PIC16F1516-E/SO - 8-Bit 20MHz MCU 14KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F1516-E/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.28 | $2.28 |
| 10 | $2.06 | $20.60 |
| 100 | $1.84 | $184.00 |
| 500 | $1.65 | $825.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.47 | $1,470.00 |
PIC16F1516-E/SO Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, program memory, working RAM, and peripheral interfaces into one package. The PIC16F1516 belongs to the Enhanced Mid-Range PIC16 family with 49 instructions and 16 stack levels, providing a favorable balance between code density, deterministic interrupt response, and peripheral integration. As part of the broader taxonomy, it sits between a discrete microprocessor (which requires external memory and peripherals) and a system-on-chip (SoC), occupying the mainstream 8-bit MCU segment for cost-sensitive embedded designs.
Key features include an internal 16 MHz high-precision oscillator, support for I²C, SPI, and enhanced USART serial interfaces, multiple 8-bit and 16-bit timers, and an on-chip 10-bit ADC capable of converting up to 17 analog inputs. The device also integrates an Enhanced Universal Synchronous Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (EUSART), up to 25 general-purpose I/O pins, and a peripheral pin select (PPS) system that simplifies PCB routing by allowing digital peripheral functions to be mapped to a wide choice of physical pins.
Architecturally, the PIC16F1516 uses a Harvard RISC-style core with separate program and data buses, providing deterministic single-cycle instruction execution for most operations. Its nanoWatt XLP technology delivers ultra-low sleep currents (well under 1 µA in typical deep-sleep modes), making the part especially suitable for battery-powered and energy-harvesting applications. The 14 KB Flash supports self-read/write, allowing on-the-fly data logging or in-application firmware updates.
Typical applications include low-power sensor nodes, IoT edge devices, battery-powered consumer products, white goods and appliance control boards, industrial sensor interfaces, LED lighting controllers, and small consumer devices requiring USB-free, cost-optimized 8-bit processing. Designers frequently pair it with Microchip's MPLAB X IDE, XC8 compiler, and the MPLAB Snap or PICkit programmer for development.
When designing with this MCU, ensure decoupling capacitors (100 nF plus 10 µF bulk) are placed close to VDD/VSS, leave the MCLR pin accessible for in-circuit serial programming (ICSP), and select the appropriate oscillator configuration in the configuration words. Review the device errata for the latest silicon revision before committing to high-volume production.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet, helping engineers quickly evaluate the PIC16F1516-E/SO against same-package and cross-package alternatives for their embedded application.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F1516-E/SO — 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 PIC16F1516-E/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, I/O Pins, Internal Oscillator, Program Memory (Flash).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F1516-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.21 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1516T-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F1509-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.34 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1508-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.92 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1516-E/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC16 Enhanced Mid-Range (Harvard, RISC) |
| Instruction Set | 49 instructions, 16 stack levels |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 14 KB (8K x 14 words) |
| Data Memory (RAM) | 512 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 2.3 V to 5.5 V (PIC16F1516, industrial -E grade) |
| Supply Voltage Range (Family) | 1.8 V to 5.5 V (PIC16LF1516 variant extends low end) |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 17 channels |
| I/O Pins | Up to 25 GPIO |
| Serial Interfaces | I²C (MSSP), SPI (MSSP), Enhanced USART (EUSART) |
| Timers | Multiple 8-bit and 16-bit timers |
| Internal Oscillator | 16 MHz (HFINTOSC), 31 kHz (LFINTOSC) |
| XLP Technology | nanoWatt eXtreme Low Power |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 °C to +125 °C (industrial, -E suffix) |
| Package | 28-pin SOIC (7.50 mm body width), Tube |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited floor life at ≤30 °C / 85 % RH) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Programming/Debug | ICSP via MPLAB Snap / PICkit 3 / PICkit 4 / ICD 3 |
PIC16F1516-E/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA3/AN3/VREF+/T0CKI/C1INB-/PGM — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 3; positive voltage reference; Timer0 clock input; ICSP programming data |
| Pin 2 | RA4/AN4/T1G/SS/HLVDIN/C2OUT — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 4; Timer1 gate; SPI slave select; high/low-voltage detect input; comparator 2 output |
| Pin 3 | RA5/AN5/SS/HLVDIN/C2INA-/VCAP — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 5; SPI slave select; high/low-voltage detect; comparator input; core regulator VCAP |
| Pin 4 | RA6/OSC2/CLKOUT/AN6 — Bidirectional I/O; oscillator output; clock output; analog input 6 |
| Pin 5 | RA7/OSC1/CLKIN/AN7 — Bidirectional I/O; oscillator input; external clock input; analog input 7 |
| Pin 6 | RC0/SOSC1/SCL/SCK/P2B — Bidirectional I/O; secondary oscillator; I²C clock; SPI clock; PWM 2 output B |
| Pin 7 | RC1/SOSCO/SDA/SDI/P2C — Bidirectional I/O; secondary oscillator output; I²C data; SPI data in; PWM output |
| Pin 8 | RC2/CCP1/P1A/AN8 — Bidirectional I/O; Capture/Compare/PWM 1; PWM 1 output A; analog input 8 |
| Pin 9 | RC3/SCK/SCL/AN9/CCP2/P2A — Bidirectional I/O; SPI/I²C clock; analog input 9; CCP2; PWM 2 output A |
| Pin 10 | RC4/SDI/SDA/AN10/P1B/C2OUT — Bidirectional I/O; SPI data in; I²C data; analog input 10; PWM 1 output B; comparator 2 output |
| Pin 11 | RC5/SDO/C1OUT/AN11/P1C — Bidirectional I/O; SPI data out; comparator 1 output; analog input 11; PWM output |
| Pin 12 | RC6/TX/CK/AN12/CCP3/P3A — Bidirectional I/O; EUSART TX/clock; analog input 12; CCP3; PWM 3 output A |
| Pin 13 | RC7/RX/DT/AN13/CCP4/P3B — Bidirectional I/O; EUSART RX/data; analog input 13; CCP4; PWM 3 output B |
| Pin 14 | RB0/AN12/CCP1/INT/SRI — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 12; CCP1; external interrupt; SR-latch input |
| Pin 15 | RB1/AN10/C1INC-/P1C — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 10; comparator input; PWM output |
| Pin 16 | RB2/AN8/C1INB-/P1B — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 8; comparator input; PWM output |
| Pin 17 | RB3/AN9/C1INA-/P2A — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 9; comparator input; PWM output |
| Pin 18 | RB4/AN11/P2B — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 11; PWM output |
| Pin 19 | RB5/AN13/P3B — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 13; PWM output |
| Pin 20 | RB6/ICSPCLK/ICDCLK — Bidirectional I/O; ICSP clock / ICD clock |
| Pin 21 | RB7/ICSPDAT/ICDDAT — Bidirectional I/O; ICSP data / ICD data |
| Pin 22 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (2.3 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 23 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 24 | RA0/AN0/C12IN0-/P1A/ULPWU — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 0; comparator input; PWM output; ultra-low-power wake-up input |
| Pin 25 | RA1/AN1/C12IN1-/P1B — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 1; comparator input; PWM output |
| Pin 26 | RA2/AN2/C2IN+/VREF-/DACOUT — Bidirectional I/O; analog input 2; comparator input; negative voltage reference; DAC output |
| Pin 27 | MCLR/VPP/RA3 — Master clear reset (active low) / programming voltage; shared with RA3 |
| Pin 28 | RA0 — Refer to pin 24 - duplicate label slot in SOIC variant kept for cross-reference |
Typical Applications
PIC16F1516-E/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, White Goods and Appliance Control, Industrial Sensor Signal Conditioning, LED Lighting Controllers, Consumer Electronics UI Boards, Automotive Body and Comfort Modules.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC16F1516-E/SO is well suited to battery-powered IoT sensor nodes where the nanoWatt XLP architecture keeps active current low and deep-sleep current under 1 µA, dramatically extending coin-cell or 2×AA battery life. Its 10-bit ADC with up to 17 channels lets a single MCU digitize temperature, humidity, light, and battery-voltage signals without an external ADC, reducing BOM cost. The 14 KB Flash accommodates small MQTT-SN or vendor-proprietary stacks plus application code, while the MSSP drives I²C sensors and SPI radios directly. At 20 MHz the core can run short transmit bursts before returning to sleep, which is the typical duty-cycled sensor-node pattern.
Recommended
White Goods and Appliance Control
Major appliance boards (washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwave ovens) routinely use PIC16F-series MCUs to drive user interfaces, relay outputs, and triac phase controls. The PIC16F1516-E/SO offers 25 GPIO - enough to scan a 4×4 keypad, multiplex a 7-segment display, and drive several triac-fired loads without external logic. Its -40 °C to +125 °C operating range handles the high-ambient enclosures behind a dishwasher or oven. Enhanced USART and EUSART support diagnostic ports and inverter drive interfaces, while 10-bit ADC reads thermistor, water-level, and motor-current sensors accurately.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Signal Conditioning
Industrial 4–20 mA loops, thermocouple interfaces, and bridge-amplifier front ends benefit from the PIC16F1516-E/SO's combination of a 10-bit ADC, ample Flash for linearization tables, and industrial-grade -E temperature range. Multiple analog inputs allow the MCU to read a primary sensor and a cold-junction compensation sensor simultaneously, removing the need for an external mux. The MSSP peripheral drives I²C DACs or digital potentiometers for calibration, while the EUSART reports readings over RS-485 to a PLC. The 28-SOIC package is friendly to hand-rework for prototype instrumentation.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controllers
Architectural and horticultural LED fixtures need a controller that can PWM-dim several channels, read ambient light, and accept DMX-512 or 0–10 V dim commands. The PIC16F1516-E/SO's multiple timers deliver flexible PWM generation, while the 10-bit ADC reads photodiode sensors for daylight harvesting. The MSSP peripheral handles I²C-driven LED driver ICs, and the EUSART decodes DMX-512 at 250 kbaud directly. With 14 KB Flash, the MCU can host color-mixing firmware, fade tables, and remote-control logic without external memory.
Recommended
Consumer Electronics UI Boards
Consumer devices such as coffee machines, air purifiers, and HVAC remotes pair the PIC16F1516-E/SO with capacitive-touch or matrix-key front panels. The 14 KB Flash supports menu logic, OTA-style feature updates via UART, and self-test routines at production. Its 25 GPIO can drive TFT or segment LCDs directly, and the on-chip ADC scans battery voltage, NTC thermistors, and current-sense signals. The -40 to +125 °C temperature rating tolerates kitchen-counter thermal stress.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Comfort Modules
Although the standard PIC16F1516 is not AEC-Q100 qualified, it is widely used in non-safety automotive subsystems such as interior lighting, seat controllers, HVAC blend doors, and accessory switch modules. The 28-SOIC package tolerates the under-dash thermal envelope, and the 10-bit ADC reads door-switch and rheostat inputs. For production automotive programs, Microchip recommends the PIC16F1516-E/SO paired with external TVS protection on connector pins, plus the use of Microchip's MPLAB X IDE with the automotive software framework.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F1516-E/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F1516-I/SO | PIC16F1516T-I/SO | PIC16F1509-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SOIC (7.50 mm) | 28-SOIC (7.50 mm) - same | 28-SOIC (7.50 mm) - same | 28-SOIC (7.50 mm) - same |
| Flash Memory | 14 KB | 14 KB | 14 KB | 8 KB (-43 %) |
| RAM | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B |
| ADC Channels | 17 | 17 | 17 | 12 (-29 %) |
| Maximum Clock | 20 MHz (5 MIPS) | 20 MHz (5 MIPS) | 20 MHz (5 MIPS) | 20 MHz (5 MIPS) |
| Operating Voltage | 2.3 V to 5.5 V | 2.3 V to 5.5 V | 2.3 V to 5.5 V | 2.3 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +125 °C | -40 °C to +85 °C | -40 °C to +85 °C | -40 °C to +85 °C |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial -E temperature grade for harsh environments (vs PIC16F1516-I/SO)
- Largest Flash within the PIC16F150x/151x 28-SOIC family (vs PIC16F1509-I/SO)
- Highest ADC channel count in the family (vs PIC16F1509-I/SO)
Design Notes
Decouple the VDD pin (22) and VSS pin (23) with a 100 nF X7R ceramic placed within 5 mm of the package, plus a 10 µF bulk capacitor at the board entry. For battery-powered designs, route a low-Iq LDO such as MCP1700 ahead of the MCU and use Sleep + Watchdog Timer wake-up to keep active current in the tens of µA. The 'E' suffix (-40 °C to +125 °C) preserves full performance across industrial enclosures.
Keep the ICSP clock (RB6) and data (RB7) traces short and away from switching signals to avoid programming failures. Place the MCLR pull-up (typically 10 kΩ) close to pin 27 and route the trace directly to the programming connector - do not share it with high-current paths. Use a ground pour under the 28-SOIC footprint to reduce thermal stress at the higher end of the temperature range.
Two frequent mistakes with the PIC16F1516-E/SO are (1) forgetting to disable the analog input buffers on port pins used as digital outputs, which causes excess current draw and weak drive, and (2) leaving the configuration words in their default state, which selects the internal oscillator but may not match the board's crystal. Always set CONFIG1 and CONFIG2 explicitly in source code and double-check the device ID during debug. Also, do not exceed 5.5 V on any pin; the absolute maximum ratings in the datasheet are 6.5 V on VDD with respect to VSS, and any over-voltage will compromise the part's long-term reliability.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH compliance per Microchip PIC16F1516 product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for AEC-Q100 automotive programs consult Microchip's automotive-grade PIC16F portfolio.
