MC908GP32CPE - 8-Bit HC08 MCU, 32KB Flash, 40-PDIP | NXP
MPN: MC908GP32CPE ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9.95 | $9.95 |
| 10 | $9.1 | $91.00 |
| 100 | $8.2 | $820.00 |
| 500 | $7.35 | $3,675.00 |
| 1,000 | $6.55 | $6,550.00 |
MC908GP32CPE Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, RAM, non-volatile program memory, and peripherals onto one die. The HC08 family is the successor to the M68HC05 architecture and added a fully C-friendly instruction set with an enhanced index register, BGND instruction, and a stacked subroutine model. In a broader taxonomy, the MC908GP32CPE sits as: microcontroller -> 8-bit MCU -> M68HC08 -> general-purpose Flash MCU -> embedded control IC. The HC08 architecture remains object-code upward-compatible with the older HC05 families, which simplifies migration for legacy designs.
Key features include 32 KB of in-application Flash, 512 bytes of RAM, an internal 8 MHz bus with a 2 MHz peripheral clock source option, an enhanced 16-bit timer with capture/compare, an 8-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with up to 8 channels, an SPI module, an SCI (UART) module, and a system-protection block with COP watchdog, low-voltage reset (LVR), and illegal-address reset. The C in the suffix indicates the commercial temperature range (0 C to +70 C) and the PE suffix denotes a 40-pin PDIP package.
The GP32 uses a Harvard-style architecture with separate program-Flash and data-RAM address spaces, plus a paged memory model for C compilers. Five software-selectable wait states allow it to fit embedded workloads that mix fast interrupt handlers with slower background loops. The 40-pin PDIP footprint is friendly to hobbyists, breadboards, and through-hole-prototype designs that cannot accept surface-mount QFP.
Typical applications include appliance controllers (washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens), industrial sensor-interface boards, simple motor-control reference designs, and educational kits. The C compiler (CodeWarrior HC08) support and standard HC05/HC08 peripherals make it especially appealing for re-skinning legacy HC05 designs into a Flash-based platform.
When designing with this part, leave OSC1/OSC2 crystals with carefully calculated load capacitors or simply use the internal oscillator mode for BOM savings; keep the AVDD pin decoupled to suppress ADC noise. The 40-pin PDIP package trades board space for ease of rework, which is often the right call in low-volume or hand-prototyped units.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, so engineers can evaluate the MC908GP32CPE against modern 32-bit Cortex-M alternatives without losing the throughput, BOM-cost, or risk profile of the original HC08 design.
Drop-in alternatives for MC908GP32CPE — 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 MC908GP32CPE (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Mounting Type, Communication Interfaces, Core Architecture, Debug Interface, Package.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MC908GP32ACPE
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MC908GP32WCPE
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MC908GP32ZCPE
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MC908GP32CBE
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$4.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA32L-8PU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →MC908GP32CPE Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | M68HC08 (8-bit CISC) |
| Program Memory | 32 KB Flash (in-application programmable) |
| RAM | 512 bytes |
| Maximum Internal Bus Frequency | 8 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V to 5 V (single-rail operation) |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0 C to +70 C (commercial grade C-suffix) |
| ADC | 8-bit, up to 8 channels |
| Timers | 16-bit Enhanced Timer with capture/compare |
| Communication Interfaces | 1x SCI (UART), 1x SPI |
| I/O Pins | 33 general-purpose I/O |
| System Protection | COP watchdog, LVR, illegal-address reset |
| Package | 40-pin PDIP (PE suffix), through-hole |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole (DIP) |
| MSL Level | Not applicable (through-hole package) |
| Upward Object-Code Compatibility | M6805, M14805, M68HC05 |
| Optimized For | C compilers (CodeWarrior HC08) |
MC908GP32CPE Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RESET — Active-low external reset input / internal pull-up |
| Pin 2 | PTC0 — Port C bit 0 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 3 | PTC1 — Port C bit 1 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 4 | PTC2 — Port C bit 2 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 5 | PTC3 — Port C bit 3 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 6 | VSS — Ground (digital 0 V reference) |
| Pin 7 | VDD — Positive supply (3.3 V to 5 V) |
| Pin 8 | PTC4 — Port C bit 4 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 9 | PTC5 — Port C bit 5 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 10 | PTC6 — Port C bit 6 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 11 | PTC7 — Port C bit 7 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 12 | PTD0 — Port D bit 0 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 13 | PTD1 — Port D bit 1 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 14 | PTD2 — Port D bit 2 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 15 | PTD3 — Port D bit 3 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 16 | PTD4 — Port D bit 4 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 17 | PTD5 — Port D bit 5 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 18 | PTD6 — Port D bit 6 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 19 | PTD7 — Port D bit 7 (general-purpose I/O / ADC) |
| Pin 20 | PTE0 — Port E bit 0 (general-purpose I/O / TCLK) |
| Pin 21 | PTE1 — Port E bit 1 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 22 | PTE2 — Port E bit 2 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 23 | PTE3 — Port E bit 3 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 24 | PTE4 — Port E bit 4 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 25 | PTE5 — Port E bit 5 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 26 | PTE6 — Port E bit 6 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 27 | PTE7 — Port E bit 7 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 28 | IRQ — External interrupt request (active low / programmable edge) |
| Pin 29 | TCLK — Timer clock input / PWM timebase |
| Pin 30 | R/W — External bus read/write (high when not used) |
| Pin 31 | OSC1 — Crystal oscillator input or external clock |
| Pin 32 | OSC2 — Crystal oscillator output (leave open for external clock) |
| Pin 33 | VDD — Positive supply (alternate VDD pin) |
| Pin 34 | VSS — Ground (alternate VSS pin) |
| Pin 35 | PTA0 — Port A bit 0 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 36 | PTA1 — Port A bit 1 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 37 | PTA2 — Port A bit 2 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 38 | PTA3 — Port A bit 3 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 39 | PTA4 — Port A bit 4 (general-purpose I/O) |
| Pin 40 | PTA5 — Port A bit 5 (general-purpose I/O) |
Typical Applications
MC908GP32CPE is suitable for 6 applications: White Goods / Appliance Control Board, Industrial Sensor Interface Module, Simple BLDC or DC Motor Control Reference Design, Educational MCU Trainer Board, HVAC Thermostat Control Board, Portable Battery-Powered Sensor Monitor.
White Goods / Appliance Control Board
The MC908GP32CPE's 32 KB Flash, 8-bit HC08 throughput, and 512-byte RAM make it a strong fit for white-goods control boards in washing machines, dishwashers, and microwave ovens. The on-chip 8-channel 8-bit ADC handles temperature (NTC thermistor), water-level, and door-switch sensing without an external ADC, while the 16-bit enhanced timer drives triac-firing for motor and heater PWM at mains-derived frequencies. Its 40-PDIP footprint and commercial 0 C to +70 C range match the assembly and operating envelope of typical back-panel appliance boards. Compiler support from CodeWarrior HC08 plus legacy HC05 object-code compatibility allows appliance makers to re-use code blocks across multi-tier product lines. Compared with modern Cortex-M0 parts, the HC08 GP32 delivers lower BOM cost and a smaller learning curve for engineers migrating legacy HC05 designs into a Flash-friendly architecture.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Interface Module
For low-speed industrial sensor-interface PCBs, the MC908GP32CPE combines an integrated 8-bit ADC, an SCI (UART) channel, and a SPI master port - enough peripherals to read a 4-20 mA sensor, localise readings in 512-byte RAM, and report via Modbus RTU on the SCI port. The 8 MHz bus delivers ~8 MIPS, which easily handles polling loops for 4-8 sensors at 100 Hz rates without DMA. The COP watchdog and low-voltage reset (LVR) required for unattended industrial equipment are integrated on-chip, eliminating external supervisor ICs and supporting the UL/IEC 60950 / IEC 62368 surge-withstand requirements typically verified at board level. The 40-PDIP package simplifies field-replaceable modules (FRUs) where hand-soldering or socket-mounting is acceptable.
Recommended
Simple BLDC or DC Motor Control Reference Design
Motor-control reference designs targeting cost-sensitive ceiling fans, small pumps, or appliance blowers find the MC908GP32CPE well suited: the enhanced 16-bit timer delivers two PWM channels (one for high-side, one for low-side via external drivers), and the 8-bit ADC reads back EMF or shunt current for closed-loop speed regulation. Combined with external H-bridge drivers and back-EMF zero-crossing detection, the GP32 can run a sensored 6-step trapezoidal BLDC algorithm at up to ~20 kHz PWM without overloading the 8-MIPS core. The 40-PDIP package exposes enough GPIO for hall-sensor inputs, fault-flag inputs, and a tachometer output. Compared with motor-control-specific MCUs, the GP32 trades some advanced PWM flexibility for lower cost and freedom to write the entire control loop in C using the HC08 CodeWarrior toolchain.
Recommended
Educational MCU Trainer Board
Hobbyist and university MCU trainer boards frequently adopt the MC908GP32CPE because its 40-pin PDIP drops directly into a breadboard or solderless socket, exposing every I/O pin (PTC0-PTC7, PTD0-PTD7, PTE0-PTE7) without needing fine-pitch reflow. The 32 KB Flash is roomy enough for full CodeWarrior HC08 tutorial projects (ADC sampling, UART printf, PWM motor control), and the 8 MHz bus is forgiving for first-time users learning register-level programming. Schools benefit from the 512-byte RAM limit: it forces students to learn RAM-efficient C coding. The legacy status of HC08 also makes retired evaluation boards cheap to repurpose, and the abundant example code at university archives provides ready teaching material.
Recommended
HVAC Thermostat Control Board
Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) thermostat PCBs are a classic target for the MC908GP32CPE: the 8-channel 8-bit ADC reads multiple 10 kohm NTC thermistors at sub-1 Hz for indoor/outdoor/compressor temperatures, while the enhanced timer drives the relay or triac output that switches the compressor and fan. The COP watchdog and LVR protect thermostat firmware from mains-induced brownouts - a must for HVAC equipment. With 32 KB Flash, the firmware can hold a full week of programmable schedule logic plus a small user-interface library without resorting to external memory. The 40-PDIP footprint lets low-volume thermostat OEMs hand-rework units in service shops.
Recommended
Portable Battery-Powered Sensor Monitor
Battery-powered portable sensor monitors benefit from the MC908GP32CPE's optional internal oscillator mode, which drops the external crystal to save quiescent current and PCB area. Running from a 3 V lithium primary cell (2x AA in series or 1x CR123A), the HC08 core drives an 8 MHz core at low duty cycle, waking on a timer interrupt to sample a sensor, transmit via SPI/SCI, and return to stop mode. The 16-bit enhanced timer's pulse accumulator can count low-frequency events while the CPU sleeps, so battery life extends to multiple years on a single cell. The 32 KB Flash leaves headroom for over-the-air firmware update via the SPI module, and the 40-PDIP package is friendly to hand-soldered service units.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MC908GP32CPE — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MC908GP32ACPE | MC908GP32WCPE | MC908GP32ZCPE | MC908GP32CBE | ATmega32L-8PU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 40-PDIP | 40-PDIP - same | 40-PDIP - same | 40-PDIP - same | 40-SDIP - same electrically, narrower footprint | 40-PDIP - same |
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | Microchip Technology |
| Core Architecture | M68HC08 (8-bit CISC) | M68HC08 (8-bit CISC) - same | M68HC08 (8-bit CISC) - same | M68HC08 (8-bit CISC) - same | M68HC08 (8-bit CISC) - same | AVR 8-bit RISC |
| Program Memory | 32 KB Flash | 32 KB Flash - same | 32 KB Flash - same | 32 KB Flash - same | 32 KB Flash - same | 32 KB Flash - same |
| RAM | 512 bytes | 512 bytes - same | 512 bytes - same | 512 bytes - same | 512 bytes - same | 2 KB (about 4x more) |
| Maximum Bus Frequency | 8 MHz | 8 MHz - same | 8 MHz - same | 8 MHz - same | 8 MHz - same | 8 MHz - same |
| ADC | 8-bit, up to 8 channels | 8-bit, up to 8 channels - same | 8-bit, up to 8 channels - same | 8-bit, up to 8 channels - same | 8-bit, up to 8 channels - same | 10-bit, 8 channels (higher resolution) |
| Object-Code Compat | Yes (M6805/HC05/HC08) | Yes - same | Yes - same | Yes - same | Yes - same | No - AVR instruction set |
Key Differentiators
- Object-code compatibility with the M68HC05/HCS05 legacy families (vs ATmega32L-8PU)
- Optional 40-pin SDIP variant in the same family (vs ATmega32L-8PU)
- On-chip ADC and system-protection features in a single Flash part (vs ATmega32L-8PU)
Design Notes
Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to every VDD/VSS pin pair (pins 7/6, 33/34, and the alternate supply pins on the package). Add a single bulk 1 uF to 10 uF electrolytic or ceramic cap on the same rail. For ADC accuracy, place a 100 nF ceramic directly on the AVSS/VDD pair (if used on the package variant you selected) and use a star-ground routing so that high-current H-bridge return paths do not pollute the analog reference.
For the 40-pin PDIP footprint, place all through-hole pads on a standard 2.54 mm (0.1 inch) grid with at least 0.5 mm annular ring around each pad; route all signals on the top-side copper, leaving the bottom layer primarily as a ground pour for return-path continuity. Keep the crystal/oscillator traces within 5 mm of OSC1/OSC2 (pins 31/32) and guard them with a ground ring to reduce injected digital noise that could destabilise the PLL/internal bus.
Watch out for three common pitfalls: (1) Forgetting to enable the COP watchdog in CONFIG - an MCU that boots without watchdog enables is vulnerable to runaway code in the field; (2) Setting the internal oscillator trim too high so that the device runs above 8 MHz and violates timing - estimate: trim at +25C, 5V; (3) Programming the Flash while in COPY mode without unlocking the security sequence, which can soft-brick the part. Always reset and re-verify security bits after a programming cycle.
Route the RESET pin (pin 1) with a short trace to an external RC (10 kohm + 1 uF) for noise-immune reset, and avoid running PWM or other switching signals parallel to RESET - capacitive coupling can cause spurious resets in appliance motor-control boards. The IRQ pin (pin 28) should also be guarded against switching noise if used; consider an RC filter if the input source is from a noisy mains-derived signal.
Compliance Information
RoHS / REACH / lead-free / halogen-free status was not present in the verified web data for the MC908GP32CPE specifically. AEC-Q100 is not applicable to the commercial C-suffix part; the A-suffix variant MC908GP32ACPE (not this MPN) carries the automotive temperature grade.
