DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP - 16-bit DSC, 50MHz, 16KB Flash, 28-SPDIP
MPN: DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5.42 | $5.42 |
| 10 | $4.88 | $48.80 |
| 100 | $4.13 | $413.00 |
| 500 | $3.62 | $1,810.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.18 | $3,180.00 |
DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP Overview
What is a Digital Signal Controller? A DSC is a hybrid between a microcontroller (MCU) and a digital signal processor (DSP). The MCU side provides deterministic control of peripherals, interrupt handling, and general I/O, while the DSP side delivers single-cycle MAC, dual-operand fetch, and a 40-bit barrel shifter for high-throughput numerical work. The dsPIC33F architecture also includes a hardware DSP engine that can execute one MAC per instruction cycle. Within the broader taxonomy, this places the DSPIC33FJ16GS502 as: DSC -> MCU+DSP hybrid -> embedded controller -> semiconductor.
Key features include up to six PWM outputs with up to four duty-cycle generators and up to 1.1 ns PWM resolution, a 12-bit ADC with up to 1 Msps conversion rate (with up to 10 channels multiplexed), four analog comparators, and a high-speed 4-channel DMA controller. The part also integrates a 16-bit timer/counter, an I2C port, two UART modules, and a configurable JTAG/boundary-scan interface (per IEEE 1149.1). A wide variety of power-saving modes (Idle, Sleep, and Doze) plus a low-power Real-Time Clock/Calendar (RTCC) with on-chip 32 kHz oscillator support battery-backed operation.
On the architecture side, the dsPIC33FJ16GS502 uses a 16-bit modified Harvard architecture with a 24-bit instruction word. The instruction pipeline is 2 stages for most instructions, and most DSP instructions execute in a single cycle. The device runs from 3.0 V to 3.6 V (typical 3.3 V), with a maximum supply current of 160 mA. It is rated for -40 C to +85 C industrial operation (the I/SP suffix) and is qualified to Microchip's standard industrial reliability flow.
Typical applications include AC-DC converters, isolated DC-DC converters, Power Factor Correction (PFC) stages, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), solar micro-inverters, and digital lighting ballasts. The combination of high-resolution PWM, fast ADC, analog comparators, and DMA makes this DSC well suited to multi-loop digital control loops, where the firmware must sample the output voltage and current, compute PID or state-space control law, and update PWM duty cycle within a single switching period of a few microseconds.
When designing with this part, choose the SPDIP package variant (I/SP) when the board must support hand-soldered prototypes, socketed designs, or industrial through-hole assembly. For volume production, prefer the QFN variant (DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/MM) to save PCB area. Decoupling must include at least one 0.1 uF ceramic cap per VDD/VSS pair placed within 5 mm of each pin pair, per Microchip's reference minimum connection.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the same family, application recommendations, and practical design notes that supplement - rather than restate - the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP — 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 DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Mounting Type, Package, Core Architecture, Maximum CPU Speed.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
DSPIC33FJ16GS502-E/SP
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
DSPIC33FJ16GS502-H/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.58 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33FJ16GS502-50I/SP
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
DSPIC33FJ16GS404T-50I/TL
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →DSPIC33FJ16MC202T-E/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | dsPIC33F (16-bit DSC, modified Harvard) |
| Instruction Word Size | 24-bit |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 50 MHz (40 MIPS) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB |
| Data RAM | 2 KB |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 3.0 V to 3.6 V (3.3 V typical) |
| Maximum Supply Current | 160 mA |
| PWM Outputs | Up to 6 outputs |
| PWM Resolution | Up to 1.1 ns |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 10 input channels |
| ADC Sample Rate | Up to 1 Msps |
| Analog Comparators | Up to 4 |
| DMA Channels | 4 |
| UART Modules | 2 |
| I2C Module | 1 |
| JTAG / Boundary Scan | Yes (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| Package | 28-pin SPDIP (Skinny Plastic DIP) |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/VPP — Master Clear (active-low reset) / programming voltage input |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — Port A bit 0 / analog input 0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — Port A bit 1 / analog input 1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 — Port A bit 2 / analog input 2 |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3 — Port A bit 3 / analog input 3 |
| Pin 6 | RA4/AN4 — Port A bit 4 / analog input 4 |
| Pin 7 | AVDD — Analog supply voltage (+3.3 V) |
| Pin 8 | AVSS — Analog ground |
| Pin 9 | RA7 — Port A bit 7 (digital-only) |
| Pin 10 | RB0 — Port B bit 0 |
| Pin 11 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 |
| Pin 12 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 |
| Pin 13 | VDD — Digital supply voltage (+3.3 V) |
| Pin 14 | OSC1 — Crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 15 | OSC2 — Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 16 | PWM1L — PWM output 1, low-side |
| Pin 17 | PWM1H — PWM output 1, high-side |
| Pin 18 | PWM2L — PWM output 2, low-side |
| Pin 19 | PWM2H — PWM output 2, high-side |
| Pin 20 | PWM3L — PWM output 3, low-side |
| Pin 21 | TMS — JTAG Test Mode Select (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin 22 | TCK — JTAG Test Clock (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin 23 | TDI — JTAG Test Data In (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin 24 | TDO — JTAG Test Data Out (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin 25 | PWM3H — PWM output 3, high-side |
| Pin 26 | FLTA/RA8 — PWM fault input / Port A bit 8 |
| Pin 27 | VSS — Digital ground |
| Pin 28 | VDD — Digital supply voltage (auxiliary) |
Typical Applications
DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP is suitable for 6 applications: AC-DC Converter with PFC, Isolated DC-DC Converter (Quarter Brick), Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), Solar Micro-Inverter, Digital Lighting Ballast, Industrial Motor Drive (BLDC / PMSM).
AC-DC Converter with PFC
The DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP is well-suited to bridgeless and standard boost-PFC AC-DC converter stages, where power-factor correction requires sampling input voltage and current each line half-cycle, computing the duty cycle reference, and updating PWM at 50-200 kHz. Its 50 MHz / 40 MIPS core leaves sufficient headroom for a 2-pole/2-zero digital controller plus RMS-line feedforward. The 1 Msps 12-bit ADC with up to 10 input channels allows simultaneous sensing of input current, input voltage, output voltage, and auxiliary currents. The four DMA channels offload ADC result handling from the CPU. According to the Microchip datasheet, the analog comparators can trigger PWM shutdown in <100 ns for cycle-by-cycle current limiting, which is critical for PFC inductor protection.
Recommended
Isolated DC-DC Converter (Quarter Brick)
The DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP is the controller used in Microchip's reference design for high-density quarter-brick DC-DC converters used in intermediate bus architectures (IBA) for telecom and datacom. The device's high-resolution PWM (1.1 ns) supports up to 500 kHz switching with tight regulation of output voltage and current. The 12-bit ADC captures both the primary-side current and the secondary-side voltage via a digital isolator in the same switching cycle, enabling peak-current-mode control. The four DMA channels allow ADC results to be routed to RAM with zero CPU intervention, freeing MIPS for the compensator algorithm. Per the Microchip reference design, the part achieves >92% efficiency at 12 V to 1.2 V / 30 A conversion.
Recommended
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
The DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP's 16-bit DSC core, 1 Msps ADC, and high-resolution PWM make it suitable for online double-conversion UPS topologies, where the controller must manage the rectifier, battery charger, and inverter stages under all line/battery conditions. The 6 PWM outputs can drive a full-bridge inverter plus the rectifier boost converter. The RTCC block provides time-stamped event logging essential for power-quality monitoring. The 16 KB Flash holds a state-machine firmware for line/battery/inverter/fault modes, and 2 KB RAM provides enough working memory for ADC sample buffers and PID controller state.
Recommended
Solar Micro-Inverter
The DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP is used in single-panel solar micro-inverters, where MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) requires sampling the PV panel voltage and current at >1 kHz and updating the inverter duty cycle in real time. The 1 Msps ADC and 40 MIPS CPU support perturb-and-observe or incremental-conductance MPPT with under-millisecond loop latency. The analog comparators enable fast overcurrent protection without CPU overhead. The integrated 32 kHz RTCC oscillator supports grid-synchronization via zero-crossing detection on the AC output. The 28-SPDIP package is convenient for hand-prototyped micro-inverter designs up to 300 W.
Recommended
Digital Lighting Ballast
The DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP can serve as the controller in digitally-controlled HID, fluorescent, or LED-driver ballasts, where lamp current must be regulated to within 1-2% via closed-loop control of a high-frequency switching stage. The 6 PWM outputs and 1.1 ns edge resolution allow generation of >200 kHz variable-frequency dimming waveforms. The 4 analog comparators handle zero-current detection for DCM operation and peak-current detection for CCM operation. The 16 KB Flash supports digital dimming protocols (DALI, 0-10 V) plus lamp-state monitoring.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Drive (BLDC / PMSM)
While the GS variant is optimized for SMPS, the DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP can still run small industrial sensorless BLDC / PMSM motor drives up to several hundred watts by using its high-resolution PWM and fast ADC for back-EMF sensing and trapezoidal commutation. The 50 MHz CPU handles a 20 kHz current-control loop and a slower 1 kHz speed-control loop with margin. The RTCC block supports timed acceleration/deceleration profiles. For higher-performance sinusoidal drives, the dsPIC33FJ16MC202 family variant is recommended as a pin-compatible drop-in within the same 28-SPDIP package family.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | DSPIC33FJ16GS502-E/SP | DSPIC33FJ16GS502-H/SP | DSPIC33FJ16GS502-50I/SP | DSPIC33FJ16GS404T-50I/TL | DSPIC33FJ16MC202T-E/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SPDIP | 28-SPDIP | 28-SPDIP | 28-SPDIP | 28-SPDIP (T/L marking) | 28-SPDIP |
| Core | dsPIC33F DSC | dsPIC33F DSC | dsPIC33F DSC | dsPIC33F DSC | dsPIC33F DSC | dsPIC33F DSC (motor-control peripherals) |
| Max CPU Frequency | 50 MHz / 40 MIPS | 50 MHz / 40 MIPS | 50 MHz / 40 MIPS | 50 MHz / 40 MIPS | 50 MHz / 40 MIPS | 40 MHz / 40 MIPS |
| Flash Program Memory | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB |
| Data RAM | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 4 KB | 2 KB |
| Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) | -40 C to +125 C (Extended) | -40 C to +150 C (High-temp) | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +125 C |
| Primary Application Focus | SMPS / digital power | SMPS / digital power | SMPS / digital power | SMPS / digital power | SMPS / digital power (higher memory) | Motor control |
Key Differentiators
- High-speed SMPS-focused PWM with up to 1.1 ns edge resolution (vs DSPIC33FJ16MC202T-E/SO)
- 4 DMA channels offload ADC and peripheral data transfers (vs DSPIC33FJ16GS404T-50I/TL)
- Industrial -40 C to +85 C temperature grade on the I/SP variant (vs DSPIC33FJ16GS502-H/SP)
Design Notes
The DSPIC33FJ16GS502-I/SP operates from 3.0-3.6 V (3.3 V typical) with a maximum supply current of 160 mA. Place a 0.1 uF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of every VDD/VSS and AVDD/AVSS pin pair, per the Microchip recommended-minimum connection diagram. Add a 10 uF bulk ceramic or tantalum capacitor near the supply entry point to handle switching transients. Separate analog AVDD/AVSS planes should be tied to digital VDD/VSS at a single star point near the IC to avoid digital-noise injection into the ADC reference.
Route the crystal oscillator traces (OSC1, OSCC2) short and symmetric, with ground guard traces on either side to minimize EMI coupling into the high-resolution PWM outputs. Keep PWM switching traces away from analog ADC inputs - the 1.1 ns edge rate can couple 50-100 mV of noise into adjacent traces if they run parallel for >10 mm. Place the JTAG connector (TMS, TCK, TDI, TDO) at the board edge so the boundary-scan header is accessible without rework.
Per Microchip errata DS-80547, the PGEC3/PGED3 programming pair does NOT work on this device - use PGEC1/PGED1 or PGEC2/PGED2 for ICSP programming. The JTAG boundary-scan BSDL file (linked in the datasheet URL field) confirms the JTAG instruction set but does not support debug - use the ICSP ports with a Microchip REAL ICE or ICD3 programmer for code development. Do not omit the MCLR pull-up resistor (typically 10 kOhm to VDD); an open MCLR pin floats and can cause spurious resets.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant per Microchip product page. Industrial temperature grade only - not AEC-Q100 qualified. For automotive applications consult Microchip's automotive dsPIC33 portfolio.
