DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR - 16-bit DSC 40MIPS 128KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.54 | $6.54 |
| 10 | $5.92 | $59.20 |
| 100 | $5.35 | $535.00 |
| 500 | $4.86 | $2,430.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.42 | $4,420.00 |
DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR Overview
A digital signal controller combines the peripheral set and processing convenience of a microcontroller with the mathematical throughput of a DSP. In the embedded hierarchy, the DSC sits between a general-purpose MCU and a dedicated DSP, making the dsPIC33F family a common choice for real-time control loops where fast multiply-accumulate operations and deterministic interrupt response are required.
Key features include 8 direct memory access (DMA) channels that move data without CPU intervention, 11 timers, up to 5 external interrupt sources, and 4 serial I/O ports supporting UART, SPI and I2C connectivity. The device integrates motor-control-oriented peripherals, including PWM outputs and an advanced analog front end, and includes a CAN 2.0B controller for industrial networking.
Architecturally, the dsPIC33F core uses a modified Harvard pipeline with DSP instruction extensions (MAC, DSP multiply, barrel shifter) and CMOS technology, executing from 3.3V supply. The A-version silicon is the current die revision of the dsPIC33FJ128MC506 family, incorporating errata fixes over the original release.
Typical applications include brushless DC motor drives, single- and 3-phase induction motor control, switched reluctance motors, uninterruptible power supplies, power inverters, and digital power conversion where sensor feedback loops run at tens of kilohertz.
Design-wise, budget the 3.3V rail for core and I/O, use the internal PLL to reach the 40 MIPS operating point from a lower-frequency crystal, and reserve DMA channels for high-rate ADC streaming to minimize interrupt jitter in control loops.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR — 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 DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Core Architecture, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status, Supply Voltage.
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Request AlternativesDSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | dsPIC33F, 16-bit |
| Max CPU Speed | 40 MIPS |
| Clock Frequency | 40 MHz |
| Program Memory | 128 KB (128K x 8) Flash |
| SRAM | 8192 words (16 KB) |
| DMA Channels | 8 |
| Timers | 11 |
| Serial I/O Ports | 4 |
| External Interrupts | 5 |
| CAN Controller | Yes (CAN 2.0B, per family feature set) |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C |
| Package | 64-VQFN (9x9 mm), MR suffix |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Technology | CMOS |
| Core Architecture | Modified Harvard, DSP-enhanced RISC |
DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR 64-vqfn (9x9 mm), mr suffix Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR (64-vqfn (9x9 mm), mr suffix 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 DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR is suitable for 6 applications: Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor Control, Single and 3-Phase Induction Motor Drives, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), Digital Power Conversion (Inverters and Converters), Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) Drives, Industrial Automation and CAN Networking Nodes.
Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor Control
The DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR fits BLDC drives because its 40 MIPS DSP core executes commutation or field-oriented control loops well above typical electrical frequencies, while motor-control PWM peripherals generate complementary outputs with hardware dead time. The 8-channel DMA streams ADC current and voltage samples to RAM without CPU intervention, keeping the fast loop deterministic. Placed as the single controller in a 3-phase inverter stage, it reads hall or encoder feedback via input capture, computes commutation, and updates PWM duty in a few microseconds. The on-chip CAN controller links the drive to a higher-level network. The trade-off versus a dedicated ASIC is higher software effort, offset by full algorithm flexibility.
Recommended
Single and 3-Phase Induction Motor Drives
Induction motor control with V/f or sensorless vector algorithms benefits directly from this DSC's combination of 40 MIPS throughput, DSP multiply-accumulate instructions for the reference-frame transforms, and 128 KB Flash for algorithm plus parameter storage. The device's PWM module generates the six-switch SVPWM waveform while the ADC samples DC-bus current through a shunt or Hall sensor, with DMA moving results each PWM cycle. In a 3-phase industrial drive, the same chip also handles RS-485/UART communications and protection logic (overcurrent trip via external interrupt). Using 16 KB SRAM permits buffering of fault waveforms for diagnostics. Firmware complexity is the main cost versus analog V/f controllers.
Recommended
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
A UPS requires simultaneous control of an input PFC stage, a DC/DC converter, and an inverter output stage - tasks this DSC handles with its 40 MIPS core, multiple PWM generators, and high-rate ADC plus DMA. The 128 KB Flash accommodates control laws for all three stages plus a CAN or UART interface to battery-management and monitoring systems. The 5 external interrupt sources provide fast latch-up protection for overcurrent and grid-loss events. Deterministic interrupt latency keeps output voltage THD low under nonlinear loads. Designers must budget CPU load across stages; typical designs partition control into a fast inverter loop and slower supervisory tasks on the same silicon, avoiding a second controller.
Recommended
Digital Power Conversion (Inverters and Converters)
In digitally controlled power converters - DC/AC inverters, LLC resonant converters, and solar micro-inverters - the DSPIC33FJ128MC506A provides the nonlinearity compensation, adaptive control, and communications that analog controllers cannot. Its 40 MIPS rate supports control loop bandwidths into the tens of kilohertz, while the 11 timers handle phase-shifted PWM, synchronous rectification timing, and housekeeping. The 8 DMA channels sustain ADC sampling at the switching frequency without stealing CPU cycles, and the 16 KB SRAM holds compensation state plus logging. Firmware-based control enables field firmware updates over CAN or UART, a key serviceability advantage over fixed analog compensation networks in deployed power systems.
Recommended
Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) Drives
SRM drives demand precise phase current chopping and rotor-position-derived commutation, which this DSC supports through its fast PWM updates, input capture for position sensor pulses, and 40 MIPS DSP core for torque-ripple-minimizing control laws. Because SRM phases are energized independently, the controller uses multiple PWM outputs and ADC channels - the DMA engine synchronizes current sampling to PWM edges across phases. The 128 KB Flash stores commutation tables plus adaptive algorithms, and 16 KB SRAM supports per-phase history for sensorless estimation. The industrial -40C to +85C rating suits harsh pump, fan, and compressor environments where SRM ruggedness is valued over PMSM cost.
Recommended
Industrial Automation and CAN Networking Nodes
Beyond motor control, this DSC serves as an intelligent CAN node in factory automation, combining its on-chip CAN 2.0B controller, 4 serial I/O ports (UART/SPI/I2C), and 5 external interrupts to interface sensors, actuators, and supervisory PLCs. The 40 MIPS core runs protocol stacks and local control logic concurrently; the 8 DMA channels offload serial and ADC traffic so the CPU stays responsive to network timing. 128 KB Flash holds the application plus a bootloadable firmware image for field updates over the CAN bus - a major maintenance advantage in installed equipment. The 64-VQFN 9x9 mm footprint fits compact I/O modules mounted close to machinery.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for DSPIC33FJ128MC506A-I/MR — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | DSPIC33FJ128MC506-I/MR | DSPIC33FJ64MC506A-I/MR | DSPIC33FJ256MC506A-I/MR | DSPIC33EV256GM106-I/MR | DSPIC33FJ128GP306A-I/MR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 64-VQFN (9x9 mm), MR | 64-VQFN (9x9 mm) - same | 64-VQFN (9x9 mm) - same | 64-VQFN (9x9 mm) - same | 64-VQFN (MR) - same footprint | 64-VQFN (MR) - same footprint |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core / Max Speed | dsPIC33F, 40 MIPS | dsPIC33F, 40 MIPS | dsPIC33F, 40 MIPS | dsPIC33F, 40 MIPS | dsPIC33E, 70 MIPS class | dsPIC33F, 40 MIPS |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 128 KB | 128 KB | 64 KB (-50%) | 256 KB (+100%) | 256 KB (+100%) | 128 KB |
| Peripheral Flavor | MC (motor control PWM + advanced analog, CAN) | MC - same | MC - same | MC - same | E-family motor control set (review deltas) | GP - general purpose peripheral set |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (I grade) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
Key Differentiators
- Double the Flash with the same pinout (vs DSPIC33FJ64MC506A-I/MR)
- Corrected silicon at no layout cost (vs DSPIC33FJ128MC506-I/MR)
- Cost-optimized memory point versus 256 KB sibling (vs DSPIC33FJ256MC506A-I/MR)
Design Notes
The dsPIC33FJ operates from a single 3.3V rail with an internal core regulator; place the required low-ESR capacitor on the VDDCORE/VCAP pin as close to the pin as possible - this is the single most common bring-up failure on the family. Decouple each VDD pin with 0.1 uF ceramics plus one bulk 10 uF per device. Estimated: at 40 MIPS, typical core current is on the order of tens of milliamps, so a 100-150 mA LDO provides comfortable margin including I/O switching currents.
In motor-control designs, route the PWM outputs away from hall/encoder feedback lines and keep the current-shense loop (shunt -> amplifier -> ANx pin) as short as possible. Synchronize ADC sampling to the PWM period via the dedicated trigger so current samples land at the PWM center, away from switching-edge noise - this is the standard technique in Microchip's motor-control reference designs. Use the DMA channel to move ADC results to RAM to avoid sampling jitter caused by variable interrupt latency in nested ISRs.
Verify the silicon revision in your build: the non-A dsPIC33FJ128MC506 has known errata that the A version (this part) corrects; do not mix revisions in a production run without re-running qualification. When migrating firmware between 64MC506A / 128MC506A / 256MC506A, update the linker script and device header - Flash size constants are compile-time. Finally, configure configuration words (oscillator source, PLL, watchdog, code protection) deliberately; default oscillator settings will not yield the 40 MIPS operating point without the correct PLL divider values.
Compliance Information
I-grade dsPIC33FJ parts are supplied in Microchip's current lead-free RoHS-compliant packaging, but certificate data for this exact ordering code was not captured in the provided source data - verify via Microchip product page before compliance documentation.
