PIC16F18856T-I/SS - 8-Bit 32MHz MCU 28KB Flash XLP | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F18856T-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.13 | $3.13 |
| 10 | $2.78 | $27.80 |
| 100 | $2.34 | $234.00 |
| 500 | $1.99 | $995.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.72 | $1,720.00 |
| 2,100 | $1.49 | $3,129.00 |
PIC16F18856T-I/SS Overview
A PIC microcontroller (MCU) is an 8/16/32-bit programmable processor with integrated FLASH program memory, SRAM data memory, peripherals, and I/O on a single die. PIC MCUs sit within the broader taxonomy of microcontrollers -> embedded processors -> semiconductors. They are typically used as the main control element in embedded products, replacing discrete logic with software-driven intelligence for sensing, actuation, communication, and user-interface tasks.
Key differentiating features of the PIC16F18856T-I/SS include a hardware CRC/SCAN block for code and data integrity, HLT (Hardware Limit Timer) for safety-critical timing, Windowed Watchdog Timer (WWDT), SMT (Signal Measurement Timer), CWG (Complementary Waveform Generator), and ADCC (Analog-to-Digital Converter with Computation) for autonomous analog signal conditioning. Together these Core Independent Peripherals (CIP) offload tasks from the CPU, reducing active-mode time and enabling eXtreme Low Power sleep currents below 50 nA typical.
Technically, the part uses Microchip's enhanced mid-range 8-bit core with a 14-bit instruction word, executes instructions in two clock cycles at 32MHz, and supports 24-level hardware stack, hardware multiplier, and C-compiler-friendly architecture. The ADCC supports up to 12 channels of 10-bit conversion with averaging, filtering, threshold comparison, and automated accumulator functions that can wake the core on threshold events.
Typical applications include IoT sensor nodes, battery-powered remote controls, low-power wireless HMI, motor and lighting control, functional-safety appliances (FuSa-ready), and industrial sensor interfaces. The CIP set makes the device well-suited for designs where deterministic, hardware-driven behavior is required without continuous CPU intervention.
A critical design consideration is supply decoupling: place a 100nF ceramic capacitor as close as possible to VDD/AVDD pins, with a bulk 10uF on the main rail. XLP sleep current depends heavily on disabling unused peripherals via PMDx registers; leaving them enabled can raise sleep current by orders of magnitude. Always use the Hardware Limit Timer (HLT) and WWDT for safety-relevant firmware to comply with IEC 60730 class B expectations.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative MPNs, comparison matrix, and practical design notes that are not consolidated on any single distributor listing for the PIC16F18856T-I/SS.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F18856T-I/SS — 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 PIC16F18856T-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, ADC, Core Architecture, Program Memory (Flash).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F18856-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.18 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F18856T-I/SSVAO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F18856T-E/SSVAO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.82 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F18857T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F18855T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.21 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F18456T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F18856T-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC enhanced mid-range, 14-bit instruction word |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 32 MHz |
| Instruction Execution | 2 clock cycles |
| FLASH Program Memory | 28 KB (16K x 14 words) |
| Data RAM | 2 KB |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 3.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial, 'I') |
| Package | 28-pin SSOP (5.30 mm / 0.209 in body) |
| Package Code | SS |
| Pin Count | 28 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| ADC | ADCC (10-bit, up to 24 channels per family) |
| CIP Peripherals | CRC/SCAN, HLT, WWDT, SMT, CWG, ADCC |
| Low-Power Tech | eXtreme Low Power (XLP) |
| Functional Safety | FuSa-capable peripherals |
| Programming | ICSP (In-Circuit Serial Programming) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited floor life) |
PIC16F18856T-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0 — PORTA bit 0 / ADC channel 0 (analog or digital I/O) |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1 — PORTA bit 1 / ADC channel 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2 — PORTA bit 2 / ADC channel 2 |
| Pin 4 | RA3/MCLR — PORTA bit 3 / Master Clear (reset, active-low input) |
| Pin 5 | RA4/AN3 — PORTA bit 4 / ADC channel 3 |
| Pin 6 | RA5/AN4 — PORTA bit 5 / ADC channel 4 |
| Pin 7 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (3.0 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | RA7/OSC1 — PORTA bit 7 / external clock input / crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 10 | RA6/OSC2 — PORTA bit 6 / crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 11 | RC0 — PORTC bit 0 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 12 | RC1 — PORTC bit 1 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 13 | RC2 — PORTC bit 2 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 14 | RC3 — PORTC bit 3 / SCL (I2C clock) alternate |
| Pin 15 | RC4 — PORTC bit 4 / SDA (I2C data) alternate |
| Pin 16 | RC5 — PORTC bit 5 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 17 | RC6 — PORTC bit 6 / TX (UART transmit) alternate |
| Pin 18 | RC7 — PORTC bit 7 / RX (UART receive) alternate |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference (second VSS pin) |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (second VDD pin) |
| Pin 21 | RB0/INT — PORTB bit 0 / external interrupt input |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 24 | RB3 — PORTB bit 3 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 (digital I/O / alternate peripheral) |
| Pin 27 | RB6/ICSPCLK — PORTB bit 6 / In-Circuit Serial Programming clock |
| Pin 28 | RB7/ICSPDAT — PORTB bit 7 / In-Circuit Serial Programming data |
Typical Applications
PIC16F18856T-I/SS is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node, Functional Safety Appliance Control (IEC 60730 Class B), Low-Power Motor and Lighting Control, Industrial Sensor Interface and HMI, Automotive Body and Convenience Electronics, USB HID / CDC Embedded Peripherals, Low-Cost Consumer Remote Control and HMI.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node
The PIC16F18856T-I/SS is engineered for coin-cell and AAA-powered wireless sensor nodes thanks to its eXtreme Low Power (XLP) architecture, sub-microamp deep-sleep current, and Core Independent Peripherals that operate while the CPU is asleep. The ADCC threshold-compute mode samples the analog sensor and only wakes the core when a threshold is crossed, eliminating polling loops. Its 28 KB FLASH accommodates LoRaWAN/Sigfox stacks plus application code. A typical BOM includes a 32 kHz crystal on SOSC, an external 10 uF bulk cap, and a 100 nF decoupling cap adjacent to both VDD pins. The 28-SSOP package accepts hand-soldered prototypes while supporting high-volume SMT reel assembly, making this PIC the workhorse for remote telemetry, smart agriculture, and asset-tracking IoT endpoints.
Recommended
Functional Safety Appliance Control (IEC 60730 Class B)
The PIC16F18856T-I/SS targets white-goods and appliance designs requiring IEC 60730 Class B compliance thanks to its Hardware Limit Timer (HLT), Windowed Watchdog Timer (WWDT), and on-chip CRC/SCAN block for code and data integrity verification. The Functional Safety (FuSa) peripheral suite reduces external supervisor chip count, shrinking BOM and PCB area. Operating reliably across the industrial -40 C to +85 C range, it satisfies washing machine, dishwasher, induction cooktop, and refrigerator electronic control module demands. The 28-SSOP footprint fits the standard 28-pin MCU land pattern shared with older PIC18F appliance designs, easing drop-in migrations. Microchip's Class B software library provides certified firmware hooks for HLT/WWDT/CRC verification.
Recommended
Low-Power Motor and Lighting Control
The PIC16F18856T-I/SS drives DC brush, brushed DC, and small BLDC motor control loops via its Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG) and PWM modules with edge-aligned and center-aligned modes. The SMT (Signal Measurement Timer) captures quadrature encoder feedback without CPU intervention, freeing cycles for outer-loop control. Lighting designs benefit from 16-bit PWM resolution, hardware dead-band control, and FVR-stable ADC for current sensing. The 5 V tolerant I/O directly interfaces with industry-standard gate drivers like the MCP8024. The 28-SSOP package supplies sufficient I/O count for H-bridge PWM, hall-sensor inputs, and current shunt amplifier outputs, making this part a strong fit for ceiling fans, dimmer switches, and small BLDC pumps.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Interface and HMI
The PIC16F18856T-I/SS handles industrial sensing with its 24-channel ADCC supporting averaging, oversampling, and threshold-based autonomous wake-up, ideal for multi-sensor data acquisition panels. UART, SPI, and I2C peripherals connect to industrial sensors, displays, and downstream controllers. The 32 MHz core runs Modbus RTU slave protocol stacks comfortably within 28 KB FLASH, supporting 9600-115200 baud rates. The -40 C to +85 C operating range survives factory floor environments. The 28-SSOP 5.30 mm body allows through-hole or surface-mount assembly, and the part is widely stocked at DigiKey and Mouser for quick prototyping. Common pairings include 4-20 mA loop sensors, NTC thermistors, and graphical OLED HMI displays.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Convenience Electronics
The PIC16F18856T-I/SS, in its AEC-Q100 VAO variant, powers automotive body modules including seat controllers, mirror adjusters, interior lighting, HVAC flap drives, and door-zone controllers. The -40 C to +125 C extended-temperature range (with E-grade suffix) handles under-hood and cabin ambient extremes. Its LIN-compatible UART and CAN-friendly timing support automotive sub-network protocols. The 28-SSOP footprint is shared with legacy PIC18F body-control designs, easing PCB reuse. Microchip supplies AEC-Q100 qualification reports, PPAP documentation, and IMDS/CAMDS materials declarations required by Tier-1 automotive suppliers, simplifying design validation and vendor onboarding for OEM programs.
Recommended
USB HID / CDC Embedded Peripherals
The PIC16F18856T-I/SS implements USB HID, CDC, or vendor-class endpoints using the MSSP, UART, and bit-banged USB stacks available in Microchip's application libraries, supported by 28 KB FLASH and 2 KB RAM. Embedded keyboard encoders, barcode scanners, custom HID gamepads, and USB-to-UART bridges can run without external PHY chips by using the internal comparator as a low-speed USB transceiver with appropriate firmware shaping. The 32 MHz instruction rate allows polling at the 1 ms USB frame interval while leaving cycles for scan debouncing and LED control. The 28-SSOP footprint fits into space-constrained USB dongles and embedded pointing devices, and the part's wide distributor stock keeps prototype-to-production ramps smooth.
Recommended
Low-Cost Consumer Remote Control and HMI
The PIC16F18856T-I/SS drives IR/RF remote controls, smart-home button panels, and capacitive-touch HMI with its SMT (Signal Measurement Timer) capable of measuring IR carrier frequencies (33-56 kHz typical) and CWG for generating PWM audio tones. eXtreme Low Power sleep current extends shelf life on coin cells used in TV remotes. The CRC/SCAN block validates code integrity at boot, supporting field-update robustness. The 28-SSOP footprint accommodates 28-pin hand-soldered prototypes and is compatible with reflow profiles for high-volume SMT production. Typical pairings include IR LED drivers, MEMS accelerometers, and low-power BLE modules via UART/SPI.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F18856T-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F18856-I/SS | PIC16F18856T-I/SSVAO | PIC16F18856T-E/SSVAO | PIC16F18857T-I/SS | PIC16F18855T-I/SS | PIC16F18456T-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-SSOP (5.30mm) | 28-SSOP (5.30mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same |
| FLASH | 28 KB | 28 KB | 28 KB | 28 KB | 56 KB (+100%) | 14 KB (-50%) | 28 KB |
| RAM | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB |
| EEPROM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B |
| AEC-Q100 | Not qualified | Not qualified | Qualified (Grade 3) | Qualified (Grade 1, +125C) | Not qualified | Not qualified | Not qualified |
| Temperature Grade | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +125C (E) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C (I) |
| CIP Peripherals | ADCC, SMT, CWG, HLT, WWDT, CRC/SCAN | Same set | Same set | Same set | Same set | Same set | Older generation, lacks ADCC/SMT/CWG/HLT/WWDT/CRC |
| Max Clock | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz |
Key Differentiators
- Functional Safety peripherals (HLT, WWDT, CRC/SCAN) integrated on-chip (vs PIC16F18456T-I/SS)
- ADCC with autonomous threshold compute (vs PIC16F18855T-I/SS)
- eXtreme Low Power XLP architecture (vs PIC16F18456T-I/SS)
Design Notes
Estimated: at VDD=5.0V, 32 MHz active mode the PIC16F18856T-I/SS typically draws 4-6 mA. Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor adjacent to both VDD pins (pin 7 and pin 20) and a bulk 10 uF on the VDD rail. For XLP designs targeting sub-100 nA sleep current, all peripherals must be disabled via PMDx registers and the FVR/ADC/Comparator modules must be turned off before SLEEP. Failing to do this can increase sleep current by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Always enable the BOR (Brown-Out Reset) and POR (Power-On Reset) for unattended-battery operation.
Estimated: the 28-SSOP package has a 0.65 mm terminal pitch and 5.30 mm body width, requiring standard SSOP land pads with a 0.30 mm stencil aperture for reflow soldering. Keep a continuous ground plane under the package and route ICSPCLK/ICSPDAT on RB6/RB7 (pins 27/28) directly to a 6-pin ICSP header placed at the board edge. If using a 32.768 kHz crystal on SOSC for RTCC, route the crystal traces short and symmetric, with the load capacitors within 5 mm of RA6/OSC2 (pin 10) and RA7/OSC1 (pin 9).
Estimated: three pitfalls dominate new designs on this part. First, leaving the MCLR/RA3 pin (pin 4) floating causes spurious resets; either tie to VDD through a 10 kOhm resistor or configure RA3 as a digital input with weak pull-up. Second, the ADCC requires the FVR to be enabled for absolute voltage measurements; without it the ADC readings drift with VDD. Third, the CRC/SCAN block covers only the FLASH region programmed by the user; bootloader-resident code in high-endurance memory requires a separate CRC computation. For IEC 60730 Class B, run the CRC over the entire FLASH image after every boot and compare against the expected value stored in EEPROM.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. Standard I-grade (industrial -40C to +85C) part is NOT AEC-Q100 qualified - choose VAO suffix for automotive. Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip material declaration.
