DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT - 16-bit 70 MIPS DSC 256KB Flash TQFP-44 | Microchip
MPN: DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.2 | $6.20 |
| 10 | $5.58 | $55.80 |
| 100 | $4.86 | $486.00 |
| 500 | $4.34 | $2,170.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.91 | $3,910.00 |
DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT Overview
A digital signal controller combines the deterministic control of a microcontroller with the math acceleration of a DSP. In the power-management hierarchy, the dsPIC33E family sits above entry-level PIC16/PIC18 MCUs and below 32-bit application processors, targeting real-time embedded control loops where fast multiply-accumulate operations, precise analog sampling and deterministic interrupts are required in a single chip.
Key features of the DSPIC33EP256GP504 include the highest-speed 70 MIPS dsPIC33E core with excellent code density, superior ADC performance, enhanced CAN communication, a Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU), integrated operational amplifiers and a Peripheral Trigger Generator (PTG) that automates ADC/DSP task sequencing without CPU intervention. Distributor listings also characterize the device as a 60 MHz-clock 44-pin part with OpAmps, comparators, PTG and CAN, confirming the rich mixed-signal peripheral set.
Architecturally, the 16-bit pipeline executes DSP instructions such as MAC and dual-fetch operations while retaining C-friendly MCU peripherals, allowing a single designer to close motor-control or power-conversion loops at kilohertz-to-hundreds-of-kilohertz rates with hardware PWM and the CTMU for precise capacitive timing.
Typical applications include digital power supplies and power-factor-correction converters, brushless DC and PMSM motor control, CAN-based industrial and automotive body nodes, and general-purpose sensing systems that exploit the on-chip op amps and comparators to reduce external component count.
Design consideration: keep the 3.3 V supply decoupled with low-ESR ceramics at every VDD/VSS pair and verify that the 70 MIPS core clock configuration (PLL settings from the 60 MHz-class clock source listed by distributors) matches your crystal choice before committing the PCB.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT — 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 DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Communication Interfaces, Core Architecture, Peripherals.
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DSPIC33EP256GP504-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.68 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP256GP504T-E/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP256GP504T-E/ML
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$5.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP128GP504T-I/PT
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
DSPIC33EP16GS504-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
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View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 16-bit dsPIC33E DSC |
| Maximum Performance | 70 MIPS |
| Core Clock (distributor listing) | 60 MHz |
| Program Memory (FLASH) | 256 KB (85.5K x 24) |
| RAM | 32 KB |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Package | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (I grade) |
| Peripherals | OpAmps, Comparators, PTG, CTMU, CAN |
| Communication Interfaces | Enhanced CAN, UART, SPI, I2C |
| Family | dsPIC33EP General Purpose |
| Packaging Suffix | T (Tape & Reel) |
| Number of Pins | 44 |
DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT 44-tqfp (10x10 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT (44-tqfp (10x10 mm) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT is suitable for 6 applications: Digital Power Supplies and PFC, Brushless DC and PMSM Motor Control, CAN-Based Industrial and Automotive Nodes, Sensor Signal Conditioning and Measurement, General-Purpose Embedded Control, Test, Measurement and Instrumentation.
Digital Power Supplies and PFC
The DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT fits digital power conversion because its 70 MIPS DSP core executes control-loop mathematics fast enough for switching frequencies in the hundreds of kilohertz, while the Peripheral Trigger Generator (PTG) synchronizes ADC sampling directly to PWM events without CPU loading. In a PFC or LLC converter, the controller reads voltage and current feedback through the on-chip ADC, applies compensator coefficients using hardware MAC instructions, and updates the PWM duty cycle within one switching period. The integrated op amps can amplify shunt-current signals, removing external amplifier stages, and comparators support cycle-by-cycle overcurrent protection. The trade-off versus a dedicated digital-power ASIC is firmware effort, but the payoff is full flexibility over control laws and communication protocols such as CAN or PMBus-over-UART. 3.3 V supply and -40C to +85C rating suit telecom and industrial power bricks.
Recommended
Brushless DC and PMSM Motor Control
For BLDC and PMSM drives, the DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT provides field-oriented control (FOC) capability on a single chip: the 70 MIPS core executes Park/Clarke transforms and PI current loops deterministically, the integrated op amps amplify low-level shunt currents, and comparators implement hardware overcurrent trip without software latency. The CTMU and general-purpose timers support rotor-position estimation via back-EMF or sensor interpolation. Because the GP504 also integrates enhanced CAN, a single device can run the motor control loop and simultaneously report speed, torque and diagnostics on an industrial or vehicle network - valuable in pumps, fans, HVAC blowers and robotics. Designers should budget CPU cycles carefully: at 70 MIPS, FOC at 20 kHz leaves ample headroom, but adding protocol stacks requires measurement. The 44-TQFP 10x10 mm footprint keeps drive-board layouts compact.
Recommended
CAN-Based Industrial and Automotive Nodes
The enhanced CAN module makes the DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT a strong candidate for networked industrial sensors and body-control nodes. It services CAN frames while concurrently running a real-time control task, since the 70 MIPS core and 32 KB RAM provide enough bandwidth for both a control loop and a message-handling stack. For standard industrial deployments the -40C to +85C /I grade suffices; when the node targets in-vehicle positions, the pin-compatible AEC-Q100-qualified DSPIC33EP256GP504T-E/PT offers the same footprint and 256 KB FLASH with automotive qualification, allowing one PCB layout to serve both markets. Typical end equipment includes valve controllers, gateways, sensor aggregators and lighting modules. Firmware effort centers on the ECAN filter configuration and DMA-style buffer management, both documented in the dsPIC33E family reference manual sections available from Microchip.
Recommended
Sensor Signal Conditioning and Measurement
The GP504's mixed-signal blocks - operational amplifiers, analog comparators and the CTMU charge-time measurement unit - allow many sensor front ends to be built with minimal external parts. The CTMU measures capacitance precisely (touch, moisture, level sensing), while the on-chip op amps amplify thermocouple, RTD or shunt signals before the high-performance ADC samples them. The Peripheral Trigger Generator automates the sampling sequence so that conversions occur at deterministic intervals, improving measurement repeatability. With 256 KB of FLASH, calibration tables, linearization curves and even local logging fit on-chip. Typical products include environmental monitors, load cells, flow meters and capacitive-level probes. The main design consideration is analog layout: keep the ADC reference path quiet and use the 3.3 V rail with clean decoupling, since the 70 MIPS digital core switching noise can couple into high-impedance analog nodes on a shared PCB.
Recommended
General-Purpose Embedded Control
As a general-purpose microcontroller, the DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT covers applications that need more math throughput than a classic 8-bit MCU but not the complexity of a 32-bit OS-based processor: HVAC controllers, charging equipment, vending machines, lighting ballasts and test fixtures. The 16-bit core delivers 70 MIPS with deterministic interrupt latency, and the UART/SPI/I2C set covers common peripheral connectivity. The 44-pin TQFP provides roughly 35 general-purpose I/O lines, sufficient for keypads, displays, relays and status indicators in compact products. Compared with a PIC16-class device, the DSC adds DSP instructions, DMA-class peripheral triggering and far more RAM (32 KB), which benefits designs using PID loops or buffering. Compared with an ARM Cortex-M0+ part, the dsPIC33E wins on deterministic bit-banging and DSP math; it loses on third-party ecosystem breadth, so choose based on team experience and cycle-level determinism needs.
Recommended
Test, Measurement and Instrumentation
Bench instruments, portable testers and data loggers benefit from the GP504's combination of a fast ADC front end, CTMU precision timing, and 256 KB of FLASH for storing calibration data and multi-protocol firmware. The 70 MIPS core can compute RMS, FFT windows or filtering on the fly, while the PTG sequences conversions so waveform capture is time-consistent without CPU jitter. CAN and UART interfaces allow the instrument to integrate into automated test setups, and 32 KB of RAM supports capture buffering for short waveform segments. Because the industrial temperature grade spans -40C to +85C, the same design works on factory floors and in outdoor enclosures. When higher capture depth is required, designers typically pair the DSC with external SRAM over SPI; the trade-off is added BOM cost versus the simplicity of a single-chip measurement engine in the 10x10 mm TQFP-44 footprint.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for DSPIC33EP256GP504T-I/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | DSPIC33EP256GP504-I/PT | DSPIC33EP256GP504T-E/PT | DSPIC33EP128GP504T-I/PT | DSPIC33EP16GS504-I/PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP - same footprint |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Packaging Format | Tape & Reel (T) | Tray | Tape & Reel (T) | Tape & Reel (T) | Tray |
Key Differentiators
- Maximum family performance (vs DSPIC33EP128GP504T-I/PT)
- Automotive upgrade path (vs DSPIC33EP256GP504T-E/PT)
- Lower BOM via integrated analog (vs DSPIC33EP16GS504-I/PT)
Design Notes
Decouple every VDD/VSS pair of the 44-TQFP with 100 nF low-ESR ceramic capacitors placed within 2-3 mm of the pins, plus one bulk 10 uF capacitor near the supply entry. The 70 MIPS core draws dynamic current spikes on every instruction fetch, and the 10x10 mm TQFP relies entirely on good PCB decoupling for supply integrity. Follow the Microchip dsPIC33E hardware design guidelines in the family reference manual for oscillator routing: keep the crystal traces short and guard them from high-current PWM or CAN driver traces.
When migrating between the /I (industrial) and /E (automotive extended) suffixes, verify that your operating environment stays within -40C to +85C before substituting the /I part - the E-grade die may carry different electrical limits at temperature extremes. Also confirm configuration-word settings (oscillator PLL, watchdog, code protection) are reprogrammed after any die change; different dsPIC33EP variants can default to different oscillator sources, causing a board that appears dead if the PLL never locks.
The GP504 runs from a single 3.3 V rail. Estimated: a 70 MIPS core with peripherals active typically draws on the order of tens of milliamps to ~100 mA; confirm exact IDD from the manufacturer datasheet electrical characteristics table for your clock configuration. Budget the 3.3 V regulator accordingly and consider a small LC filter between the main logic rail and the VDD pins if the ADC is sampling high-impedance sources, since core switching noise can degrade ADC effective resolution.
For motor-control or digital-power designs, route PWM outputs to gate drivers away from analog sense lines feeding the on-chip op amps and ADC. Use the PTG to trigger ADC sampling synchronously with PWM midpoints, which places sampling away from switching-edge noise. Separate analog and digital ground returns and join them at a single star point near the supply. These practices materially improve effective-number-of-bits performance on the dsPIC33E ADC.
Compliance Information
The /I (industrial) suffix is not AEC-Q100 qualified; the /E variant (DSPIC33EP256GP504T-E/PT) is the AEC-Q100 automotive-grade option per Microchip USA listings. RoHS/REACH status to be confirmed on the Microchip product page.
