PIC16F18456-I/STX - 28KB Flash 32MHz 8-bit MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F18456-I/STX ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.85 | $1.85 |
| 10 | $1.62 | $16.20 |
| 100 | $1.38 | $138.00 |
| 500 | $1.21 | $605.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.08 | $1,080.00 |
PIC16F18456-I/STX Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller is a single-chip computer whose datapath and registers are 8 bits wide, balancing low cost, deterministic behavior, and ease of programming against the throughput of 16-bit or 32-bit MCUs. In the broader taxonomy, the PIC16F18456 sits below 32-bit Cortex-M parts and above legacy 4-bit controllers; within Microchip's lineup, it belongs to the PIC16F1xxx enhanced mid-range family, sits above the baseline PIC10/12/16 baseline families, and below the PIC18 and dsPIC families. It is widely used for sensor fusion, low-speed human-interface, and battery-powered applications where deterministic interrupt latency matters more than raw throughput.
Key specifications include a wide 1.8 V to 5.5 V operating range, 49 dB typical PSRR for noise immunity, 4 high-current sink/source I/O capable of 100 mA each, and eXtreme Low-Power (XLP) technology that drops sleep current to roughly 50 nA typical with multiple power-managed operating modes such as doze, idle, and sleep with peripheral supervision. Internal oscillator options up to 32 MHz and a 32 kHz Low-Power LFINTOSC remove the cost and space of an external crystal in many designs.
Typical applications include IoT sensor nodes, portable medical and wearable devices, automotive body and lighting controllers, industrial sensor interfaces, and low-cost consumer white goods. The combination of small VQFN-28 footprint, ample analog integration, and low-power modes makes it especially attractive for space-constrained battery-powered designs that previously required an external ADC or op-amp.
When laying out the PCB, dedicate a 0.1 µF decoupling capacitor adjacent to every VDD pin and a bulk 10 µF tantalum or ceramic cap at the regulator output. Keep analog reference traces short and guarded, route the VQFN-28 EP (exposed pad) to a continuous ground copper pour for thermal relief, and program the PPS (Peripheral Pin Select) mappings in code to optimize trace routing. This page consolidates distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F18456-I/STX — 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 PIC16F18456-I/STX (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Operating Voltage Range, Program Memory (Flash), Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F18456-I/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.07 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F18456-E/STX
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F18446-I/STX
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F18455-I/STX
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F18346-I/STX
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F18426T-I/ST
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F18456-I/STX Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC16 Enhanced Mid-Range 8-bit |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 32 MHz / 32 MIPS |
| Program Flash Memory | 28 KB (16K x 14 words) |
| Data SRAM | 2 KB |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Operating Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| DAC | 5-bit DAC |
| Comparators | 2 |
| PWM / CCP Modules | 2x PWM (CCP) |
| Waveform Generator | Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG) |
| Communication | 1x EUSART, 2x SPI/I2C |
| Configurable Logic Cells (CLC) | Yes |
| Low-Power Technology | XLP - sleep current ~50 nA typical |
| Package | 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) with exposed thermal pad |
| Operating Temperature (I grade) | -40 C to +85 C |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16F18456-I/STX Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (1.8 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 2 | RA5 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 3 | RA4 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 4 | RA3 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input; MCLR/VPP option |
| Pin 5 | RC5 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 6 | RC4 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 7 | RC3 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 8 | RC2 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 9 | RC1 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 10 | RC0 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 11 | RA2 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 12 | RA1 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 13 | RA0 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 14 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 15 | RA7 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 16 | RA6 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 17 | RC7 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 18 | RC6 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 19 | RB7 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input; high-current 100 mA |
| Pin 20 | RB6 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input; high-current 100 mA |
| Pin 21 | RB5 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 22 | RB4 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 23 | RB3 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 24 | RB2 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 25 | RB1 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 26 | RB0 — Bidirectional I/O; analog input |
| Pin 27 | VDDIO2 — I/O supply for high-current bank; tie to VDD if unused |
| Pin 28 | VSS — Ground reference (second bond pad for VQFN) |
Typical Applications
PIC16F18456-I/STX is suitable for 6 applications: IoT Sensor Node, Wearable Health Monitor, Automotive Body and Lighting Controller, Industrial Sensor Interface, Home Appliance Control Board, USB-CDC Serial Adapter / Bootloader Host.
IoT Sensor Node
The PIC16F18456-I/STX fits IoT sensor nodes because its 12-bit ADCC with computation, 2 KB RAM, and XLP sleep mode around 50 nA let a battery-powered node spend most of its life asleep while still waking fast enough to service analog sensors. Its 32 MHz CPU delivers 32 MIPS - enough to run a small LoRaWAN or BLE host-controller stack via the EUSART or SPI link to a radio module. The 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) keeps the BOM footprint under 25 mm square, and the 1.8 V to 5.5 V VDD range allows direct connection to a single-cell Li-FePO4 or two-AA alkaline stack.
Recommended
Wearable Health Monitor
Wearables benefit from the PIC16F18456-I/STX because its low-power XLP modes and 2 KB RAM support continuous heart-rate or temperature sampling while drawing under 1 mA average. The 12-bit ADCC handles PPG photodiode readouts and the 5-bit DAC supports bias-voltage generation for the optical front end. The CWG can directly drive an LED indicator without burning an extra PWM channel. Its small 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) package and exposed-pad thermal relief suit a 30 x 40 mm wrist-strap form factor.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Lighting Controller
Body controllers and LED lighting drivers benefit from the PIC16F18456-I/STX's four 100 mA high-current I/O pins, which can sink/source LEDs, relays, or small solenoids directly without external drivers. The CWG module drives complementary MOSFET pairs for half-bridge lighting control, while the EUSART links to a CAN or LIN transceiver through SPI-to-LIN. Operating over 1.8 V to 5.5 V with a -40 C to +125 C extended-temperature variant (PIC16F18456-E/STX) covers under-hood and cabin environments.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Interface
Industrial 4-20 mA loop sensors and thermocouple interfaces are a natural fit for the PIC16F18456-I/STX thanks to its 12-bit ADCC with hardware oversampling and on-chip computation that offloads the CPU from moving-average filtering. The 5-bit DAC supports bias generation for RTD bridges, while the two comparators enable window-comparator fault detection independent of the ADC. Its 28-VQFN footprint and -40 C to +85 C operating range fit industrial control cabinets and DIN-rail modules.
Recommended
Home Appliance Control Board
Washing machines, dishwashers, and coffee makers benefit from the PIC16F18456-I/STX because its CCP/PWM, CWG, and AC-zero-cross detection via comparators support triac and TRIAC-driver control with minimal external circuitry. The 2 KB RAM is large enough for a small RTOS or a polled user-interface state machine. With 32 MIPS performance and 28 KB Flash, the device hosts capacitive-touch button firmware and low-cost TFT displays via SPI without inflating the BOM.
Recommended
USB-CDC Serial Adapter / Bootloader Host
The PIC16F18456-I/STX can serve as a low-cost USB-CDC bridge when paired with an external USB-UART bridge (such as MCP2200) and as the host MCU for a bootloader that updates firmware via UART. Its 28 KB Flash is large enough to host both application firmware and a USB/UART bootloader stub, and the EUSART supports autobaud detection. The 32 MHz internal HFINTOSC removes the need for a precise external crystal, saving BOM cost on consumer accessories.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F18456-I/STX — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F18456-I/SP | PIC16F18456-E/STX | PIC16F18446-I/STX | PIC16F18455-I/STX | PIC16F18346-I/STX | PIC16F18426T-I/ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) | SPDIP-28 (different footprint) | 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) - same | 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) - same | 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) - same | 28-VQFN (4x4 mm) - same | TSSOP-28 (different footprint) |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (I grade) | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C |
| ADC | 12-bit ADCC with computation | 12-bit ADCC | 12-bit ADCC | 12-bit ADCC | 12-bit ADCC | 10-bit ADC | 12-bit ADCC |
Key Differentiators
- Larger Flash and SRAM than the F18446 / F18455 siblings at the same package (vs PIC16F18446-I/STX)
- Extended-temperature variant with identical silicon (vs PIC16F18456-E/STX)
- 12-bit ADCC versus 10-bit ADC in older F183xx family (vs PIC16F18346-I/STX)
Design Notes
Place a 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of every VDD pin and a 10 µF bulk capacitor at the regulator output. Tie unused VDDIO2 to VDD if the high-current bank is not used - leaving it floating can cause intermittent POR resets at low temperatures. The XLP sleep current of ~50 nA assumes all peripherals are disabled before WFI; enable the watchdog separately if you need a wake source.
The 28-VQFN exposed pad must be soldered to a continuous ground copper pour of at least 50 mm². This provides both electrical ground and thermal relief for the internal die. Without proper exposed-pad soldering, junction temperature can rise 20-30 C above ambient under full-load ADCC sampling, potentially triggering thermal foldback in enclosed industrial cabinets.
Route analog reference (VREF+) traces as short as possible and guard them with ground pours on both sides. Keep digital switching traces away from the VREF+ pin by at least 3 mm to avoid coupling noise into the ADC reference. Use PPS (Peripheral Pin Select) to remap digital peripherals to pins physically distant from analog inputs - this is one of the largest PCB-layout advantages of the PIC16F184xx family.
Do not skip the configuration-bit programming step: the PIC16F18456 ships with the internal LFINTOSC selected by default, but if your firmware expects 32 MHz CPU clock you must explicitly configure the HFINTOSC PLL before peripheral initialization. Also remember to clear the GIE bit before entering WFI sleep if you do not want the watchdog interrupt to wake the device - this catches many first-time PIC16 users.
When migrating from PIC16F18346 to PIC16F18456 in the same 28-VQFN footprint, verify PPS remapping in code - the F184xx family uses slightly different PPS register names than the F18xx family. Also confirm the 12-bit ADCC configuration registers - the older 10-bit ADC initialization sequence will not work correctly on the F184xx ADCC hardware and produces silent zero readings.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free per Microchip product page. AEC-Q100 qualified variants are the PIC16F18456-E/STX temperature-grade extended parts (industrial, not automotive qualified).
