PIC12LC508A-04I/MF - 8-Bit 4MHz OTP MCU 768B | Microchip
MPN: PIC12LC508A-04I/MF ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.85 | $1.85 |
| 10 | $1.66 | $16.60 |
| 100 | $1.48 | $148.00 |
| 500 | $1.31 | $655.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.16 | $1,160.00 |
PIC12LC508A-04I/MF Overview
What is a PIC12C5xx microcontroller? It is a low-cost, high-performance, fully static 8-bit RISC microcontroller family from Microchip Technology using 12-bit wide instructions. The PIC12C5xx family sits within the broader 8-bit PIC microcontroller hierarchy: PIC12C5xx -> PIC10/12/16 family -> 8-bit PIC microcontrollers -> Microcontrollers (MCU) -> Integrated Circuits (ICs) -> Semiconductors. The architecture employs a RISC instruction set of 33 single-word/single-cycle instructions, providing approximately 2:1 code compression versus competing 8-bit MCUs and reducing development time for embedded engineers.
Key features include an 8-bit real-time clock/counter (TMR0) with an 8-bit programmable prescaler, Power-On Reset (POR), Device Reset Timer (DRT), a Watchdog Timer (WDT) with its own on-chip RC oscillator for reliable operation, programmable code protection, and 1,000,000 erase/write endurance cycles. The "LC" device variant indicates the low-power CMOS process supporting the full industrial temperature range, while the "-04I" suffix denotes a 4 MHz maximum oscillator frequency and industrial (-40C to +85C) operating range.
Typical applications span automotive subsystems (sensor interfaces, simple actuator controllers), industrial automation (small logic-replacement controllers, smart sensors), appliance controls (white-goods user interfaces, timing controllers), and low-cost consumer products (toys, remote controls, LED controllers). The 8-pin DFN package suits compact PCB designs where board area is at a premium.
Design considerations: when migrating firmware between PIC12LC508A and PIC12C508A variants, confirm the oscillator calibration and supply-voltage range are compatible. The DFN exposed pad must be soldered to the board for proper thermal dissipation and mechanical reliability. Always configure the WDT prescaler to balance recovery time against system latency.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC12LC508A-04I/MF — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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PIC12LC508A-04I/MF Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC12C5xx 8-bit RISC |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable) |
| Program Memory Size | 768 B (512 x 12) |
| RAM Size | 25 x 8 bytes |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 4 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle Time | 1 microsecond |
| I/O Pins | 6 |
| Timers | TMR0 (8-bit) with 8-bit programmable prescaler |
| Watchdog Timer (WDT) | Yes, with on-chip RC oscillator |
| Power-On Reset (POR) | Yes |
| Device Reset Timer (DRT) | Yes |
| Code Protection | Programmable |
| Package | 8-pin DFN (3x3 mm) with exposed pad |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial, "I" grade) |
| Process Family | Low-power CMOS (LC variant) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC12LC508A-04I/MF Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 2 | GP5/OSC1/CLKIN — GPIO / oscillator input / external clock input |
| Pin 3 | GP4/OSC2/CLKOUT — GPIO / oscillator output / clock output |
| Pin 4 | GP3/MCLR/VPP — GPIO / Master Clear reset (active low) / programming voltage input |
| Pin 5 | GP2/T0CKI/INT — GPIO / Timer 0 clock input / external interrupt |
| Pin 6 | GP1 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 7 | GP0 — General-purpose I/O |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
Typical Applications
PIC12LC508A-04I/MF is suitable for 6 applications: Automotive Sensor Interface, Industrial Logic-Replacement Controllers, White-Goods Appliance Controls, Low-Cost Consumer Remote Controls, LED Lighting Controllers, Smart Sensor Nodes.
Automotive Sensor Interface
The PIC12LC508A-04I/MF fits automotive sensor interfaces where its 768B OTP program memory and 25B RAM provide just enough headroom for simple sensor-signal conditioning algorithms while the industrial -40C to +85C temperature range handles cabin and under-hood thermal stress. Its 6 I/O pins are sufficient to read a primary analog sensor via an external ADC, drive a status LED, and toggle a relay or MOSFET gate, while the TMR0 with 8-bit prescaler handles timing-critical sampling windows. The WDT with dedicated RC oscillator ensures recovery from automotive electrical transients without external supervisory components, reducing BOM cost. The 8-pin DFN package suits compact ECU-embedded daughter boards where PCB area is constrained and the low-power CMOS LC process minimizes quiescent draw in always-on key-off circuits typical of body-control modules.
Recommended
Industrial Logic-Replacement Controllers
The PIC12LC508A-04I/MF is a drop-in modern replacement for legacy 4000-series CMOS logic gates in industrial controllers, consolidating multiple discrete logic functions into a single reprogrammable MCU. Its 33 single-word single-cycle RISC instructions and 1 microsecond instruction cycle provide deterministic response times for timing-sensitive interlocks, while 768B of OTP memory accommodates modest state-machine firmware. The WDT and POR eliminate the need for external reset supervisors, reducing component count on the bill of materials. With 6 I/O and a 4 MHz clock, it handles debouncing, sequencing, and simple PID control loops for low-bandwidth processes such as conveyor indexing or packaging-machine timing. The DFN-8 footprint suits high-density PLC I/O cards.
Recommended
White-Goods Appliance Controls
In washing machines, dishwashers, and microwave ovens, the PIC12LC508A-04I/MF provides a low-cost, deterministic controller for user-interface button scanning, timer sequencing, and LED or buzzer actuation. The TMR0 with 8-bit programmable prescaler drives minute-resolution countdown timers essential for appliance cycle control, and the 6 I/O pins are sufficient to multiplex a 7-segment display or scan a 4x3 keypad matrix via external diodes. The -40C to +85C operating range covers the kitchen thermal environment, while the LC low-power CMOS process keeps standby consumption low for energy-star compliance. Programmable code protection prevents reverse engineering of proprietary appliance algorithms.
Recommended
Low-Cost Consumer Remote Controls
The PIC12LC508A-04I/MF is well-suited to battery-powered remote controls for toys, ceiling fans, and entry-level smart-home devices, where its 25B RAM and 768B OTP memory hold short button-press IR or RF encoding tables while the 6 I/O pins interface to a keypad matrix and an IR LED driver transistor. The low-power CMOS LC process extends battery life by minimizing active and sleep-mode current, and the WDT provides reliable wake-from-sleep behaviour for power-button designs. The 1 microsecond instruction cycle is more than adequate for Manchester or pulse-distance modulation encoding at carrier frequencies up to 40 kHz. The DFN-8 package enables ultra-thin remote enclosures.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controllers
The PIC12LC508A-04I/MF drives simple decorative and architectural LED lighting controllers, including fixed-pattern chasing lights, dimmer interfaces, and color-mixing RGB controllers. Its 6 I/O pins drive three PWM channels via TMR0 interrupt-driven bit-banging or external PWM-driver ICs, and the 4 MHz clock provides fine-grained dimming resolution. The -40C to +85C range accommodates outdoor lighting fixture thermal loads, while the LC process supports battery or solar-powered LED installations where quiescent current matters. The programmable code protection prevents copying of proprietary color sequences by competitors. OTP memory locks the firmware version at production, eliminating field-reprogramming risk.
Recommended
Smart Sensor Nodes
The PIC12LC508A-04I/MF operates as a smart sensor pre-processor in IoT edge devices, reading a single analog or digital sensor via its GPIO and applying linearization, threshold detection, or simple averaging before forwarding the result to a host MCU over a UART bit-banged on two I/O pins. The 768B OTP memory accommodates calibration coefficients and lookup tables for sensor linearization, and the WDT with dedicated RC oscillator wakes the device periodically to perform measurements, achieving nanoamp-level average current consumption. The 8-pin DFN package fits inside miniature sensor probe housings. Industrial temperature rating supports outdoor and industrial deployments without additional thermal management.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC12LC508A-04I/MF — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC12LC508AT-04I/MF | PIC12C508A-04I/MF | PIC12F508-I/MF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 8-DFN (MF) 3x3 mm | 8-DFN (MF) 3x3 mm - same | 8-DFN (MF) 3x3 mm - same | 8-DFN (MF) 3x3 mm - same |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (768B / 512 x 12) | OTP (768B / 512 x 12) | OTP (768B / 512 x 12) | Flash (768B / 512 x 12) |
| RAM Size | 25 x 8 bytes | 25 x 8 bytes | 25 x 8 bytes | 25 x 8 bytes |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz |
| I/O Pins | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Process / Power Class | Low-power CMOS (LC) | Low-power CMOS (LC) | Standard CMOS (C) | Flash CMOS |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| Erase/Write Endurance | 1,000,000 cycles (OTP) | 1,000,000 cycles (OTP) | 1,000,000 cycles (OTP) | 100,000 cycles (Flash typical) |
Key Differentiators
- Low-power CMOS LC process variant (vs PIC12C508A-04I/MF)
- Flash-based equivalent available with same footprint (vs PIC12F508-I/MF)
- Tape-and-reel packaging variant for high-volume assembly (vs PIC12LC508AT-04I/MF)
Design Notes
Estimated: the DFN-8 (3x3 mm) package has an exposed thermal pad that MUST be soldered to a board-side copper pour of at least 0.5 square inches (approximately 25 mm²) connected to VSS. This provides both mechanical anchor strength during reflow and thermal dissipation for the LC CMOS process. Insufficient pad soldering can cause intermittent opens during thermal cycling or mechanical shock. Place a single via-in-pad or 4-thermal-via array under the exposed pad to conduct heat to inner ground planes.
Estimated: at 4 MHz VDD=5V, the PIC12LC508A-04I/MF typical active current is approximately 2 mA and sleep current is below 1 microampere. For battery-powered designs, configure the OPTION register to enable sleep mode and wake via WDT timeout or external interrupt on GP3/GP0. Always place a 0.1 microfarad decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin (pin 1), and consider a 10 microfarad bulk capacitor if the supply rail has high source impedance.
The GP3/MCLR/VPP pin serves three functions and must be properly configured for the application. As MCLR it is an active-low reset input requiring a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD; if left floating the device may experience spurious resets. As a GPIO it cannot be configured as a digital output - it is input-only. For in-circuit programming the VPP programming voltage is applied to this pin, so any external circuitry connected here must tolerate 13V during programming. Use a diode isolation network if shared with sensitive analog circuitry.
Estimated: at 4 MHz with 1 microsecond instruction cycle, signal integrity on GPIO is rarely an issue, but long PCB traces (>50 mm) on GP0 or GP1 acting as UART bit-banged outputs should be source-terminated with a 100 ohm series resistor to dampen ringing. For designs using an external crystal on GP4/OSC2 and GP5/OSC1, keep the crystal traces short (<10 mm), symmetric, and surrounded by a ground guard ring. Load capacitors (typically 15-33 pF) must be placed adjacent to the crystal pins with short return paths to VSS.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. The "I" grade denotes industrial temperature range, not AEC-Q100 automotive qualification - choose AEC-Q100-qualified PIC12C508A variants for automotive designs. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in provided data.
