PIC16F1578-E/GZ - 8-Bit MCU, 32MHz, 7KB Flash, 4x4 UQFN-20
MPN: PIC16F1578-E/GZ ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.52 | $1.52 |
| 10 | $1.37 | $13.70 |
| 100 | $1.22 | $122.00 |
| 500 | $1.05 | $525.00 |
| 1,000 | $0.92 | $920.00 |
PIC16F1578-E/GZ Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer built around an 8-bit data path, integrating a CPU core, Flash program memory, SRAM data memory, EEPROM, peripherals, and I/O. The PIC16F157x family is positioned within Microchip's mid-range PIC16 portfolio - hypernym hierarchy: 8-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor device. These MCUs are widely used as main controllers or peripheral supervisors where deterministic performance, low power, and rich on-chip peripherals are required.
Key features of the PIC16F1578 include four independent 16-bit PWMs with dedicated timers - ideal for high-resolution applications such as LED lighting, motor control, and digital power conversion. The device also integrates a 10-bit ADC with up to 12 channels, two comparators, a configurable logic cell (CLC), and a peripheral pin select (PPS) system that allows flexible pin-function remapping. The 32MHz maximum CPU speed delivers 8 MIPS of instruction throughput.
Architecture-wise, the PIC16F1578 uses Microchip's enhanced mid-range 8-bit core with a 14-bit instruction word, providing a good balance of code density and execution speed. The 20-pin UQFN exposed-pad package enables small PCB footprints while improving thermal dissipation through the bottom thermal pad, which must be soldered to the PCB for rated performance.
Typical applications include LED lighting drivers, RGB and tunable-white lighting controls, BLDC/PMSM motor drives, DC/DC and LLC power converter control, digital power-supply housekeeping, and small-form-factor industrial sensor hubs. Designers benefit from the PIC ecosystem (MPLAB X IDE, XC8 compiler, MPLAB Code Configurator).
When designing with this device, attention should be paid to the exposed thermal pad - it MUST be soldered to the PCB ground plane for both mechanical reliability and electrical/thermal performance. The PPS feature greatly simplifies PCB routing but requires configuration in firmware before peripherals operate.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing as of 2026-09-19, drop-in alternative analysis across the PIC16F157x family, and practical design notes not aggregated on any single distributor product page.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F1578-E/GZ — 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 PIC16F1578-E/GZ (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Program Memory (Flash), PWM Channels, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F1578-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.92 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1579-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1575-I/SL
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$0.93 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1574-I/ST
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$0.76 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1509T-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.97 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1507-E/GZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.58 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F15356T-I/MV
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1.42 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1578-E/GZ Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Type | 8-bit Microcontroller (MCU) |
| Core Architecture | PIC16 enhanced mid-range 8-bit (14-bit instruction word) |
| CPU Speed (max) | 32 MHz (8 MIPS) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 7 KB (4K x 14 words) |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 512 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 12 channels |
| PWM Channels | 4 x 16-bit (independent timers) |
| Comparators | 2 |
| Configurable Logic Cell (CLC) | Yes |
| Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) | Yes |
| I/O Pins | Up to 18 |
| Package | 20-pin UQFN (4x4 mm) with exposed pad |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (extended, -E grade) |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16F1578-E/GZ Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5 — General purpose I/O / ICSP |
| Pin 2 | RA4 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 3 | RA3 — General purpose I/O / MCLR |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 5 | RA1 — General purpose I/O / ICSPCLK |
| Pin 6 | RA0 — General purpose I/O / ICSPDAT |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 8 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 9 | RB7 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 10 | RB6 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 11 | RB5 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 12 | RB4 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 13 | RC7 — General purpose I/O / RX |
| Pin 14 | RC6 — General purpose I/O / TX |
| Pin 15 | RC5 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 16 | RC4 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 17 | RC3 — General purpose I/O / SCL |
| Pin 18 | RC2 — General purpose I/O / SDA |
| Pin 19 | RC1 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin 20 | RC0 — General purpose I/O |
Typical Applications
PIC16F1578-E/GZ is suitable for 6 applications: High-Resolution LED Lighting Control, BLDC and PMSM Motor Control, Digital Power Supply Control, Industrial Sensor Hubs, Consumer Appliance Control, Battery-Powered IoT Edge Nodes.
High-Resolution LED Lighting Control
The PIC16F1578-E/GZ is a strong fit for high-resolution LED lighting because it integrates four independent 16-bit PWMs with dedicated timers - the highest PWM resolution in the PIC16 mid-range portfolio. This makes it well-suited for dimmable white, RGB, and tunable-white luminaires where 8-bit PWM resolution from an ordinary MCU causes visible flicker or color stepping. The PWM frequency can be set above 100 kHz to avoid audible noise while still delivering 16-bit duty-cycle precision. The device's CLC and PPS allow additional logic and flexible pin routing, which are useful in driving multiple LED strings with sequencing logic. VDD range of 1.8V-5.5V supports both 3.3V and 5V LED driver architectures.
Recommended
BLDC and PMSM Motor Control
The PIC16F1578-E/GZ targets small BLDC and PMSM motor drive applications by combining four 16-bit PWMs, a 10-bit ADC, two comparators, and PPS in a 20-pin UQFN. The 16-bit PWMs can be paired with the comparators to implement sensorless trapezoidal or back-EMF commutation. The ADC provides current-sensing feedback for torque control, while PPS allows the same silicon to drive different board layouts without rewiring the firmware. With 32 MHz CPU speed, 32 kHz PWM rates and a 10 kHz control loop can be sustained concurrently. The /GZ UQFN exposed pad helps dissipate heat in tightly enclosed motor-driver PCBs.
Recommended
Digital Power Supply Control
The PIC16F1578-E/GZ is suitable for digital control of DC/DC and LLC converters, where the four 16-bit PWMs drive primary and synchronous switches with sub-microsecond resolution. The PIC16 enhanced mid-range core at 32 MHz supports a 100 kHz voltage-mode control loop while leaving bandwidth for housekeeping tasks. The on-chip 10-bit ADC samples output voltage and current at sub-microsecond intervals, while the CLC implements peak-current-mode logic and burst-mode blanking without external gates. Peripheral Pin Select simplifies PCB routing in compact brick-style converters. Industrial -E temperature grade ensures operation in enclosed power-supply environments.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Hubs
The PIC16F1578-E/GZ fits well as a sensor-hub MCU in industrial monitoring equipment because it has up to 12 ADC channels, two comparators, and PPS for mixed analog/digital sensor interfaces. The 7 KB Flash is sufficient for sensor linearization, calibration, and Modbus RTU or 4-20 mA loop-driving firmware. The -E temperature grade (-40C to +125C) covers outdoor and process-industry enclosures. With 32 MHz CPU speed, simultaneous sampling of multiple analog sensors with moving-average filtering is feasible. The /GZ UQFN is small enough for in-line sensor transmitter housings.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control
The PIC16F1578-E/GZ integrates the right combination of analog and digital peripherals for consumer appliances such as coffee machines, smart thermostats, and small kitchen robots. The four 16-bit PWMs drive TRIACs, IGBTs, or MOSFET gates for heating elements, pumps, and fans. The 10-bit ADC reads NTC thermistors and potentiometers, while the comparators provide over-temperature and over-current hardware protection. The 7 KB Flash and 512-byte SRAM fit state-machine plus user-interface firmware. The /GZ 4x4 mm UQFN enables compact control boards where PCB real estate is at a premium.
Recommended
Battery-Powered IoT Edge Nodes
The PIC16F1578-E/GZ can serve as an MCU for battery-powered IoT edge nodes where its 1.8 V minimum VDD allows single-cell Li-ion or 2x AA operation. Sleep currents are in the deep nanoampere range when peripherals are gated, while the 32 MHz CPU wakes quickly to perform sensor reads and transmit cycles. PPS allows the same silicon to drive UART, I2C, or SPI radios without external muxing. The 7 KB Flash is adequate for sensor fusion and a lightweight radio stack like LoRa P2P or BLE-SoC bridge. The /GZ UQFN's exposed pad is large enough for ground-plane stitching that improves EMI behavior.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F1578-E/GZ — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F1578-I/GZ | PIC16F1579-I/GZ | PIC16F1509T-I/GZ | PIC16F1507-E/GZ | PIC16F15356T-I/MV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 20-pin UQFN (4x4) | 20-pin UQFN (4x4) | 20-pin UQFN (4x4) | 20-pin UQFN (4x4) | 20-pin UQFN (4x4) | 20-pin UQFN (MV) |
| Flash Memory | 7 KB | 7 KB | 14 KB | 8 KB | 4 KB | 28 KB |
| SRAM | 512 B | 512 B | 1 KB | 512 B | 256 B | 2 KB |
| CPU Speed (max) | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 32 MHz |
| 16-bit PWM Channels | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 (10-bit PWM only) | 4 |
| Configurable Logic Cell | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Peripheral Pin Select | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Temperature Grade | Extended (-40C to +125C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Extended (-40C to +125C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) |
Key Differentiators
- Four independent 16-bit PWMs with dedicated timers (vs PIC16F1507-E/GZ)
- Configurable Logic Cell (CLC) peripheral (vs PIC16F1509T-I/GZ)
- Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) flexibility (vs PIC16F1574-I/ST)
- Extended -E temperature grade for harsh environments (vs PIC16F1578-I/GZ)
Design Notes
The PIC16F1578-E/GZ 20-pin UQFN has an exposed thermal pad that MUST be soldered to a PCB ground plane for rated electrical and thermal performance. According to Microchip UQFN package guidelines, the exposed pad should be connected to VSS through at least 9 thermal vias on a 0.5mm pitch. Failing to solder the EP causes reliability issues from moisture infiltration and significantly degrades thermal dissipation. Add a copper keep-out under the EP except for the via array to maximize solder-joint reliability.
Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor as close as possible to the VDD pin (pin 8) with the shortest possible trace. Add a bulk capacitor (1 uF to 10 uF ceramic or tantalum) on the same VDD net to handle ADC reference transients during ADC bit-banging or PWM edges. The PIC16F1578 datasheet recommends keeping VDD ripple below 50 mV peak-to-peak during ADC conversions to maintain 10-bit accuracy.
Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) must be configured in firmware before the peripheral can drive any output pin - forgetting to call PPS unlock/configure routines leaves the peripheral pins in their reset state (high-impedance or default GPIO). According to Microchip MPLAB Code Configurator documentation, PPS lock registers must be unlocked via the IOLOCK sequence before any remapping takes effect. Use the CLC for sequencing logic only after PPS is correctly set up, or PWM/CLC outputs may not reach their assigned pins.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance maintained per Microchip published material declarations. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - refer to PIC16F1xx automotive-grade portfolio for AEC-Q100 options. Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip PIC16F1578 ordering information.
