PIC16C73A-10/SP - 8-Bit 10MHz 7KB OTP MCU 28-SPDIP | Microchip
MPN: PIC16C73A-10/SP β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9.8 | $9.80 |
| 10 | $9.05 | $90.50 |
| 100 | $8.1 | $810.00 |
| 500 | $7.2 | $3,600.00 |
| 1,000 | $6.4 | $6,400.00 |
PIC16C73A-10/SP Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller is a single-chip computer built around an 8-bit data bus and a Harvard architecture. Within the broader semiconductor taxonomy it sits under microcontroller -> MCU -> embedded processor -> semiconductor device. The PIC16CXX mid-range family from Microchip is one of the longest-lived 8-bit architectures in the industry and is widely used in industrial control, automotive body electronics, and consumer appliances where deterministic instruction timing and low cost outweigh raw compute throughput.
Key features of the PIC16C73A-10/SP include 35 single-word instructions, all single-cycle except program branches (two cycles), 5 MIPS sustained throughput at 20 MHz, supply voltage range of 4.0 V to 5.5 V, and low-power consumption with typical 15 Β΅A active current at 5 V/4 MHz and 1 Β΅A standby at 3 V/32 kHz. The device supports high sink/source current of 25 mA per pin and operates across commercial, industrial, and extended temperature ranges. Interrupt handling, watchdog timer, and power-on reset are all integrated.
The PIC16C73A employs a RISC architecture with a two-stage pipeline and a 14-bit wide instruction word. The 8-bit ALU operates on data RAM, while the program store is accessed over a separate 14-bit bus, allowing instruction fetch and data access in the same cycle. This Harvard topology, combined with the 35-instruction RISC set, gives the part its deterministic 200 ns instruction cycle time at 20 MHz. The integrated ADC uses successive-approximation with analog input multiplexing across 5 channels.
Typical applications include industrial control and automation, HVAC and building controls, automotive body and chassis subsystems, low-end consumer appliances, sensor signal conditioning front-ends, and battery-powered instrumentation. The wide operating voltage range and industrial temperature grade make it well suited to factory floor deployments.
When designing with this device, note that the OTP memory cannot be re-programmed, so production firmware must be fully validated before wafer programming. The /MCLR reset pin requires a precise RC rise time, and the ICSP interface shares pins with PORTC, so isolation resistors may be needed in-circuit.
This page synthesizes current distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives drawn from the Microchip PIC16C7X family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16C73A-10/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 PIC16C73A-10/SP (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Program Memory Size, Timers.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16C73B-10I/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C73B-10/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F73-I/SP
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C73A-10I/SP
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C73A-04/SP
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C74A-10/SP
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C73A-10/SP Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC16 mid-range RISC |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable) EPROM |
| Program Memory Size | 7 KB (4K x 14) |
| Data RAM | 192 bytes |
| Data EEPROM | Not present |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 20 MHz |
| Speed Grade | 10 MHz (-10 suffix) |
| Instruction Set | 35 single-word instructions |
| MIPS Performance | 5 MIPS @ 20 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 4.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 22 |
| ADC | 5 channels x 8-bit |
| Timers | 3 (Timer0, Timer1, Timer2) |
| Communication | USART, SSP (SPI/I2C) |
| Package | 28-pin SPDIP (Skinny Plastic DIP) |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +70C (commercial) |
| Active Current | 15 uA typical @ 5 V / 4 MHz |
| Standby Current | 1 uA typical @ 3 V / 32 kHz |
| Pin Sink/Source Current | 25 mA / 25 mA |
PIC16C73A-10/SP Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | /MCLR β Master Clear reset input, active low |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 β PORTA bit 0 / analog input 0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 β PORTA bit 1 / analog input 1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 β PORTA bit 2 / analog input 2 |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF β PORTA bit 3 / analog input 3 / ADC VREF+ |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI β PORTA bit 4 / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4/SS β PORTA bit 5 / analog input 4 / SPI slave select |
| Pin 8 | OSC1/CLKIN β Crystal oscillator input or external clock |
| Pin 9 | OSC2/CLKOUT β Crystal oscillator output or clock out |
| Pin 10 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI β PORTC bit 0 / Timer1 oscillator output / Timer1 clock input |
| Pin 11 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 β PORTC bit 1 / Timer1 oscillator input / CCP2 |
| Pin 12 | RC2/CCP1 β PORTC bit 2 / Capture/Compare/PWM 1 |
| Pin 13 | RC3/SCK/SCL β PORTC bit 3 / SPI clock / I2C clock |
| Pin 14 | RC4/SDI/SDA β PORTC bit 4 / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 15 | RC5/SDO β PORTC bit 5 / SPI data out |
| Pin 16 | RC6/TX/CK β PORTC bit 6 / USART TX / USART clock |
| Pin 17 | RC7/RX/DT β PORTC bit 7 / USART RX / USART data |
| Pin 18 | VSS β Ground reference |
| Pin 19 | VDD β Positive supply 4.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Pin 20 | RB0/INT β PORTB bit 0 / external interrupt input |
| Pin 21 | RB1 β PORTB bit 1 |
| Pin 22 | RB2 β PORTB bit 2 |
| Pin 23 | RB3 β PORTB bit 3 |
| Pin 24 | RB4 β PORTB bit 4 |
| Pin 25 | RB5 β PORTB bit 5 |
| Pin 26 | RB6/PGC β PORTB bit 6 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 27 | RB7/PGD β PORTB bit 7 / ICSP data |
| Pin 28 | VSS β Ground reference |
Typical Applications
PIC16C73A-10/SP is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Process Control, HVAC and Building Automation, Automotive Body and Chassis Subsystems, Low-End Consumer Appliance Controllers, Battery-Powered Sensor Front-Ends, Educational Microcontroller Training Platforms.
Industrial Process Control
The PIC16C73A-10/SP fits industrial process control panels because of its 22 I/O pins, integrated 5-channel 8-bit ADC for sensor front-ends, and 4.0-5.5 V supply tolerance that rides through industrial 24 V bus drops after pre-regulation. Its 10 MIPS sustained throughput handles PID loops at sub-millisecond update rates for temperature, pressure, and flow loops. The three timers simplify PWM actuator drive, and the USART interfaces to RS-485 transceivers for Modbus RTU slave communication on factory floors.
Recommended
HVAC and Building Automation
The PIC16C73A-10/SP is well suited to HVAC damper and valve actuators where its 25 mA per-pin sink/source current drives optotriacs and small relays directly without buffer stages. The 5-channel ADC reads thermistor temperature sensors, humidity transducers, and pressure switches, while the USART links the controller to BACnet or Modbus building networks. Commercial temperature grade (0C to +70C) covers indoor mechanical rooms, and the 28-SPDIP through-hole package is preferred by HVAC OEMs for service-friendly field replacement.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Chassis Subsystems
The PIC16C73A-10/SP powers automotive body controllers for seat position memory, mirror adjustment, lighting clusters, and accessory multiplex, where its 22 I/O directly drive small solenoids and LEDs at 25 mA. The 5-channel ADC reads potentiometers for trim position feedback. The 16C73B-10I/SP variant extends this to industrial-grade temperature for underhood mounting. The OTP memory model provides tamper resistance for OEM firmware protection, an advantage over Flash MCUs in security-sensitive automotive subsystems.
Recommended
Low-End Consumer Appliance Controllers
The PIC16C73A-10/SP targets cost-sensitive consumer appliances such as microwave ovens, washing machines, and small kitchen devices where its 7 KB OTP holds motor control and user-interface state machines. The integrated USART supports diagnostics ports for factory test, and the three timers drive triac phase control for heater and motor PWM. Through-hole SPDIP packaging suits appliances that need to withstand hand-soldering rework in field-service scenarios, and the 35-instruction RISC set keeps firmware lean.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Front-Ends
The PIC16C73A-10/SP operates in battery-powered sensor data loggers thanks to its 1 Β΅A typical standby current at 3 V/32 kHz, allowing months of operation from a coin cell. Sleep-wake cycles are driven by watchdog timer interrupts, and the ADC samples thermistor or photodiode inputs on programmable schedules. Although the supply range (4.0-5.5 V) is narrower than competing low-power MCUs, a boost converter such as the MCP1640 provides the rail. The 28-SPDIP footprint eases hand-prototyping battery packs.
Recommended
Educational Microcontroller Training Platforms
The PIC16C73A-10/SP remains a common teaching subject in university embedded systems courses because its 28-SPDIP package fits 0.1 inch breadboards and its PIC16 mid-range instruction set is straightforward to learn on the Microchip MPLAB IDE with the PICkit 3 programmer. The integrated peripherals (ADC, USART, SSP, timers) introduce students to mixed-signal design without requiring external components. OTP vs Flash trade-offs teach memory architecture concepts and code-security implications.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16C73A-10/SP β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16C73B-10I/SP | PIC16C73B-10/SP | PIC16F73-I/SP | PIC16C73A-10I/SP | PIC16C73A-04/SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SPDIP | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same |
| Program Memory Type | 7 KB OTP | 7 KB OTP | 7 KB OTP | 7 KB Flash | 7 KB OTP | 7 KB OTP |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 10 MHz (-10 grade) | 10 MHz (-10 grade) | 10 MHz (-10 grade) | 20 MHz | 10 MHz (-10 grade) | 4 MHz (-04 grade) |
| Data RAM | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes |
| ADC | 5 x 8-bit | 5 x 8-bit | 5 x 8-bit | 5 x 8-bit | 5 x 8-bit | 5 x 8-bit |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +70C (commercial) | -40C to +85C (industrial) | 0C to +70C (commercial) | -40C to +85C (industrial) | -40C to +85C (industrial) | 0C to +70C (commercial) |
| Supply Voltage | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V (wider) | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | Active (recommended) | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Direct in-family drop-in successor with errata fixes and same OTP model (vs PIC16C73B-10/SP)
- Flash-based successor for new designs (vs PIC16F73-I/SP)
- Industrial temperature grade on same 28-SPDIP package (vs PIC16C73A-10I/SP)
Design Notes
The PIC16C73A-10/SP requires a regulated 5 V rail within the 4.0 V to 5.5 V supply range. Add a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor directly across VDD (pin 11) and VSS (pin 12) with trace length under 5 mm to suppress switching transients. For board-level bulk filtering, a 10 Β΅F tantalum or aluminum electrolytic capacitor within 25 mm of the VDD pin is recommended. Brown-out detection (BOD) and power-on reset (POR) are internal but require a clean VDD rise time below the BOR threshold.
Because the PIC16C73A-10/SP uses OTP EPROM (not Flash), production firmware must be fully validated and burned into the part only once. There is no in-circuit reprogramming path for production silicon. The /MCLR pin (pin 1) is active low and requires a 10 kOhm pull-up to VDD; an RC delay (typically 1 Β΅F + 10 kOhm) ensures a clean power-on reset. ICSP pins RB6/PGC and RB7/PGD (pins 26-27) must be isolated from high-impedance loads during programming to avoid signal integrity failures.
Place the 28-SPDIP crystal or resonator as close as possible to OSC1 (pin 8) and OSC2 (pin 9), with short symmetrical traces and a ground guard ring for EMI suppression. For a 10 MHz crystal, load capacitors of 15-33 pF are typical. Keep high-current switching traces (PWM outputs from RC1/RC2/CCP1) separated from the analog AVSS/AVDD routing to avoid ADC noise coupling; route analog traces RA0-RA5 in a star topology back to the analog ground reference.
The PIC16C73A-10/SP in 28-SPDIP has a typical thermal resistance junction-to-ambient (theta_JA) around 70 C/W, sufficient for the 15 Β΅A active current at 4 MHz. Estimated: at full 10 MHz clock with all 22 I/O driving 25 mA and VDD=5 V, the part dissipates well under 200 mW with negligible junction temperature rise. No heatsink is required in normal operation. Industrial variants (PIC16C73A-10I/SP) operating at -40C ambient show larger absolute temperature delta but stay well within the rated +85C maximum.
Compliance Information
28-SPDIP part is through-hole and typically non-RoHS by package design; lead-free and RoHS-compliant variants are available in SOIC package (PIC16C73A-10/SO). Not AEC-Q100 qualified; use industrial temp grade variant for automotive body electronics. Per Microchip PIC16C73A product page, the part is NRD (Not Recommended for New Designs).
