PIC16C64A-10I/L - 10MHz 8-Bit OTP MCU 3.5KB | PLCC-44 | Microchip
MPN: PIC16C64A-10I/L β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5.24 | $5.24 |
| 10 | $4.71 | $47.10 |
| 100 | $4.22 | $422.00 |
| 500 | $3.78 | $1,890.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.45 | $3,450.00 |
PIC16C64A-10I/L Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a programmable integrated circuit that executes application firmware stored in on-chip non-volatile memory and interfaces with peripherals through digital and analog I/O. The PIC16C family uses a Harvard-architecture RISC core in which program and data memories are separate, the program store is word-addressed (14-bit instructions here), and most instructions complete in a single clock cycle. Within the broader taxonomy, this device is a microcontroller -> embedded processor -> programmable logic device -> semiconductor IC. It sits one tier below 16-bit PIC24 and dsPIC parts and is suitable where deterministic cycle counting, low BOM cost, and OTP/EPROM-based code storage are acceptable.
Key differentiating features of the PIC16C64A-10I/L include 35 single-word instructions, a fully static design (clock can be halted), interrupt capability with a context-saving hardware stack, and on-chip peripherals such as a 16-bit timer/counter with a prescaler, an 8-bit timer/counter, a synchronous serial port (SSP) supporting SPI and I2C master/slave modes, a parallel slave port (PSP) for external bus expansion, an 8-bit ADC variant option, and a watchdog timer with its own on-chip RC oscillator for reliable brown-out recovery.
From an architectural perspective, the device separates program and data buses (Harvard), uses a 14-bit instruction word to keep code density high, and provides direct, indirect, and relative addressing modes. Power consumption is typically < 2 mA at 5 V / 4 MHz and < 1 uA in standby with the watchdog disabled, which enables battery-backed designs. The 10 MHz -10 speed grade pairs with industrial-temperature silicon, while faster -20 variants are available for commercial applications.
Typical applications include industrial control panels, motor-driver front-end controllers, instrumentation and metering, embedded sensor hubs, automotive body/comfort modules, low-cost consumer appliances, and legacy PIC16C5X/PIC16C6X upgrade platforms where pin-compatible drop-in replacements are needed. Engineers frequently migrate to PIC16F or PIC18 Flash parts for new designs but keep the OTP PIC16C64A for cost-sensitive, code-frozen production.
Design consideration: the 'I' suffix denotes the industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C); choose the 'E' (extended -40C to +125C) variant for under-hood automotive use. OTP memory can be programmed only once; allow a windowed ceramic package (-JW) version for prototype code iteration, then move to plastic OTP for volume production.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, application-aligned design notes, drop-in alternative MPNs from the same PIC16C family, and practical thermal/programming guidance not consolidated in any single Microchip document.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16C64A-10I/L 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 PIC16C64A-10I/L (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Mounting Type, Timers, Maximum Clock Frequency, Package, Program Memory Size.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16C64A-04I/L
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$4.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βPIC16C64A-10I/L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC 8-bit RISC (Harvard) |
| Instruction Set | 35 single-word instructions |
| Program Memory | 3.5 KB OTP (2K x 14 words) |
| Data RAM | 128 bytes |
| Data EEPROM | 0 bytes (not present) |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 10 MHz |
| CPU Speed | 10 MIPS (DC to 10 MHz) |
| Supply Voltage | 4.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 33 |
| Timers | One 16-bit + one 8-bit timer/counter |
| Serial Interfaces | SSP (SPI / I2C master+slave) |
| Parallel Slave Port | Yes (8-bit PSP) |
| Watchdog Timer | Yes (with on-chip RC oscillator) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Package | 44-pin PLCC (16.59 x 16.59 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (J-lead PLCC) |
PIC16C64A-10I/L Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/VPP β Master clear reset (active low) / programming voltage input |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 β Port A bit 0 / analog input 0 (or digital I/O) |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 β Port A bit 1 / analog input 1 (or digital I/O) |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 β Port A bit 2 / analog input 2 (or digital I/O) |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF β Port A bit 3 / analog input 3 / ADC reference voltage |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI β Port A bit 4 / Timer 0 clock input (open-drain) |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4/SS β Port A bit 5 / analog input 4 / SSP slave select |
| Pin 8 | RE0/RD/AN5 β Port E bit 0 / parallel slave port read control / analog input 5 |
| Pin 9 | RE1/WR/AN6 β Port E bit 1 / parallel slave port write control / analog input 6 |
| Pin 10 | RE2/CS/AN7 β Port E bit 2 / parallel slave port chip select / analog input 7 |
| Pin 11 | VDD β Positive supply voltage (4.0 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 12 | VSS β Ground reference |
| Pin 13 | OSC1/CLKIN β Oscillator crystal input / external clock input |
| Pin 14 | OSC2/CLKOUT β Oscillator crystal output / clock output (FOsc/4) |
| Pin 15 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI β Port C bit 0 / Timer 1 oscillator output / Timer 1 clock input |
| Pin 16 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 β Port C bit 1 / Timer 1 oscillator input / CCP2 output |
| Pin 17 | RC2/CCP1 β Port C bit 2 / CCP1 PWM output |
| Pin 18 | RC3/SCK/SCL β Port C bit 3 / SSP SPI clock / I2C clock |
| Pin 19 | RD0/PSP0 β Port D bit 0 / parallel slave port data bit 0 |
| Pin 20 | RD1/PSP1 β Port D bit 1 / parallel slave port data bit 1 |
| Pin 21 | RD2/PSP2 β Port D bit 2 / parallel slave port data bit 2 |
| Pin 22 | RD3/PSP3 β Port D bit 3 / parallel slave port data bit 3 |
| Pin 23 | RC4/SDI/SDA β Port C bit 4 / SSP SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 24 | RC5/SDO β Port C bit 5 / SSP SPI data out |
| Pin 25 | RC6/TX/CK β Port C bit 6 / USART asynchronous transmit / USART synchronous clock |
| Pin 26 | RC7/RX/DT β Port C bit 7 / USART asynchronous receive / USART synchronous data |
| Pin 27 | RD4/PSP4 β Port D bit 4 / parallel slave port data bit 4 |
| Pin 28 | RD5/PSP5 β Port D bit 5 / parallel slave port data bit 5 |
| Pin 29 | RD6/PSP6 β Port D bit 6 / parallel slave port data bit 6 |
| Pin 30 | RD7/PSP7 β Port D bit 7 / parallel slave port data bit 7 |
| Pin 31 | VSS β Ground reference |
| Pin 32 | VDD β Positive supply voltage (4.0 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 33 | RB0/INT β Port B bit 0 / external interrupt input |
| Pin 34 | RB1 β Port B bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 35 | RB2 β Port B bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 36 | RB3/PGM β Port B bit 3 / low-voltage programming input |
| Pin 37 | RB4 β Port B bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 38 | RB5 β Port B bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 39 | RB6/PGC β Port B bit 6 / ICD clock (in-circuit debugger) |
| Pin 40 | RB7/PGD β Port B bit 7 / ICD data (in-circuit debugger) |
| Pin 41 | NC β Not connected (per datasheet, reserved) |
| Pin 42 | NC β Not connected (per datasheet, reserved) |
| Pin 43 | NC β Not connected (per datasheet, reserved) |
| Pin 44 | NC β Not connected (per datasheet, reserved) |
Typical Applications
PIC16C64A-10I/L is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Control Panels, Motor Driver Front-End Controller, Instrumentation and Metering, Embedded Sensor Hub, Low-Cost Consumer Appliance Control, Legacy PIC16C5X/C6X Upgrade Platform, Automotive Body / Comfort Modules (Cabin Only).
Industrial Control Panels
The PIC16C64A-10I/L fits industrial control panels where deterministic 10 MIPS throughput, 33 GPIO, and a small 44-pin PLCC footprint simplify panel layout. The device's 4.0-5.5 V supply aligns with 5 V backplanes common in PLCs, HMIs, and relay-driver boards, while its 16-bit + 8-bit timer pair handles PWM for valve/actuator control and input capture for encoder feedback. The hardware PSP allows expanding to an external 8-bit bus for keypad or LCD matrix scanning without external logic. Industrial -40C to +85C rating covers factory floor ambient.
Recommended
Motor Driver Front-End Controller
Motor-driver front-end controllers benefit from the PIC16C64A-10I/L's 16-bit timer with prescaler for precise PWM generation, plus the SSP block for SPI communication with smart gate drivers. The 33 GPIO can directly drive enable/fault lines for three-phase half-bridges, while the watchdog timer with on-chip RC oscillator keeps the system safe during brown-out events. OTP program memory locks the firmware, preventing field-tampering of motor calibration tables - a common requirement in BLDC ceiling fans, small pumps, and appliance motors.
Recommended
Instrumentation and Metering
The PIC16C64A-10I/L suits instrumentation and metering designs that need stable 5 V operation, low standby current (< 1 uA with watchdog off), and a parallel slave port for offloading ADC data to a host processor. The 8-bit timer can be re-purposed as a 1 ms system tick for RTC-style timekeeping, while the SSP drives an SPI-based load-cell or temperature-sensor front end. Industrial temperature rating meets indoor metering requirements; OTP memory locks calibration coefficients in production.
Recommended
Embedded Sensor Hub
An embedded sensor hub using the PIC16C64A-10I/L can aggregate data from SPI or I2C sensors through the SSP block while exposing status via the 33 GPIO. The Harvard RISC architecture executes 10 MIPS deterministically, easing worst-case latency in real-time sensor-fusion loops. 128 B RAM is sufficient for short moving-average filters on a handful of channels, and the 3.5 KB OTP stores protocol stacks (Modbus RTU, simple wireless encoders). Industrial temperature rating supports outdoor sensor enclosures.
Recommended
Low-Cost Consumer Appliance Control
Consumer appliances such as rice cookers, washing machines, and air-conditioner remotes leverage the PIC16C64A-10I/L's small BOM, OTP code-lock for factory firmware, and 33 GPIO for keypad plus 7-segment or LCD interface. The 16-bit timer drives buzzer PWM and the 8-bit timer handles button debounce. Power consumption under 2 mA at 5 V / 4 MHz keeps standby drain low for line-powered appliances; OTP memory prevents users from reflashing production firmware.
Recommended
Legacy PIC16C5X/C6X Upgrade Platform
The PIC16C64A-10I/L is widely used as an upgrade platform for legacy PIC16C5X and PIC16C6X designs because the 44-pin PLCC footprint matches several Microchip part numbers, and the PIC16C instruction set is forward-compatible. Designers migrate code from PIC16C55/PIC16C57 footprints by re-routing signals to port assignments and gain 33 GPIO, 128 B RAM, and a parallel slave port. OTP memory and NRND lifecycle mean the part is ideal for code-frozen legacy production but not for new designs.
Recommended
Automotive Body / Comfort Modules (Cabin Only)
Cabin-temperature automotive body and comfort modules such as seat controllers, mirror adjusters, and interior lighting drivers can use the PIC16C64A-10I/L in the -40C to +85C industrial grade. The 33 GPIO directly drives relays and FET gates, while the SSP block handles LIN-bus transceivers via external hardware. Note that the part is NRND and not AEC-Q100 qualified; for AEC-Q100 mandates select a Flash PIC16F or PIC18 part from Microchip's automotive portfolio.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16C64A-10I/L β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16C64A-04I/L | PIC16C64A-10/PT | PIC16C64A-04I/PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 44-pin PLCC (16.59x16.59 mm) | 44-pin PLCC (16.59x16.59 mm) - same | 44-pin TQFP - different land pattern | 44-pin TQFP - different land pattern |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 10 MHz | 4 MHz | 10 MHz | 4 MHz |
| CPU Throughput | 10 MIPS | 4 MIPS | 10 MIPS | 4 MIPS |
| Program Memory | 3.5 KB OTP | 3.5 KB OTP | 3.5 KB OTP | 3.5 KB OTP |
| Data RAM | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes |
| I/O Pins | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Supply Voltage | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-speed 44-pin PLCC OTP variant in PIC16C64A family (vs PIC16C64A-04I/L)
- Industrial temperature range in 44-pin PLCC package (vs PIC16C64A-10/PT)
- 33 GPIO with parallel slave port for bus expansion (vs PIC16C64A-04I/PT)
Design Notes
The PIC16C64A-10I/L requires a stable 4.0 V to 5.5 V supply. Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each VDD pin (pins 11 and 32 in PLCC-44) and a bulk 10 uF tantalum or aluminum capacitor on the 5 V rail. The MCLR/VPP pin (pin 1) needs a 10-50 kohm pull-up to VDD plus a 100 nF capacitor to ground for hardware-reset debouncing; do not omit the capacitor or transient ESD events on MCLR can trigger spurious resets in industrial environments.
Route the OSC1/OSC2 traces short and symmetric, and keep them away from high-current switching nodes such as relay coils or PWM-driven gate drivers to avoid clock jitter. If using a high-speed crystal (above 4 MHz), add a 1 Mohm resistor across the crystal to bias the inverter into its linear region. Place the parallel slave port (port D / RE0-RE2) traces as a matched-length group if the bus is shared with an external host - the PSP is the most EMI-sensitive interface on this part.
Do not program the PIC16C64A-10I/L above 5.5 V or below 4.0 V - brown-out at 4.0 V can corrupt the OTP program memory during in-circuit programming with ICD-2/ICD-3. The OTP array can be written only once: order the JW (ceramic windowed) package for prototype firmware iteration, then move to plastic PLCC OTP for production. Always enable the watchdog timer for unattended industrial deployments; it uses a dedicated on-chip RC oscillator that runs even when the main oscillator is halted.
When using the SSP block for SPI at clock rates above 1 MHz, add 33 ohm series resistors on SCK, SDI, and SDO to dampen reflections from the long PCB traces typical in industrial panels. The I2C lines (RC3/SCL, RC4/SDA) need external 4.7 kohm pull-ups to VDD - the PIC16C64A-10I/L does not have internal pull-ups on these pins because they are SSP-driven. Slew-rate control via the SSPSTAT register (CKE bit) reduces EMI on long cables.
Compliance Information
PIC16C64A-10I/L is an NRND Microchip legacy part. RoHS/REACH/halogen status for the PLCC package was not specified in the verified distributor snippets; verify with Microchip RoHS CoC letter before placing into a RoHS-bound production BOM. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - not suitable for automotive safety-critical applications.
