PIC16C57-10E/SP - 8-Bit 10MHz OTP MCU 3KB | Microchip
MPN: PIC16C57-10E/SP β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8.42 | $8.42 |
| 10 | $7.68 | $76.80 |
| 100 | $6.95 | $695.00 |
| 500 | $6.3 | $3,150.00 |
| 1,000 | $5.85 | $5,850.00 |
PIC16C57-10E/SP Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a CPU, program memory, data RAM, and peripheral interfaces. Microcontrollers sit at the bottom of the embedded-computing hierarchy (microcontroller -> embedded processor -> microprocessor), and the PIC16C5X architecture is a classic Harvard-type design with separate program and data paths, optimized for low cost, deterministic instruction execution, and small code size through 12-bit-wide opcodes that deliver roughly 2:1 code compression over competing 8-bit MCUs in its class.
Key features of the PIC16C57-10E/SP include 20 general-purpose digital I/O pins, a 12-bit instruction word, 2-level hardware stack, single 8-bit timer (Timer0), watchdog timer with on-chip RC oscillator, power-on reset, and brown-out detection. The OTP EPROM program memory allows one-time programming in production environments, which is well suited to mature, cost-sensitive embedded products that no longer require field firmware updates.
The PIC16C57-10E/SP uses Microchip's classic PIC mid-range core architecture, executes most instructions in a single 200 ns cycle at 10 MHz (5 MIPS), and supports in-circuit serial programming through the RB6/RB7 pins. Because the device is OTP and based on a 5V CMOS process, it is best matched to 5V-only logic designs; modern 3.3V systems will require level translation.
Typical applications include appliance controls, simple sensor interface nodes, LED driving controllers, low-cost consumer electronics, and legacy industrial automation subsystems. The extended-temperature grade also supports automotive under-hood and outdoor industrial deployments. The 28-pin SPDIP package is convenient for breadboarding and legacy board retrofits where through-hole assembly is required.
When designing with this device, note that OTP memory cannot be reprogrammed; developers typically use a windowed (JW) or UV-erasable variant for prototyping, then transition to the OTP SPDIP or SOIC version for production. A pull-up on the MCLR reset pin and proper decoupling (100 nF + 10 uF bulk) on VDD are essential for stable brown-out-reset behavior.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16C57-10E/SP 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 PIC16C57-10E/SP (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Core Architecture, Operating Temperature Range, Watchdog Timer.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16C57-10/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C57C-10E/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C57-10I/SP
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$4.32 / Unit
View Datasheet βPIC16C57-20/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F57-I/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C56-10/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C57-10E/SP Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC 8-bit RISC (Harvard) |
| Family | PIC16C5X |
| Program Memory Type | OTP EPROM |
| Program Memory Size | 3 KB (2K x 12) |
| RAM Size | 72 bytes |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 10 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle Time | 200 ns |
| Number of I/O Pins | 20 |
| Number of Timers | 1 x 8-bit (Timer0) |
| Hardware Stack | 2 levels |
| Instruction Set Width | 12-bit |
| Operating Voltage | 5 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +125C (Extended, 'E' grade) |
| Package | 28-SPDIP (0.300 inch, 7.62 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole |
| Pin Count | 28 |
| Watchdog Timer | Yes (with on-chip RC oscillator) |
| Brown-Out Reset | Yes |
| Power-On Reset | Yes |
| In-Circuit Serial Programming | Yes (via RB6/RB7) |
PIC16C57-10E/SP Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2 β Port A bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 2 | RA3 β Port A bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 3 | RTCC β Timer0 real-time clock/counter input |
| Pin 4 | MCLR β Master clear reset (active low) |
| Pin 5 | VSS β Ground reference |
| Pin 6 | RB0 β Port B bit 0 (digital I/O, ICSP data) |
| Pin 7 | RB1 β Port B bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 8 | RB2 β Port B bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 9 | RB3 β Port B bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 10 | RB4 β Port B bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 11 | RB5 β Port B bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 12 | RB6 β Port B bit 6 (digital I/O, ICSP clock) |
| Pin 13 | RB7 β Port B bit 7 (digital I/O, ICSP data) |
| Pin 14 | VDD β Positive supply (+5V) |
| Pin 15 | RC0 β Port C bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 16 | RC1 β Port C bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 17 | RC2 β Port C bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 18 | RC3 β Port C bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 19 | RC4 β Port C bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 20 | RC5 β Port C bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 21 | RC6 β Port C bit 6 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 22 | RC7 β Port C bit 7 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 23 | RA0 β Port A bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 24 | RA1 β Port A bit 1 (digital I/O, OSC2 alternate) |
| Pin 25 | OSC2 β Oscillator output (crystal/ceramic resonator) |
| Pin 26 | OSC1 β Oscillator input (crystal/ceramic resonator or external clock) |
| Pin 27 | T0CKI β Timer0 clock input (alternate function on RA1 pin) |
| Pin 28 | NC β Not connected (reserved; bond pad present on die) |
Typical Applications
PIC16C57-10E/SP is suitable for 6 applications: Appliance Control Boards, Simple Sensor Interface Nodes, LED Display and Sign Controllers, Low-Cost Consumer Electronics, Industrial Automation Subsystems, Legacy Board Retrofits and Repairs.
Appliance Control Boards
The PIC16C57-10E/SP fits appliance control boards such as washing-machine user interfaces, microwave oven keypads, and dishwasher controllers because its 3KB OTP program memory holds complete state-machine firmware and its 20 I/O pins directly drive segment LCDs, LED indicators, relay coils, and triac-trigger optocouplers. At 5V and 10 MHz the MCU executes most instructions in 200 ns, comfortably handling 50/60 Hz zero-crossing detection and keypad scanning without missing edges. The extended -40C to +125C temperature grade handles under-cabinet and motor-mounted environments, and the 28-SPDIP through-hole package tolerates the wave-soldering and conformal-coating processes typical of white-goods manufacturing. Cost-sensitive appliance OEMs can program the OTP once at production for a fraction of the price of a FLASH MCU.
Recommended
Simple Sensor Interface Nodes
The PIC16C57-10E/SP serves as a low-cost sensor-interface node for thermocouples, NTC thermistors, and discrete switch inputs that only require periodic polling and minimal on-board decision logic. Its 8-bit ADC-free architecture relies on ratiometric measurement with the internal bandgap reference; the 10 MHz clock supports 100 us-class sampling rates sufficient for HVAC, weather-station, and basic industrial telemetry. The 72-byte RAM accommodates a 16-bit accumulator plus a small linearization table without overflowing the stack, and the brown-out reset prevents corrupted readings during supply dips. The PIC16C5X core's deterministic single-cycle instruction timing simplifies the watchdog-driven recovery loop required by remote, unattended sensor installations.
Recommended
LED Display and Sign Controllers
The PIC16C57-10E/SP drives multiplexed 7-segment LED displays, scrolling marquees, and small dot-matrix sign controllers where its 20 I/O pins segment-multiplex up to 8 digits directly without external driver ICs. The 10 MHz instruction rate sustains a 1 kHz refresh rate across 8 digits while leaving headroom for animated patterns stored in the 3KB OTP program memory. The hardware Timer0 generates the row-multiplex tick interrupt-free, and the watchdog timer recovers the controller if a software fault stalls the display scan. Extended-temperature operation supports outdoor scoreboard and traffic-sign installations where the MCU sits in a sealed enclosure exposed to direct sunlight.
Recommended
Low-Cost Consumer Electronics
The PIC16C57-10E/SP powers low-cost consumer products such as remote-control transmitters, novelty gift items, educational toys, and personal-care devices where BOM cost dominates the design decision. The 8-bit core, 72-byte RAM, and 3KB OTP deliver enough MIPS and code space to drive IR protocols, piezo buzzers, button matrix scanning, and simple PWM motor control. The OTP memory guarantees that production firmware cannot be reverse-engineered via firmware extraction, a key IP-protection benefit for high-volume consumer goods. The 28-SPDIP package also fits hand-assembly lines in regions where surface-mount equipment is not available.
Recommended
Industrial Automation Subsystems
The PIC16C57-10E/SP operates as a slave controller in industrial automation subsystems including conveyor belt tachometers, packaging-machine indexers, and pump-flow totalizers. Its extended -40C to +125C rating and brown-out reset make it suitable for factory-floor enclosures and motor-cabinet retrofits, while the 5V CMOS I/O interfaces cleanly to 24V-to-5V signal conditioning through standard opto-isolators. The deterministic 200 ns instruction cycle supports precise pulse-counting from encoders up to several kHz, and the watchdog timer automatically recovers the MCU from ESD-induced firmware faults common in motor-drive environments. The 28-SPDIP through-hole construction also withstands the vibration profiles of industrial machinery better than fine-pitch surface-mount packages.
Recommended
Legacy Board Retrofits and Repairs
The PIC16C57-10E/SP is the canonical replacement for end-of-life PIC16C5X boards in legacy products where the OEM cannot migrate to a new architecture without re-qualifying the entire system. Field-repair depots stock the OTP SPDIP variant specifically because the original board artwork has through-hole 28-DIP pads that match the SPDIP pinout exactly. The 'E' extended-temperature grade also covers repairs to outdoor telecom power plants, agricultural controllers, and HVAC rooftop units that have been in service for 15-20 years. Modernization projects should evaluate the PIC16F57 FLASH replacement when firmware updates are anticipated, but for like-for-like swap-out repairs the PIC16C57-10E/SP remains the only pin-compatible stock option.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16C57-10E/SP β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16C57-10/SP | PIC16C57C-10E/SP | PIC16C57-10I/SP | PIC16C57-20/SP | PIC16F57-I/SP | PIC16C56-10/SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-SPDIP | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 10 MHz | 10 MHz | 10 MHz | 10 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 10 MHz |
| Program Memory Type | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | FLASH (modern preferred) | OTP EPROM |
| Program Memory Size | 3 KB (2K x 12) | 3 KB (2K x 12) | 3 KB (2K x 12) | 3 KB (2K x 12) | 3 KB (2K x 12) | 3 KB (2K x 14) FLASH | 2 KB (1K x 12) |
| RAM Size | 72 bytes | 72 bytes | 72 bytes | 72 bytes | 72 bytes | 72 bytes | 72 bytes |
| Number of I/O Pins | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +125C (Extended) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | -40C to +125C (Extended) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Active (recommended new design) | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Extended -40C to +125C industrial temperature grade (vs PIC16C57-10/SP)
- Modern C-revision silicon with improved oscillator stability (vs PIC16C57-10I/SP)
- FLASH reprogrammability enables field firmware updates (vs PIC16F57-I/SP)
Design Notes
Power the PIC16C57-10E/SP from a regulated 5V rail (LM7805 or equivalent) with a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor placed within 5 mm of the VDD pin and a 10 uF bulk tantalum or aluminum electrolytic capacitor on the same node. The internal brown-out reset trips when VDD falls below approximately 4V, so any 5V rail built from a 7805 will trigger a clean reset during power-down; ensure the regulator output rises monotonically without a sagging dip at startup to avoid spurious resets. Avoid powering the MCU directly from a USB or Li-ion rail - the part is 5V-only and lacks an internal regulator.
The MCLR pin (pin 4) MUST be pulled up to VDD through a 10 kohm resistor for normal operation; leaving MCLR floating causes random resets and unreliable startup. When using ICSP, Microchip's programmers drive MCLR through a high-voltage pulse (typically 13V) - the 10 kohm pull-up is compatible with ICSP and does not need to be removed. Also note that the PIC16C5X core has only a 2-level hardware stack, so deep C-style call nesting will overflow and crash the MCU - keep the call tree to one or two levels or use a software-emulated stack in RAM.
For through-hole 28-SPDIP layouts, allocate a 0.100 inch (2.54 mm) pitch row of pads with 0.300 inch (7.62 mm) row spacing and 0.6 mm drill holes plated through to a generous ground pour on the opposite layer. Place the decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of VDD (pin 14) and the crystal within 5 mm of OSC1/OSC2 (pins 25/26) with short traces to minimize EMI radiation. For mixed-signal boards, route the RA/RB/RC port lines away from the oscillator traces to avoid capacitive coupling; add a ground guard ring around the crystal to suppress stray coupling into adjacent signal lines.
Compliance Information
Specific RoHS and lead-free compliance not stated in the verified data for this obsolete PIC16C5X part. Microchip generally transitioned PIC16C5X production to lead-free terminations during the 2000s RoHS conversion, but obsolete inventory may include both lead and lead-free finishes; verify date code and finish with the supplier before placing new orders. AEC-Q100 is not applicable to a 5V industrial-grade 8-bit MCU of this vintage.