MC9S08QE8CTGR - 8-Bit S08 MCU, 8KB Flash, 20MHz | NXP
MPN: MC9S08QE8CTGR ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
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| 1 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 10 | $0 | $0.00 |
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| 500 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 1,000 | $0 | $0.00 |
MC9S08QE8CTGR Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller integrates a processor core, memory, and peripherals on a single chip, sitting at the low-cost end of the embedded processor hierarchy (MCU -> embedded processor -> semiconductor IC). MCUs of this class execute control loops, read sensors, and drive actuators in cost-sensitive products where 32-bit processors are unnecessary. The NXP S08 family is a CISC 8-bit architecture descended from the venerable 68HC05/68HC08 lineage, with a rich peripheral set and mature, free-of-charge development tools including CodeWarrior and the low-cost multilink debuggers.
Key features of the MC9S08QE8 include in-system programmable FLASH memory for field firmware updates, an internal oscillator that removes the need for an external crystal in non-timing-critical designs, low-power wait and stop modes for battery-operated products, and high-performance analog peripherals on board. The QE8 sub-family also integrates an LCD driver option, an on-chip voltage regulator, and analog peripherals per the NXP product page, making it versatile for display-based human interface products.
Technically, the S08 core executes most instructions in a fixed number of cycles at up to 20 MHz bus speed, giving deterministic timing that simplifies real-time firmware design. The 512 x 8 RAM supports modest data buffering and stack depth, while the 8KB FLASH accommodates application code plus a bootloader. The 16-TSSOP (0.173 inch, 4.40 mm width) package keeps the footprint compact for two-layer PCBs and hand-solderable prototypes.
Typical applications cited by distributors include low-power wireless sensor nodes, security systems and security sensors, personal health care devices, cell phone accessories, commercial smoke detectors, and toys. In each, the internal oscillator and low-power modes extend battery life while the 8-bit core handles simple control tasks.
Design consideration: verify that your timing budget fits within the 20 MHz core speed and 512-byte RAM before selecting this memory-density option; the QE16 variant offers more FLASH in the same family if headroom is tight.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing context, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes beyond what the manufacturer datasheet alone provides.
Drop-in alternatives for MC9S08QE8CTGR — 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 MC9S08QE8CTGR (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Supply Voltage, ADC, Communication Interfaces, Core.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
S9S08SG8E2CTG
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
S9S08SG8E2MTG
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.35 / Unit
View Datasheet →MC9S08SE8MTG
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.74 / Unit
View Datasheet →MC9S08SG16CTG
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MC9S08QE8CTGR Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | S08 |
| Core Size | 8-Bit |
| Architecture | CISC |
| Speed | 20 MHz |
| Program Memory Size | 8KB (8K x 8) |
| Program Memory Type | FLASH |
| RAM Size | 512 x 8 |
| Number of I/O | 12 |
| Supply Voltage | 2.5V / 3.3V |
| Oscillator Type | Internal |
| Package / Case | 16-TSSOP (0.173", 4.40mm Width) |
| Pin Count | 16 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tape & Reel (R suffix) |
| Peripherals | LCD driver, voltage regulator, analog peripherals (per NXP product page) |
MC9S08QE8CTGR 16-tssop (0.173", 4.40mm width) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for MC9S08QE8CTGR (16-tssop (0.173", 4.40mm width) 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 MC9S08QE8CTGR.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
MC9S08QE8CTGR is suitable for 6 applications: Commercial Smoke Detectors, Security Systems and Sensors, Personal Health Care Devices, Low-Power Wireless Sensor Nodes, Cell Phone Accessories, Toys and Interactive Products.
Commercial Smoke Detectors
The MC9S08QE8CTGR is explicitly listed by datasheet aggregators as a target device for commercial smoke detectors. Its internal oscillator eliminates the crystal BOM cost that matters in high-volume life-safety products, while S08 stop and wait low-power modes keep average battery current low enough for multi-year sealed-battery operation. The 20 MHz core is more than sufficient to poll a photoelectric or ionization chamber, run alarm decision logic, and drive a horn driver and status LED. The 12 GPIO lines in the compact 16-TSSOP package cover sensor interface, alarm output, and test-button inputs with pins to spare. The 8KB FLASH also leaves room for a self-test and calibration routine plus a bootloader for manufacturing-line firmware updates.
Recommended
Security Systems and Sensors
Security systems and security sensors are named applications in the MC9S08QE8CTGR datasheet summary. Door/window contacts, PIR motion sensors, and keypad interfaces all need only modest compute but demand low quiescent current and reliable wake-up behavior - precisely the S08 strengths. The internal oscillator supports fast start-up from stop mode, so the MCU can sleep between sensor polls and respond to interrupts within microseconds. With 12 I/O lines in the 4.40 mm-wide TSSOP-16, a single MCU handles zone inputs, tamper switch monitoring, LED status, and a serial link to the panel. The 8KB FLASH accommodates encrypted or plain communication protocols to the control panel, and the 2.5V/3.3V range suits 3V lithium backup batteries common in wireless security sensors.
Recommended
Personal Health Care Devices
Personal health care devices such as thermometers, glucose-meter accessories, and activity badges are listed target applications for the MC9S08QE8CTGR. These products require a low-cost MCU with on-chip analog capability to read sensors, an internal oscillator to shrink the PCB for wearable form factors, and low-power modes to survive weeks on a coin cell. The QE8's 20 MHz S08 core executes filtering and conversion math on 512 bytes of RAM with careful buffering, and the 8KB FLASH holds the measurement, display, and button-UI firmware. The 16-TSSOP package is hand-solderable for prototyping yet reflow-compatible for volume assembly. The 2.5V operation floor also allows the device to run directly from a single lithium cell through most of its discharge curve, maximizing usable battery capacity.
Recommended
Low-Power Wireless Sensor Nodes
Low-power wireless applications appear first in the MC9S08QE8CTGR's application list. In a typical node, the MCU sleeps in stop mode, wakes on a radio IRQ or RTC tick, reads a sensor over SPI/I2C bit-banged on its 12 GPIO lines, and hands a packet to a sub-GHz or 2.4 GHz radio. The 20 MHz bus provides enough headroom to format frames and compute simple CRC checks, while the internal oscillator keeps the radio-free BOM minimal. Average system current is dominated by the radio, and the S08's fast wake-up minimizes the MCU's contribution. The 8KB FLASH fits a lightweight protocol stack and bootloader, and the 16-TSSOP footprint keeps the node PCB under 1 cm squared for miniature sensor form factors.
Recommended
Cell Phone Accessories
Cell phone accessories - chargers, docking stations, cable adapters, and add-on gadgets - are explicitly cited as MC9S08QE8CTGR applications. These cost-optimized products need a sub-dollar MCU for charge-status indication, button debouncing, LED effects, and simple USB or UART handshaking. The internal oscillator and 16-TSSOP package minimize board area inside accessory housings, and the 2.5V/3.3V supply range interfaces directly with accessory rail regulators. The 20 MHz S08 core handles consumer-IR encoding, PWM LED breathing effects, and battery-gauge interpolation with deterministic timing. The 8KB FLASH leaves room for feature firmware plus a small command parser, and in-system programming allows one firmware image to be configured per accessory SKU at final assembly, reducing inventory complexity.
Recommended
Toys and Interactive Products
Toys round out the MC9S08QE8CTGR's listed applications. Interactive toys need sound-effect triggering, LED animation, motor drive, and button scanning - all well within a 20 MHz 8-bit core - at the lowest possible silicon and assembly cost. The internal oscillator removes tuning steps in high-volume manufacturing, and the 16-TSSOP package suits the single-sided, large-pitch boards typical of toy electronics. S08 low-power modes satisfy shelf-life battery requirements when toys sit in warehouses between play sessions. The 12 I/O lines drive an LED matrix or small speaker amplifier and read buttons simultaneously, and the 8KB FLASH stores lookup tables for sound or light sequences. Deterministic CISC execution simplifies cycle-counted PWM for consistent motor speed without complex RTOS software.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MC9S08QE8CTGR — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | S9S08SG8E2CTG | S9S08SG8E2MTG | MC9S08SE8MTG | MC9S08SG16CTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 16-TSSOP (4.40mm width) | 16-TSSOP - same | 16-TSSOP - same | 16-TSSOP - same | 16-TSSOP - same |
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Core / Speed | S08 8-bit, 20 MHz | S08 8-bit, 40 MHz | S08 8-bit, 40 MHz | S08 8-bit, 20 MHz | S08 8-bit, 20 MHz |
| Program Memory | 8KB FLASH | 8KB FLASH | 8KB FLASH | 8KB FLASH | 16KB FLASH |
| Oscillator | Internal | Internal | Internal | Internal | Internal |
| Packaging | Tape & Reel (R) | Tray | Tape & Reel | Tape & Reel | Tray |
Key Differentiators
- LCD driver integration option in QE8 sub-family (vs S9S08SG8E2CTG)
- Lower cost at 20 MHz for simple control loops (vs S9S08SG8E2MTG)
- Extra program memory available in same footprint (vs MC9S08SG16CTG)
Design Notes
The MC9S08QE8CTGR operates at 2.5V or 3.3V. Decouple VDD with a 0.1uF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the pin, plus a 1uF bulk capacitor per board. When powering from unregulated batteries, note that S08 FLASH programming/erase operations require the supply to be within the specified operating range - verify the minimum VDD against the datasheet before attempting field firmware updates at end-of-discharge battery voltages.
The 16-TSSOP (0.173 inch / 4.40 mm body width, 0.65 mm pitch) is easily routed on a two-layer PCB. Keep the BGND/BDATA background debug pins accessible via a 4-pin footprint or 1.27 mm tag pads on production boards - NXP's S08 flash programming relies on the background debug interface, and omitting this access makes factory reprogramming impossible without removing the IC. Reserve a series resistor footprint on BDATA for noise immunity in motor-driven or wireless products.
Two frequent S08 pitfalls: (1) the 512-byte RAM fills quickly - budget stack depth first and avoid deep call trees or large local buffers; enable the CodeWarrior stack-overflow detection during development. (2) The internal oscillator has looser tolerance than a crystal; do not use it for precise UART baud generation or real-time clocks without checking the tolerance specification in the manufacturer datasheet and applying a calibration routine stored in FLASH.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not present in retrieved web data; verify RoHS/REACH status on the NXP product page or distributor compliance certificates.
