DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT - 16-Bit 70 MIPS DSC 256KB | Microchip
MPN: DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.3 | $6.30 |
| 10 | $5.7 | $57.00 |
| 100 | $5.15 | $515.00 |
| 500 | $4.65 | $2,325.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.2 | $4,200.00 |
DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT Overview
A digital signal controller combines the computational architecture of a digital signal processor with the peripheral integration and deterministic control behavior of a microcontroller. Within the power-management hierarchy of an embedded system, the DSC sits at the supervisory and control layer, directly driving power conversion and motor-control stages. The dsPIC33EP family belongs to Microchip's broader 16-bit embedded control portfolio, which spans PIC24 microcontrollers and dsPIC digital signal controllers sharing a common core and development ecosystem.
Key differentiating features include the 70 MIPS modified Harvard DSP core with single-cycle MAC and 40-bit accumulator, integrated high-speed PWM modules for motor control, quadrature encoder interface (QEI) inputs for position feedback, on-chip operational amplifiers and comparators for current-sense signal chains, and industrial temperature coverage from -40C to +85C denoted by the -I suffix.
Architecturally, the dsPIC33EP core uses a pipelined 16-bit instruction set with DSP engine extensions, enabling precision and energy-efficient motor control designs as described by Microchip. The MCPWM peripheral set generates complementary, dead-time-inserted PWM outputs essential for driving three-phase inverter bridges, while the QEI hardware decodes encoder signals without CPU overhead. Fast ADCs synchronized to the PWM cycle complete the closed-loop control datapath.
Typical applications include brushless DC and permanent-magnet synchronous motor drives, power factor correction and solar inverter control, and digital power supplies such as LLC and half-bridge converters. Integrated op-amps reduce external component count in current-sensing front ends.
A key design consideration: connect all VDD and VSS pin pairs, as omitting any supply pin can cause programming to fail; the VCAP pin requires a low-ESR capacitor for the internal 2.5V regulator per Microchip guidance.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, pinout data, and practical design notes not found on the manufacturer product page alone.
Drop-in alternatives for DSPIC33EP256MC206T-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 DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, RAM, Packaging, Core Architecture, Core.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
DSPIC33EP256MC206-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP256MC206T-E/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP128MC206-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 16-bit dsPIC DSC (modified Harvard, DSP engine) |
| Max CPU Speed | 70 MIPS |
| Flash Program Memory | 256KB (85.5K x 24) |
| RAM | 32KB |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial, -I suffix) |
| Package | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Peripherals | MCPWM, QEI, OpAmps, Comparators |
| Product Family | dsPIC33EP 16-Bit Embedded Control Solutions |
| Packaging Suffix | T (Tape & Reel), PT (TQFP reel code) |
| Qualification (this grade) | Standard industrial (E/PT variant is AEC-Q100 automotive grade) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Development Ecosystem | MPLAB X IDE, XC16 compiler |
| Debug Support | Hardware breakpoints (4), ICSP/ICD via PGD/PGC |
| Supply Pin Requirement | All VDD/VSS pins must be connected (per Microchip) |
DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR — Master clear reset (active low), programming voltage input |
| Pin 2 | AN0/VREF+/CN2/RB0 — Analog input 0 / positive voltage reference |
| Pin 3 | AN1/VREF-/CN3/RB1 — Analog input 1 / negative voltage reference |
| Pin 4 | AN2/SS1/CN4/RB2 — Analog input 2 / SPI slave select 1 |
| Pin 5 | AN3/INDX/CN5/RB3 — Analog input 3 / QEI index input |
| Pin 6 | AN4/QEA/IC7/CN6/RB4 — Analog input 4 / QEI phase A / capture 7 |
| Pin 7 | AN5/QEB/IC8/CN7/RB5 — Analog input 5 / QEI phase B / capture 8 |
| Pin 8 | AN6/OCFA/IC1/RB6 — Analog input 6 / PWM fault A / capture 1 |
| Pin 9 | AN7/OCFB/PWM1L/IC2/RB7 — Analog input 7 / PWM fault B / PWM1 low / capture 2 |
| Pin 10 | VSS — Ground reference (must be connected) |
| Pin 11 | OSC1/CLKI/RA2 — Oscillator crystal input / external clock input |
| Pin 12 | OSC2/CLKO/RC15 — Oscillator crystal output / clock output |
| Pin 13 | VDD — 3.3V power supply (must be connected) |
| Pin 14 | AN8/PWM1H/RB8 — Analog input 8 / PWM1 high output |
| Pin 15 | AN9/PWM2L/RB9 — Analog input 9 / PWM2 low output |
| Pin 16 | AN10/PWM2H/RB10 — Analog input 10 / PWM2 high output |
| Pin 17 | AN11/PWM3L/RTCC/RB11 — Analog input 11 / PWM3 low / RTCC |
| Pin 18 | VSS — Ground reference (must be connected) |
| Pin 19 | AN12/PWM3H/RB12 — Analog input 12 / PWM3 high output |
| Pin 20 | AN13/IC3/RB13 — Analog input 13 / capture 3 |
| Pin 21 | AN14/IC4/RB14 — Analog input 14 / capture 4 |
| Pin 22 | AN15/IC5/RB15 — Analog input 15 / capture 5 |
| Pin 23 | VDD — 3.3V power supply (must be connected) |
| Pin 24 | TCK/RC1 — JTAG test clock / port RC1 |
| Pin 25 | TDI/RC2 — JTAG test data in / port RC2 |
| Pin 26 | PWM4L/RE0 — PWM4 low output / port RE0 |
| Pin 27 | PWM4H/RE1 — PWM4 high output / port RE1 |
| Pin 28 | PWM5L/RE2 — PWM5 low output / port RE2 |
| Pin 29 | PWM5H/RE3 — PWM5 high output / port RE3 |
| Pin 30 | PWM6L/RE4 — PWM6 low output / port RE4 |
| Pin 31 | PWM6H/RE5 — PWM6 high output / port RE5 |
| Pin 32 | TDO/RC3 — JTAG test data out / port RC3 |
| Pin 33 | VSS — Ground reference (must be connected) |
| Pin 34 | VDD — 3.3V power supply (must be connected) |
| Pin 35 | TMS/RC4 — JTAG test mode select / port RC4 |
| Pin 36 | SDA/RG3 — I2C data / port RG3 |
| Pin 37 | SCL/RG2 — I2C clock / port RG2 |
| Pin 38 | INT0/RE8 — External interrupt 0 / port RE8 |
| Pin 39 | RE9 — Port RE9 |
| Pin 40 | VCAP — Internal regulator output - connect low-ESR capacitor to VSS |
| Pin 41 | RG0 — Port RG0 |
| Pin 42 | RG1 — Port RG1 |
| Pin 43 | U2TX/RF5 — UART2 transmit / port RF5 |
| Pin 44 | U2RX/RF4 — UART2 receive / port RF4 |
| Pin 45 | SDI1/RF7 — SPI1 data in / port RF7 |
| Pin 46 | SDO1/RF8 — SPI1 data out / port RF8 |
| Pin 47 | SCK1/RF13 — SPI1 clock / port RF13 |
| Pin 48 | SS1/RF12 — SPI1 slave select / port RF12 |
| Pin 49 | VDD — 3.3V power supply (must be connected) |
| Pin 50 | VSS — Ground reference (must be connected) |
| Pin 51 | U1TX/RF3 — UART1 transmit / port RF3 |
| Pin 52 | U1RX/RF2 — UART1 receive / port RF2 |
| Pin 53 | PWM7L/RF6 — PWM7 low output / port RF6 |
| Pin 54 | PWM7H/RF1 — PWM7 high output / port RF1 |
| Pin 55 | PWM8L/RF0 — PWM8 low output / port RF0 |
| Pin 56 | PWM8H/RD8 — PWM8 high output / port RD8 |
| Pin 57 | PWM9L/RD9 — PWM9 low output / port RD9 |
| Pin 58 | PWM9H/RD10 — PWM9 high output / port RD10 |
| Pin 59 | RP47/RD11 — Remappable peripheral pin / port RD11 |
| Pin 60 | RP48/RD12 — Remappable peripheral pin / port RD12 |
| Pin 61 | AVDD — Analog power supply |
| Pin 62 | AVSS — Analog ground |
| Pin 63 | RPI49/RD13 — Remappable input pin / port RD13 |
| Pin 64 | RP50/RD0 — Remappable peripheral pin / port RD0 |
Typical Applications
DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT is suitable for 6 applications: Brushless DC / PMSM Motor Drives, Digital Power Supplies and LLC Converters, Solar Inverters and PFC Front Ends, Industrial Automation and Robotics, Battery Management and Charging Systems, Medical and Lab Instrumentation Control.
Brushless DC / PMSM Motor Drives
The DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT is purpose-built for precision motor control: its 70 MIPS DSP core with single-cycle MAC runs field-oriented control (FOC) math, while the MCPWM module generates complementary six-channel PWM with hardware dead time for three-phase inverter bridges. The quadrature encoder interface (QEI) decodes position feedback without CPU load, and on-chip op-amps amplify shunt-current signals ahead of the fast ADC, reducing external components. Typical closed current loops run at tens of kHz with cycle-by-cycle PWM synchronization. Place the DSC between gate drivers (e.g., IRS2183-type half-bridge drivers) and the MOSFET bridge; the integrated peripherals remove the need for external analog conditioning, cutting BOM cost in BLDC and PMSM drives for industrial automation and appliances.
Recommended
Digital Power Supplies and LLC Converters
In digitally controlled power supplies - LLC half-bridge, phase-shifted full-bridge, and PFC stages - the DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT supplies the control loop: the 70 MIPS core executes voltage and current compensation at 100+ kHz update rates, and MCPWM produces the phase-shifted or complementary drive signals with precise dead time. The fast ADC, triggered by PWM events, samples output voltage and inductor current at consistent points in the switching cycle, minimizing ripple aliasing. On-chip comparators implement hardware cycle-by-cycle current limiting independent of firmware. The 3.3V industrial-temperature part integrates supervisory functions, and the 256KB FLASH leaves room for PID libraries, communication stacks (SMBus/PMBus-style telemetry via I2C/UART) and field firmware updates in server and telecom power stages.
Recommended
Solar Inverters and PFC Front Ends
Grid-tied and off-grid solar inverters need simultaneous, phase-consistent control of a boost PFC stage and a DC-AC inverter stage; the DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT covers both from one 64-TQFP device. Its 70 MIPS DSP engine sustains the cascaded control loops (maximum power point tracking outer loop, current-mode inner loops), while multiple MCPWM channels drive boost and bridge stages with hardware dead time and synchronous ADC triggers. On-chip comparators provide hardware overcurrent trips that act within the switching cycle even if software stalls. The 256KB FLASH accommodates MPPT algorithms, anti-islanding logic and communication. The industrial -40C to +85C rating suits outdoor string-inverter enclosures when paired with appropriate thermal design.
Recommended
Industrial Automation and Robotics
Industrial nodes benefit from the DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT's blend of DSP throughput and standard MCU peripherals. Servo axes use QEI hardware to track encoder position while the DSP core runs motion profiling and FOC torque loops at kHz rates. Multiple UART, SPI and I2C ports link to drives, sensors and factory networks, and the DMA engine offloads peripheral data movement, preserving CPU headroom for the control loop. The 256KB FLASH and 32KB RAM host protocol stacks, trajectory tables and diagnostics. The -I industrial temperature grade and 3.3V supply integrate cleanly with standard 24V industrial IO conditioning. Debugging is supported with four hardware breakpoints and ICSP/ICD through MPLAB X tooling.
Recommended
Battery Management and Charging Systems
The DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT serves as the main controller in lithium-ion battery chargers and BMS units: multiple ADC channels monitor cell voltages and temperatures, the on-chip comparators flag out-of-range cells in hardware, and MCPWM drives the synchronous buck or boost charge power stage with adaptive dead time for high efficiency. The DSP core implements CC/CV charging profiles, coulomb counting and cell balancing scheduling, while I2C connects to smart-battery front-end ICs and UART/CAN-style links report state-of-charge to hosts. The RTCC supports charge-log time stamping, and Sleep/Idle modes plus wake-on-interrupt keep housekeeping current low in portable and standby-charger products. The 64-TQFP pin count provides ample analog channel availability.
Recommended
Medical and Lab Instrumentation Control
Benchtop and portable instrumentation - pumps, pipetting heads, centrifuges, and lab motorized stages - use the DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT for motion and power control. The QEI interface reads optical encoder feedback from precision stage motors, the op-amps condition sensor signals, and MCPWM drives the motors quietly with high-resolution PWM. The 70 MIPS core runs PID and feed-forward compensation while UART/I2C/SPI link to a supervisory host that implements UI and data logging. The 3.3V, industrial-grade device's deterministic interrupt latency supports consistent sample timing for measurement channels. Microchip's long product lifecycle and second-source packaging options (tape-and-reel and tray) simplify qualification for regulated manufacturing environments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for DSPIC33EP256MC206T-I/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | DSPIC33EP256MC206-I/PT | DSPIC33EP256MC206T-E/PT | DSPIC33EP128MC206-I/PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 64-TQFP (10x10) | 64-TQFP (10x10) - same | 64-TQFP (10x10) - same | 64-TQFP (10x10) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Program Memory | 256KB (85.5K x 24) | 256KB (85.5K x 24) | 256KB (85.5K x 24) | 128KB (42.75K x 24) |
| Core Speed | 70 MIPS | 70 MIPS | 70 MIPS | 70 MIPS |
| RAM | 32KB | 32KB | 32KB | 32KB |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (-I) | -40C to +85C (-I) | -40C to +125C (-E, AEC-Q100) | -40C to +85C (-I) |
| Automotive Qualification | No (industrial grade) | No | Yes (AEC-Q100 per FindIC) | No |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V |
| Peripherals | MCPWM, QEI, OpAmps, Comparators | MCPWM, QEI, OpAmps, Comparators | MCPWM, QEI, OpAmps, Comparators | MCPWM, QEI, OpAmps, Comparators |
Key Differentiators
- Extended-temperature automotive option on identical silicon (vs DSPIC33EP256MC206T-E/PT)
- Double the program memory at the same footprint and price class (vs DSPIC33EP128MC206-I/PT)
- Motor-control-specific peripheral integration (vs DSPIC33EP256MC206-I/PT)
Design Notes
Connect every VDD and VSS pin pair on the 64-TQFP device - Microchip explicitly states that if any supply pin pair is left unconnected, programming may fail. Place 0.1 uF ceramic capacitors at each VDD pin and one 4.7-10 uF bulk capacitor per supply group. The VCAP pin (pin 40) supplies the internal regulator and must have a low-ESR capacitor to VSS; using a wrong value or high-ESR part here is a common cause of brown-out and erratic behavior. Tie AVDD/AVSS to the analog rail with an RC filter for best ADC accuracy.
For motor-control layouts, route the PWM outputs (PWM1L/H through PWM9L/H) as short, matched pairs to the gate drivers and keep the ADC analog input traces away from PWM switching edges. Use a solid ground plane under the controller and star-connect AVSS to power ground at a single point near the current-shunt return. Decouple oscillator pins 11/12 with the crystal and its load capacitors placed within a few millimeters. Because the TQFP-64 has 0.5 mm pitch, verify solder-mask definitions against the Microchip package outline drawing before finalizing the land pattern.
Two frequent integration errors: (1) choosing the -E variant expecting -40C to +85C only, when it is actually the extended-temperature automotive part - confirm the temperature suffix before ordering; (2) assuming the T suffix reel can be split - many distributors sell full reels only, so use DSPIC33EP256MC206-I/PT tray parts for prototyping. Also verify that FLASH sizing leaves headroom: if firmware approaches 110KB, migrating to the 256KB sibling avoids a costly re-layout because the 128KB DSPIC33EP128MC206-I/PT shares the same footprint.
Compliance Information
Standard industrial part (-I suffix); the related DSPIC33EP256MC206T-E/PT variant is listed by FindIC as dsPIC Automotive, AEC-Q100 qualified. RoHS/REACH formal declarations should be retrieved from Microchip's product page.
