold a full protocol stack (for example CANopen or DeviceNet-style layers), application logic, and an in-field flash-programmable bootloader. Pair the microcontroller with an external CAN transceiver such as the MCP2551, and add proper bus termination and TVS protection at the connector for robust industrial EMC performance.
Recommended
Sensor Signal Acquisition and Conditioning
The DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM consolidates an analog front end in silicon: on-chip op amps buffer small sensor signals, comparators provide threshold alarms, the CTMU supports charge-time measurements for capacitive sensing, and the 10/12-bit ADC digitizes conditioned channels. A PTG-sequenced acquisition chain can sample, average, and flag anomalies with minimal CPU involvement, while the DSP engine runs FIR/IIR filtering to clean noisy transducer data in real time. Applications include pressure and flow transmitters, thermocouple/RTD front ends with external precision references, and vibration monitors on industrial machinery. With 256 KB of flash, calibration tables and multi-sensor state machines coexist with the DSP filtering code. Verify offset and gain drift of the integrated op amps against sensor accuracy targets before skipping external precision amplification.
Recommended
Portable Instrumentation and Handheld Test Tools
For handheld instruments, the DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM balances compute performance and power in a 6x6 mm QFN that conserves board area in compact enclosures. The 60 MIPS DSP core performs FFT-based analysis, metering calculations, or motor signature analysis locally, while UART, SPI, and I2C manage displays, memory cards, and external peripherals. The 3.0-3.6 V single-supply operation matches common Li-ion rail architectures after regulation, and low-power idle/sleep modes extend battery runtime between measurements. Industrial -40C to +85C grading ensures reliability in field instruments exposed to temperature extremes. Because the QFN-28 package has limited I/O, this fits single-function instruments (one measurement engine plus UI) rather than multi-channel data acquisition racks, where a larger dsPIC33EP256GM-family member is preferable.
Recommended
Embedded Control with Field Firmware Updates
Products deployed in the field - EVSE accessories, irrigation controllers, HVAC boards - benefit from the DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM's flash self-programming, which enables safe bootloader-based firmware updates over CAN or UART. A common architecture reserves a small boot block, validates incoming images with a CRC, and falls back to the previous image on failure, protecting bricked deployments. The 256 KB flash provides generous double-imaging headroom, and the 32 KB SRAM buffers update frames alongside application data. The RTCC and watchdog peripherals improve uptime accountability, while the -40C to +85C rating covers unconditioned enclosures. XAIPART stocks both this MPN and the 128 KB DSPIC33EP128GP502-I/MM pin-compatible sibling, letting product families span memory tiers on one PCB design.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | DSPIC33EP128MC202T-E/MM | DSPIC33EP128GP502-I/MM | DSPIC33EP64GP502-I/MM | DSPIC33EP32GP502-I/MM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) /MM | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 64 KB | 32 KB |
| Core Speed | 60 MIPS (60 MHz) | 60 MIPS | 60 MIPS | 60 MIPS | 60 MIPS |
| Peripheral Family | GP (CAN, op amps, comparators, PTG) | MC (motor control PWM variant) | GP - identical | GP - identical | GP - identical |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (I grade) | -40C to +125C (E grade) | -40C to +85C (I grade) | -40C to +85C (I grade) | -40C to +85C (I grade) |
Key Differentiators
- Double the flash of the pin-compatible 128 KB siblings (vs DSPIC33EP128GP502-I/MM)
- General purpose analog suite vs motor-control variant (vs DSPIC33EP128MC202T-E/MM)
- ECAN on-chip in a 28-pin package (vs DSPIC33EP32GP502-I/MM)
Design Notes
The QFN-28 6x6 package relies on the exposed paddle for its primary ground return. Create a pad-array stencil pattern (roughly 60-70 percent coverage) and fan out to at least a 3x3 via array into the ground plane to ensure reliable reflow and low-inductance grounding. Unsoldered paddles are the most common field failure for this package, manifesting as intermittent resets or noisy ADC ground reference. Follow Microchip's QFN layout recommendations in the DS70000657 family data sheet.
Supply the DSPIC33EP256GP502-I/MM from a clean 3.3 V rail (3.0-3.6 V operating range). Place 0.1 uF ceramic capacitors at each VDD pin and a 10 uF bulk capacitor within a few millimeters of the device. Because the ADC performs better with quiet supplies, avoid sharing the analog supply trace with PWM gate-driver switching currents; a ferrite bead plus dedicated decoupling for the analog pins improves effective ADC resolution. Estimated: peak DSC core currents are tens of milliamps, so a 100 mA-class LDO rail is typically sufficient for the MCU alone.
The Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) system means most digital functions can map to any RPn pin - always cross-check the PPS register map against the 28-QFN pinout in the family data sheet, since PPS conflicts are the top cause of 'peripheral not working' support tickets on this family. Second, MCLR doubles as the high-voltage programming pin: include the recommended pull-up and isolation so the ICSP programmer can drive the pin. Third, note the EMU/EMUC debug functions share RB2/RB3 with PGD/PGC - avoid assigning them to other peripherals if in-circuit debugging is required.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance and lead-free status per standard Microchip production for this family; REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status not explicitly stated in the provided web data.
