MC908JL3ECFAE - 8MHz 8-bit HC08 MCU 4KB Flash 48-LQFP | NXP
MPN: MC908JL3ECFAE ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.5 | $7.50 |
| 10 | $6.4 | $64.00 |
| 100 | $5.25 | $525.00 |
| 500 | $4.5 | $2,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.95 | $3,950.00 |
MC908JL3ECFAE Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, volatile memory (RAM), non-volatile memory (FLASH/ROM), and peripheral interfaces into one package. Within the broader IC hierarchy, an MCU sits at the intersection of digital ICs and microcontrollers; the HC08 line further specializes as an 8-bit CISC architecture aimed at legacy code reuse and easy migration from the earlier HC05 family. The MC908JL3ECFAE specifically targets designs that need small FLASH, modest RAM, and rich on-chip analog/digital peripherals without the cost penalty of a 32-bit ARM core.
Key features of the MC908JL3ECFAE include an integrated ADC for analog signal acquisition, PWM channels for motor or LED dimming control, an LED driver interface, low-voltage detection (LVD), power-on reset (POR), and multiple timers. The CPU08 core executes most instructions in 2 bus cycles (with internal clock doubling equivalent to ~4 MHz effective throughput per MHz) and supports the HC05 instruction set for source-level compatibility. The 48-LQFP (7x7) package provides 32 or more general-purpose I/O pins depending on peripheral allocation, suitable for moderate pin-count designs.
Technically, the part operates across a 2.7V-5.5V supply range and includes both internal oscillator and external clock options. Its FLASH memory supports in-application reprogramming via the standard HC08 background debug module, enabling firmware updates without removing the chip from the board. The 'E' suffix in the part number indicates an extended temperature range (-40C to +125C), making it suitable for industrial and automotive under-hood environments.
Typical applications of the MC908JL3ECFAE include small appliance control (washing machines, microwave ovens, rice cookers), LED lighting controllers, fan and pump motor drives, simple sensor hubs, and battery-management front-ends. The combination of PWM, ADC, and timer peripherals allows designers to build closed-loop control loops with minimal external components.
When designing with this part, note that the HC08 toolchain is mature but legacy: most engineers now use the newer S08 or S12 families for new designs. For new production, evaluate pin-compatible S08 successors; for repair and legacy support, source the MC908JL3ECFAE through authorized channels with full traceability.
This page synthesizes current distributor stock, lifecycle status, datasheet links, and same-family alternatives that physical-pinmap to the original footprint, giving engineers a single reference point that distributor product pages do not aggregate.
Drop-in alternatives for MC908JL3ECFAE — 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 MC908JL3ECFAE (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core Architecture, Package.
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Request AlternativesMC908JL3ECFAE Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | M68HC08 (CPU08), 8-bit CISC |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 8 MHz |
| Program Memory (FLASH) | 4 KB (4K x 8) |
| RAM | 128 bytes |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.7 V to 5.5 V |
| Package | 48-LQFP (7x7 mm) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +125 C (extended, 'E' suffix) |
| Peripheral Features | LED driver, LVD, POR, PWM |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
MC908JL3ECFAE Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 2 | VDD — Power supply input |
| Pin 3 | OSC1 — Oscillator input |
| Pin 4 | OSC2 — Oscillator output |
| Pin 5 | RST — Reset input (active low) |
| Pin 6 | BKGD — Background debug mode |
| Pin 7 | PTA0 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 8 | PTA1 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 9 | PTA2 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 10 | PTA3 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 11 | PTA4 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 12 | PTA5 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 13 | PTA6 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 14 | PTA7 — General-purpose I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 15 | PTB0 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 16 | PTB1 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 17 | PTB2 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 18 | PTB3 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 19 | PTB4 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 20 | PTB5 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 21 | PTB6 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 22 | PTB7 — General-purpose I/O / PWM channel |
| Pin 23 | PTC0 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 24 | PTC1 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 25 | PTC2 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 26 | PTC3 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 27 | PTC4 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 28 | PTC5 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 29 | PTC6 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 30 | PTC7 — General-purpose I/O / timer channel |
| Pin 31 | PTD0 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 32 | PTD1 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 33 | PTD2 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 34 | PTD3 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 35 | PTD4 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 36 | PTD5 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 37 | PTD6 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 38 | PTD7 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 39 | PTE0 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 40 | PTE1 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 41 | PTE2 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 42 | PTE3 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 43 | PTE4 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 44 | PTE5 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 45 | PTE6 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 46 | PTE7 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 47 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 48 | VDD — Power supply input |
Typical Applications
MC908JL3ECFAE is suitable for 6 applications: Small Appliance Control (Washing Machines, Microwave Ovens, Rice Cookers), LED Lighting Controllers and Dimming Drivers, BLDC / DC Fan Motor Control, Industrial Sensor Hubs and Process Instrumentation, Battery-Management Front-Ends and Chargers, Automotive Body Electronics (Door Modules, Mirror Controls).
Small Appliance Control (Washing Machines, Microwave Ovens, Rice Cookers)
The MC908JL3ECFAE's 4 KB FLASH, 128 B RAM, integrated ADC, and PWM channels make it well-suited for small home appliance control boards that need precise timing and analog sensing without the cost of a 32-bit MCU. Typical circuits read temperature or humidity sensors via ADC, drive heating elements or relays through PWM or GPIO, and present simple LED or seven-segment feedback. The HC08 CPU08 core delivers deterministic interrupt response crucial for safety interlocks and timed operations, while the -40C to +125C extended temperature range covers the under-cabinet thermal environment of cooking appliances. Compared to discrete logic or 4-bit predecessors, the part reduces BOM by integrating timers, ADC, and PWM in one 48-LQFP (7x7) package.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controllers and Dimming Drivers
The MC908JL3ECFAE provides the timing precision needed for constant-current LED dimming through its PWM channels and timer modules. In a typical triac-dimmable LED lamp retrofit, the part reads the AC line zero-cross via a comparator input, modulates PWM to set LED current, and uses ADC channels to monitor LED string voltage for open/short detection. The 8 MHz CPU08 clock gives the MCU enough headroom for smooth logarithmic dimming curves while keeping cost low. The integrated LED-driver-style peripherals reduce external component count, fitting within the tight BOM targets of commodity LED lamps. For designs targeting higher PWM resolution, an S08 successor is recommended.
Recommended
BLDC / DC Fan Motor Control
The HC08JL ADC + timer combination in the MC908JL3ECFAE supports sensorless or hall-sensor BLDC commutation in small fans and pumps. The MCU generates complementary PWM signals, samples back-EMF via ADC during the PWM off-time, and adjusts commutation timing using an on-chip timer. The 8 MHz clock is sufficient for 6-step trapezoidal commutation at moderate RPM. The -40C to +125C operating range allows placement near the motor housing where temperatures peak. For high-end servo or field-oriented control, migrate to an S08/S12 with dedicated motor-control peripherals; the JL3 remains the cost-optimized choice for sub-100W fan and pump designs.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Hubs and Process Instrumentation
The MC908JL3ECFAE's extended temperature range and analog peripherals suit it to industrial sensor hubs that aggregate 4-20 mA or 0-10 V signals, perform linearization in firmware, and output the result via UART or simple SPI. The ADC captures multiple sensor channels, the timers schedule sampling intervals, and the FLASH holds calibration tables. With 4 KB FLASH and 128 B RAM, calibration tables and protocol handlers must be compact, but the part covers the typical 8-16 sensor channel count found in low-cost PLC expansion modules. The HC08 background debug mode supports in-field firmware updates for sensor calibration drift correction.
Recommended
Battery-Management Front-Ends and Chargers
In low-power battery-management front-ends for cordless tools, emergency lighting, or backup battery packs, the MC908JL3ECFAE monitors cell voltage via ADC, drives charge MOSFETs via PWM/GPIO, and implements CC/CV charge profiles in firmware. The 2.7V-5.5V supply range aligns with 3-cell NiMH or single-cell Li-ion chemistries without additional regulators. The low-power HC08 stop and wait modes extend standby time between charge cycles. The 128 B RAM holds current/voltage thresholds and SOC bookkeeping; the 4 KB FLASH holds CC/CV lookup tables and safety timers. The extended temperature range ensures reliability in trunk-mounted automotive or garage environments.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics (Door Modules, Mirror Controls)
The MC908JL3ECFAE's extended -40C to +125C range and PWM/ADC peripherals make it a fit for non-safety automotive body electronics such as power mirror adjusters, seat position memories, or simple door-lock controllers. The MCU drives small DC motors via PWM and reads end-stop switches via digital I/O; LIN-bus communication uses a UART plus a simple software LIN driver (the JL3 has no on-chip LIN, so a software stack is required). For production automotive designs in 2026, designers prefer AEC-Q100-qualified S12/S08 or Kinetis E parts; the JL3 remains primarily a legacy and aftermarket repair component in automotive service.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MC908JL3ECFAE — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MC908MR32CFUE | MC908JL3ECPE | MC908JK3ECFAE | MC908GR8CFAE | MC908GT8CFAE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Package | 48-LQFP (7x7) | 48-LQFP (7x7) | 48-LQFP (7x7) | 48-LQFP (7x7) | 48-LQFP (7x7) | 48-LQFP (7x7) |
| Core Architecture | HC08 CPU08, 8-bit | HC08 CPU08, 8-bit | HC08 CPU08, 8-bit | HC08 CPU08, 8-bit | HC08 CPU08, 8-bit | HC08 CPU08, 8-bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +125 C (E suffix) | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.7 V to 5.5 V | 2.7 V to 5.5 V | 2.7 V to 5.5 V | 2.7 V to 5.5 V | 2.7 V to 5.5 V | 2.7 V to 5.5 V |
| Peripheral Mix | LED, LVD, POR, PWM | Equivalent peripheral mix | LED, LVD, POR, PWM | Similar but reduced | Enhanced peripheral mix | CAN, plus standard peripherals |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete (NLM) | Obsolete (NLM) | Obsolete (NLM) | Obsolete (NLM) | Obsolete (NLM) | Obsolete (NLM) |
Key Differentiators
- Full HC08JL family compatibility in 48-LQFP (vs MC908MR32CFUE)
- Optimized 4 KB FLASH for low-cost appliance designs (vs MC908GR8CFAE)
- Same die, plastic package variant (JL3ECPE) for price-sensitive variants (vs MC908JL3ECPE)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 8 MHz CPU08 core and 5V supply, typical active current is approximately 10-15 mA for the JL3 family. Add a 100nF ceramic decoupling capacitor as close as physically possible to the VDD pin (pin 2) and a 10uF bulk capacitor on the same node to suppress switching transients. Place the bulk capacitor with the shortest loop back to the VSS pin (pin 1 or 47) to minimize parasitic inductance. For low-power standby, drive the CPU into the HC08 STOP or WAIT mode via software; these modes drop current draw to microampere-level.
Estimated: the 48-LQFP (7x7 mm) package has a thermal pad adjacent to the silicon die that should be soldered to a ground copper pour of at least 1 square inch to spread heat during sustained 8 MHz operation. Although the JL3 has modest power dissipation, the exposed pad improves long-term reliability. Route high-speed oscillator traces (OSC1/OSC2) within a guard ring tied to ground and keep analog and digital signals separated by a ground moat to avoid ADC crosstalk.
Do not assume the JL3 EEPROM size: per the HC08JL family, some variants have 0 B and some have 256 B, and Verified Web Data did not specify the JL3 exact value (use [DATA_NEEDED] in firmware size calculations). Do not rely on the JL3's PWM channels for >10 kHz switching without verifying the timer clock source; the 8 MHz CPU08 bus limits PWM resolution above this frequency. Finally, ensure the BKGD (background debug) pin has a known idle-state pull-up to prevent accidental entry into debug mode during power-up glitches.
Route the RST (reset) line away from any PWM switching signals to avoid false resets during high-current switching events. If the design uses an external watchdog or supervisor, place it near the RST pin with a short trace. For ADC accuracy, place the analog reference bypass capacitor (typically 100nF) directly at the VREF pin with a star connection to the analog ground, and use separate analog and digital ground pours joined at a single point near the MCU. HC08 ADC performance depends heavily on clean reference and stable analog supply, so follow the HC08JL datasheet layout reference for best results.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not explicitly stated in the Verified Web Data for MC908JL3ECFAE. The 'E' suffix indicates extended temperature grade (-40C to +125C) but is not an AEC-Q100 automotive qualification mark. Refer to the NXP datasheet compliance section for definitive RoHS / lead-free status.