PIC16C55-10E/SS - 8-Bit 10MHz OTP MCU 768B | Microchip
MPN: PIC16C55-10E/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.5 | $7.50 |
| 10 | $6.75 | $67.50 |
| 100 | $6.05 | $605.00 |
| 500 | $5.4 | $2,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.85 | $4,850.00 |
PIC16C55-10E/SS Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer containing a processor core, program memory, data RAM, and integrated peripherals. PIC microcontrollers use a Harvard architecture with separate program and data buses, an accumulator-based RISC core, and 12-bit wide instructions that deliver roughly 2:1 code compression versus competing 8-bit MCUs in the same price class. The PIC16C5x family sits at the entry level of the PIC16 line, optimized for low-cost, high-volume embedded control tasks where deterministic instruction timing and OTP simplicity outweigh the need for in-system reprogrammability.
Key features include a 33-instruction set, 2-level hardware stack, 12-bit instruction word, 8-bit data path, internal watchdog timer, and 20 I/O pins capable of sourcing/sinking up to 25mA per pin for direct LED drive. The wide instruction set simplifies compiler output and hand-coded assembly, while the OTP memory is factory- or field-programmable exactly once, suiting mature designs where firmware is finalized. The device operates from 2.5V to 6.0V across -40C to +125C industrial temperature range, marked by the -10E speed/temperature suffix.
Architecturally, the PIC16C55 employs a 2-stage pipeline that fetches the next instruction while executing the current one, enabling most instructions to complete in a single 100ns instruction cycle at 10MHz. The OTP program memory uses EPROM cells that retain data for decades and are erasable only by UV exposure, requiring a windowed package for development iterations - the SSOP -10E/SS variant is intended for production where code is finalized.
Typical applications include appliance control (washing machines, microwave ovens, rice cookers), remote controls, toy electronics, simple sensor interfaces, LED driving and chase patterns, low-end motor control via PWM, and consumer white goods where unit cost dominates BOM. The wide operating voltage and industrial temperature grade also support automotive body electronics and industrial sensor hubs.
Designers should ensure the OTP memory is programmed before final PCB assembly since field updates are impossible without windowed packages. The 25-byte RAM limits data structures - complex state machines should offload variables to EEPROM external to the MCU. In-system debugging requires emulation tools since the OTP device cannot be re-flashed.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16C55-10E/SS — 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 PIC16C55-10E/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Program Memory Type, Program Memory Size, Timers, Instruction Set.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16C55-10I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16C55T-10E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16C55-10/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16C55-10/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.49 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16C55/JW
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$10.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16C55-10E/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | 8-bit PIC RISC |
| Instruction Set Architecture | Harvard, 12-bit instruction word |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable EPROM) |
| Program Memory Size | 768 B (512 x 12 bits) |
| RAM Size | 25 B |
| EEPROM Size | None (external required) |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 10 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle Time | 400 ns (at 10 MHz) |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.5 V to 6.0 V |
| I/O Pins | 20 |
| I/O Sink/Source Current | 25 mA per pin |
| Timers | 1 x 8-bit (TMR0) with watchdog |
| Watchdog Timer | Yes, internal with dedicated RC oscillator |
| Hardware Stack | 2 levels |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +125 C (industrial) |
| Package | 28-SSOP (0.209", 5.30 mm width) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
PIC16C55-10E/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2 — Port A bit 2 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 2 | RA3 — Port A bit 3 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 3 | RA4/T0CKI — Port A bit 4 / Timer 0 clock input (open-drain) |
| Pin 4 | MCLR/VPP — Master Clear reset (active low) / Programming voltage input |
| Pin 5 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 6 | RB0 — Port B bit 0 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 7 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 8 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 9 | RB3 — Port B bit 3 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 10 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 11 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 12 | RB6 — Port B bit 6 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 13 | RB7 — Port B bit 7 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 14 | VSS — Ground reference (second pin) |
| Pin 15 | RC0 — Port C bit 0 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 16 | RC1 — Port C bit 1 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 17 | RC2 — Port C bit 2 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 18 | RC3 — Port C bit 3 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 19 | RC4 — Port C bit 4 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 20 | RC5 — Port C bit 5 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 21 | RC6 — Port C bit 6 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 22 | RC7 — Port C bit 7 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 23 | OSC1/CLKIN — Crystal oscillator input / external clock input |
| Pin 24 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Crystal oscillator output / clock output |
| Pin 25 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (2.5V to 6.0V) |
| Pin 26 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (second pin) |
| Pin 27 | RA0 — Port A bit 0 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
| Pin 28 | RA1 — Port A bit 1 (bidirectional digital I/O) |
Typical Applications
PIC16C55-10E/SS is suitable for 6 applications: Consumer Appliance Control, Remote Control and Toy Electronics, LED Display and Chase Pattern Driver, Simple Sensor Interface Hub, Low-End Motor Control (Brushed DC, Small Stepper), White Goods and Consumer Electronics Controller.
Consumer Appliance Control
The PIC16C55-10E/SS fits consumer appliance control (washing machines, microwave ovens, rice cookers, dishwashers) because its 25mA per-pin drive directly switches relay coils, triac gates, and LED indicators without external drivers. The 768B OTP program memory holds typical appliance state machines including wash-cycle sequencing, door-lock interlocks, and user-button debounce. Industrial -40C to +125C operation handles under-cabinet kitchen heat, and the OTP cost is lower than Flash for 100k+ unit production runs. Place a 100nF decoupling cap on VDD and a 4.7k pull-up on MCLR for reliable cold-start in regions with unstable mains.
Recommended
Remote Control and Toy Electronics
The PIC16C55-10E/SS is widely used in IR remote controls, RC toys, and educational electronics kits where BOM cost dominates and code is finalized at production. Its 10MHz speed handles 38kHz IR carrier generation with margin, and the 33-instruction RISC set compiles to compact 768-byte images. The 20 I/O pins drive button matrix scans, IR LEDs, status LEDs, and small vibration motors. Wide 2.5V-6.0V supply lets designers run on 2x or 3x AA cells directly. Add a 4MHz ceramic resonator and the MCU wakes from sleep in microseconds for battery-saving standby modes.
Recommended
LED Display and Chase Pattern Driver
The PIC16C55-10E/SS is ideal for LED chase patterns, marquee signs, and decorative lighting controllers where its 25mA per-pin output directly drives small LEDs without transistor buffers. Software PWM on any combination of the 20 I/O pins produces dimming and color-mixing effects, while the 10MHz clock enables smooth 8-bit PWM at hundreds of Hz refresh. OTP memory locks the final animation sequence at production preventing field tampering. A 28-SSOP footprint keeps the controller PCB under 1 square inch for embedding inside lighting fixtures.
Recommended
Simple Sensor Interface Hub
The PIC16C55-10E/SS reads analog sensors via its 8-bit ADC-less design, using external comparator ICs or ratiometric resistive sensors directly through digital I/O with RC-time measurement. It fits weather stations, soil moisture monitors, and simple thermostat readouts where 25-byte RAM is sufficient for averaging a handful of readings. The 10MHz CPU handles 10-bit software ADC over 1ms windows. Industrial temperature rating suits outdoor enclosures. Pair with an external I2C EEPROM via bit-banged I/O to log sensor history beyond the 25-byte internal RAM.
Recommended
Low-End Motor Control (Brushed DC, Small Stepper)
The PIC16C55-10E/SS runs open-loop brushed DC motor speed control and small unipolar stepper sequencing through its 25mA pins driving MOSFET gates via 100-ohm gate resistors. The 10MHz instruction rate generates PWM frequencies above 20kHz (above audible range) with 8-bit duty resolution. Software current limiting via shunt amplifier feedback prevents stall damage. Industrial -40C to +125C operation covers automotive HVAC damper and headlight leveler applications where OTP cost reduction outweighs Flash reprogrammability.
Recommended
White Goods and Consumer Electronics Controller
The PIC16C55-10E/SS powers washing machine user interfaces, microwave oven keypads and displays, air-conditioner remote thermostats, and other white-goods sub-assemblies where OTP provides the lowest per-unit cost in 100k+ production. The 20 I/O pins scan 4x5 keypads, drive 7-segment displays via BCD decoders, and toggle beeper/buzzer outputs. The watchdog timer recovers from mains transients and EMI-induced lockups. Operating across 2.5V-6.0V tolerates unregulated supplies after a bridge rectifier and bulk capacitor.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16C55-10E/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16C55-10I/SS | PIC16C55T-10E/SS | PIC16C55-10/SP | PIC16C55-10/SO | PIC16C55/JW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SSOP | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SPDIP (different form factor) | 28-SOIC wide (different footprint) | 28-CERDIP windowed (different footprint) |
| Program Memory | 768 B OTP (512 x 12) | 768 B OTP | 768 B OTP | 768 B OTP | 768 B OTP | 768 B EPROM (windowed, UV-erasable) |
| RAM Size | 25 B | 25 B | 25 B | 25 B | 25 B | 25 B |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 10 MHz | 10 MHz | 10 MHz | 10 MHz | 10 MHz | 10 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 2.5 V to 6.0 V | 2.5 V to 6.0 V | 2.5 V to 6.0 V | 2.5 V to 6.0 V | 2.5 V to 6.0 V | 2.5 V to 6.0 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E grade) | -40 C to +85 C (I grade) | -40 C to +125 C (E grade) | -40 C to +125 C (E grade) | -40 C to +125 C (E grade) | -40 C to +125 C (E grade) |
| I/O Pins | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Pin-to-Pin Compatible | Yes (baseline) | Yes - true drop-in, only temp grade differs | Yes - tape/reel packaging only | Pinout identical, DIP vs SSOP footprint | Pinout identical, SOIC vs SSOP footprint | Pinout identical, CERDIP vs SSOP footprint |
Key Differentiators
- Wider industrial temperature grade vs -I variant (vs PIC16C55-10I/SS)
- Lower per-unit cost than tape-and-reel programming (vs PIC16C55T-10E/SS)
- Smaller PCB footprint than DIP and SOIC variants (vs PIC16C55-10/SP)
Design Notes
The PIC16C55-10E/SS requires a 100nF ceramic decoupling capacitor placed within 5mm of the VDD pins (pin 25 and 26) per the Microchip PIC16C5X datasheet. A bulk 10uF tantalum or aluminum electrolytic on the same VDD rail provides additional filtering for noisy switching power supplies. For battery-powered designs, the device's 2.5V minimum VDD lets you run directly from 2x AA cells (3.0V nominal) without a regulator. Brown-out detection is not internal; add an external voltage supervisor if the design must reset cleanly during battery sag below 2.5V.
Estimated: The SSOP-28 footprint requires 0.65mm pitch pads and 0.4mm-wide traces per IPC-7351 nominal land pattern. Place the 4MHz to 10MHz crystal or ceramic resonator within 10mm of OSC1 (pin 23) and OSC2 (pin 24) to minimize parasitic capacitance. Add a ground guard ring around the oscillator pins to reduce EMI injection into adjacent signal traces. Keep RC-port traces short if used for high-speed signals, since SSOP pin inductance is non-negligible above 1MHz switching rates.
Do not assume the MCLR pin (pin 4) can be left floating - the PIC16C55-10E/SS will operate erratically without a 4.7k to 10k pull-up to VDD per the datasheet. The OTP memory cannot be electrically erased: any firmware bug becomes permanent, so prototype using the PIC16C55/JW windowed CERDIP variant first, then commit to OTP for production. The 2-level hardware stack limits call depth to 2 subroutines - heavy use of nested ISRs or recursive functions will corrupt the stack pointer and crash the program counter.
SSOP-28 has no exposed thermal pad, so thermal dissipation is limited to the 28 small signal pins - do not rely on the package for heatsinking at high I/O switching currents. For designs switching all 20 I/O pins at 25mA simultaneously (500mA total), trace resistance and copper pour area around VDD/VSS pins become the primary thermal path. Place VDD and VSS pins (25/26 and 14/5) with wide copper pours to maximize heat spreading. Avoid placing the MCU on the bottom side of a 2-layer board if top-side heat sources exceed 1W nearby.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance not confirmed in current distributor listings for PIC16C55-10E/SS. The PIC16C5X family predates widespread RoHS adoption; verify Microchip material declaration certificate for specific date code. AEC-Q100 not applicable for non-automotive-qualified industrial-grade MCU.