PIC12LF1612-E/SN - 8-bit MCU, 3.5KB Flash, 32MHz, 8-SOIC | Microchip
MPN: PIC12LF1612-E/SN β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.98 | $0.98 |
| 10 | $0.87 | $8.70 |
| 100 | $0.72 | $72.00 |
| 500 | $0.62 | $310.00 |
| 1,000 | $0.54 | $540.00 |
| 2,500 | $0.48 | $1,200.00 |
PIC12LF1612-E/SN Overview
An 8-bit PIC microcontroller is a compact, deterministic RISC processor that combines the CPU core, non-volatile Flash program memory, data SRAM, and configurable peripherals into a single CMOS IC. In the broader system hierarchy, the PIC12 family sits at the small-footprint end of Microchip's 8-bit portfolio (PIC10/PIC12/PIC16/PIC18), making it ideal for cost-sensitive, space-constrained applications where deterministic interrupt response and low quiescent current matter more than raw MIPS.
Key specifications include 3.5KB (2K x 14) Flash program memory, 256 bytes SRAM, 32MHz internal oscillator with 4x PLL option, integrated 8-bit ADC and 5-bit DAC, multiple PWM channels, and an industrial-grade -40C to +125C operating temperature range. The low-voltage core lets the part run from a single Li-ion cell or two AA batteries, while internal oscillator accuracy eliminates the need for an external crystal in most designs.
Architecturally the PIC12LF1612 uses a Harvard RISC core with a 14-bit instruction word, hardware multiplier-free ALU, and peripheral pin select that allows flexible routing of digital functions to physical I/O. Power-managed sleep modes drop quiescent current into the microamp range, supporting always-on sensor and remote-control applications. The device is supported by Microchip's MPLAB X IDE and XC8 compiler toolchain, as well as the MPLAB Code Configurator for peripheral setup.
Typical applications include battery-powered IoT sensor nodes, RGB LED color-mixing controllers using the on-chip PWM and DAC, low-cost smoke/CO detector signal chains, consumer remote controls, small home appliances, and aftermarket automotive accessories operating off a single cell.
When designing with this part, confirm that the 1.8V minimum VDD covers brown-out and battery-end-of-life conditions for your energy source; add a 0.1uF decoupling capacitor within 5mm of VDD, and route the ICSPDAT/ICSPCLK lines with a test-point-friendly stub if in-field firmware updates are required.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC12LF1612-E/SN β 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 PIC12LF1612-E/SN (same form factor and footprint) β differing in ADC, Operating Temperature, Package, Timers, DAC.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC12F1612-I/SN
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC12F1612-E/SN
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$0.62 / Unit
View Datasheet βPIC12LF1612-I/SN
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$0.45 / Unit
View Datasheet βPIC12LF1572T-I/SN
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$0.72 / Unit
View Datasheet βPIC12LF1572-I/SN
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC12LF1571T-I/SN
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC12LF1612-E/SN Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC12 (8-bit RISC, 14-bit instruction word) |
| Program Memory | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) Flash |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 32 MHz (8 MHz internal with 4x PLL) |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| I/O Pins | 6 |
| ADC | 8-bit, multiple channels |
| DAC | 5-bit, integrated |
| PWM Channels | Multiple (periphery-enhanced PWM) |
| Timers | Multiple 8/16-bit timers |
| Package | 8-pin SOIC (SN), 3.9 mm body width |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E = industrial) |
| MSL Level | 1 (per Microchip SOIC packaging data) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
| Programming Interface | ICSP (In-Circuit Serial Programming) |
PIC12LF1612-E/SN Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD β Positive supply voltage (1.8 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 2 | RA5 β Bidirectional I/O pin 5 / analog input |
| Pin 3 | RA4 β Bidirectional I/O pin 4 / analog input |
| Pin 4 | RA3/MCLR β Bidirectional I/O pin 3 / Master Clear reset input |
| Pin 5 | RC5 β Bidirectional I/O pin C5 / analog input |
| Pin 6 | RC4 β Bidirectional I/O pin C4 / analog input |
| Pin 7 | RC3 β Bidirectional I/O pin C3 / analog input / ICSPDAT |
| Pin 8 | VSS β Ground reference |
Typical Applications
PIC12LF1612-E/SN is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node, RGB LED Color-Mixing Controller, Low-Cost Smoke/CO Detector Signal Chain, Consumer IR Remote Control, Small Home Appliance Control Board, Aftermarket Automotive Accessory Controller.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node
The PIC12LF1612-E/SN is a strong fit for battery-powered IoT sensor nodes because of its 1.8V-3.6V VDD window, 6uA typical sleep current, and integrated 8-bit ADC that directly digitizes analog sensors. The 32MHz core plus 3.5KB Flash gives enough headroom for a small BLE-beacon state machine or LoRaWAN preamble sequencer. The 6 I/O pins drive SPI sensor interfaces, status LEDs, and a wake-up button. Compared to a 32-bit Cortex-M0+ alternative, the PIC12LF1612 cuts BOM cost by roughly 40 percent and offers deterministic interrupt latency critical for time-sync sensor networks. Place a 0.1uF decoupling capacitor within 5mm of VDD and use the internal 8MHz oscillator to avoid a crystal that would otherwise eat microamps of leakage in sleep.
Recommended
RGB LED Color-Mixing Controller
The PIC12LF1612-E/SN suits RGB LED color-mixing controllers because the on-chip enhanced PWM module, 5-bit DAC, and 32MHz CPU together generate smooth color fades without external drivers. The 6 I/O pins route independent PWM channels to red, green, and blue LED strings plus a mode button. The integrated DAC allows analog trim of white-balance or current-set resistors, avoiding extra op-amp circuitry. Versus a 555-timer-based color sequencer, the PIC12LF1612 enables logarithmic dimming curves and stored color presets in 3.5KB Flash. Ensure each PWM channel gets a series ferrite bead and that the LED supply rail is decoupled to prevent 32MHz CPU noise from coupling into the LED current loop.
Recommended
Low-Cost Smoke/CO Detector Signal Chain
The PIC12LF1612-E/SN fits the signal chain inside low-cost smoke and CO detectors because its 8-bit ADC samples ionization-chamber current or electrochemical CO cell voltage, while the 5-bit DAC drives the piezo alarm chirp for self-test. The 3.5KB Flash accommodates UL-compliance algorithms and a 10-year battery-life duty-cycle scheduler. Industrial -40 to +125 C temperature grade handles garage and attic installations. Compared to a dedicated ASIC detector IC, the PIC12LF1612 lets the firmware be field-updated via ICSP, supporting algorithm refinements without a recall. Watch the brown-out threshold carefully - the LF variant's 1.8V minimum matches single Li-ion cells and prevents spurious resets on detector self-test pulses.
Recommended
Consumer IR Remote Control
The PIC12LF1612-E/SN is well-matched to consumer IR remote controls thanks to its 32MHz CPU, low-voltage operation from 2xAAA cells, and PWM-driven IR-LED carrier generation up to 56kHz. The 3.5KB Flash stores NEC, RC5, and SIRC protocol decoders, while the 6 I/O pins handle a 4x3 key matrix plus an IR-LED output and an activity LED. Sleep current in the microamp range extends coin-cell battery life past five years. Versus a bare ATtiny remote, the PIC12LF1612 offers wider supply tolerance and a built-in ADC for battery-voltage monitoring. Tie the IR-LED driver transistor base to a PWM channel via a 1k resistor and add a 47 ohm series resistor to limit LED peak current.
Recommended
Small Home Appliance Control Board
The PIC12LF1612-E/SN drives small home appliances like electric toothbrushes, fans, and humidifiers because its integrated peripherals handle triac phase-angle control, ADC for temperature/humidity sensing, and PWM for brushless-DC motors without external driver ICs. The 6 I/O pins control a triac opto-coupler gate, sense zero-cross, and read a potentiometer for speed setting. The industrial -40 to +125C rating covers laundry-room and kitchen deployments. Compared to mechanical timers, the PIC12LF1612 adds soft-start and over-temperature protection with no extra components. Add an RC snubber across the triac to suppress dv/dt false triggering and isolate the MCU ground from the mains-rectified return.
Recommended
Aftermarket Automotive Accessory Controller
The PIC12LF1612-E/SN works as an aftermarket automotive accessory controller - for example, a sequential LED turn signal, cabin-light dimmer, or alarm chirper - because its 32MHz core runs PWM fade algorithms and ADC samples battery voltage from a 12V automotive rail. A simple external resistor divider scales the 12V rail into the LF's 3.6V maximum VDD window. The 6 I/O pins drive LED drivers, sense an enable switch, and read the brake-light input. Versus the PIC12F1612, the LF variant is the better fit when the accessory is fed from a regulated 3.3V always-on rail rather than direct battery. Add TVS protection on the supply pin to clamp load-dump transients above 40V.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC12LF1612-E/SN β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC12F1612-I/SN | PIC12F1612-E/SN | PIC12LF1572T-I/SN | PIC12LF1571T-I/SN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | SOIC-8 (SN) | SOIC-8 (SN) - same | SOIC-8 (SN) - same | SOIC-8 (SN) - same | SOIC-8 (SN) - same |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Program Flash | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 1.75 KB |
| SRAM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 128 B |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz |
| Integrated ADC | 8-bit | 8-bit | 8-bit | None | 8-bit |
| Integrated DAC | 5-bit | 5-bit | 5-bit | None | None |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +85 C (I) |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated 8-bit ADC plus 5-bit DAC on an 8-pin die (vs PIC12LF1572T-I/SN)
- Low-voltage 1.8-3.6 V core for single-cell Li-ion designs (vs PIC12F1612-I/SN)
- Industrial -40 to +125 C temperature grade (E suffix) (vs PIC12LF1572T-I/SN)
Design Notes
Place a 0.1 uF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin (pin 1) and connect it directly to the ground plane. The PIC12LF1612-E/SN draws brief current spikes during CPU wake events; without local decoupling, VDD can sag and trigger the brown-out reset. If your design uses analog references, add a 10 uF bulk capacitor near the ICSP programming header to keep VDD stable during in-circuit programming transients.
Route the ICSPDAT (pin 7) and ICSPCLK (pin 6) lines so that a 6-pin header can be easily accessed for in-field firmware updates. Keep both traces short, avoid routing parallel to high-frequency switching nodes, and add 4.7k pull-up resistors on ICSPDAT to VDD if your programmer does not provide one. Place a series 100 ohm resistor on MCLR (pin 4) to limit inrush current when the reset capacitor charges during power-up.
Do not apply voltage above 3.6 V to VDD; the PIC12LF1612 is the low-voltage variant and the absolute-maximum VDD is 3.6 V. If your supply rail is 5 V, choose PIC12F1612 instead. Brown-out reset must be configured in firmware for battery applications - leaving BOR disabled can corrupt Flash during low-battery events and silently break device ID. Configuration bits must be set explicitly; do not rely on defaults because the ICSP programmer may leave them in an undefined state after chip erase.
The PIC12LF1612-E/SN at industrial temperature range (-40 C to +125 C) draws minimal current (microamps in sleep) and dissipates negligible power; thermal management is usually not required. However, if the part is driven hard (32 MHz, all I/O toggling at 50% duty, peripherals enabled), the SOIC-8 package can still dissipate ~100 mW at room temperature. For enclosed automotive deployments above 85 C ambient, ensure the PCB copper pour on VSS helps conduct heat away from the die.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. E temperature grade (-40 to +125 C) provides industrial-grade thermal performance but is not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose PIC12F1612-E/SN Q-grade variants for automotive.
