PIC16F687T-I/ML - 8-Bit 20MHz 3.5KB Flash MCU, 20-QFN | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F687T-I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.65 | $2.65 |
| 10 | $2.39 | $23.90 |
| 100 | $2.1 | $210.00 |
| 500 | $1.84 | $920.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.62 | $1,620.00 |
| 3,300 | $1.41 | $4,653.00 |
PIC16F687T-I/ML Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, program memory (Flash/ROM), working memory (RAM), non-volatile data memory (EEPROM), and a rich set of peripheral interfaces such as timers, ADC, comparators, and serial ports onto one silicon die. Within the broader power-management and embedded-control taxonomy, an 8-bit MCU sits in the hierarchy: 8-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor IC. The PIC16F687T-I/ML belongs to the PIC16 mid-range family, which uses a 14-bit instruction word, nanoWatt Technology for low-power sleep modes, and standardized peripherals shared across the family for code portability.
Key features of this device include an enhanced USART module supporting RS-232/RS-485, a master synchronous serial port (MSSP) for SPI and I2C master/slave operation, an enhanced capture/compare/PWM (ECCP) module, two analog comparators with an internal bandgap reference, a 10-bit ADC with up to 12 channels, and four timer modules (Timer0, Timer1, Timer2, and Watchdog Timer). nanoWatt Technology provides multiple idle/sleep current modes as low as 50 nA typical at 2 V, enabling battery-backed or energy-harvesting designs. The device also includes a wide operating voltage range (2.0 V to 5.5 V) and an internal 8 MHz oscillator with PLL option for flexible clocking without external crystals.
Architecturally, the mid-range x14 core delivers deterministic 200 ns instruction cycle at 20 MHz, with a hardware stack depth of 8 levels and 35 instructions including bit-oriented operations. The internal RC oscillator with software-selectable frequencies (31 kHz to 8 MHz) plus 4x PLL enables designers to balance power consumption against timing accuracy. The 256-byte EEPROM supports byte-level endurance of 1,000,000 erase/write cycles, which is well above typical MCU expectations.
Typical applications include low-cost battery-powered sensor nodes, appliance control boards (washing machines, coffee makers), industrial automation peripherals (sensor hubs, motor-control daughter cards), automotive body electronics (interior lighting, seat controllers), low-end consumer electronics (remote controls, toys), and compact IoT edge devices using I2C or SPI peripherals. The combination of nanoWatt Technology, wide supply range, and 18 I/O pins makes the PIC16F687T-I/ML ideal for cost-sensitive designs that still need analog integration.
A critical design consideration is selecting the correct oscillator configuration in the configuration word (CONFIG) - designers must choose between internal RC, external crystal, or external clock mode based on accuracy and power needs. Another consideration is the exposed thermal pad (EP) on the QFN package, which must be soldered to a sufficient copper pour for thermal dissipation and ground continuity to meet the rated current capability per pin.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F687T-I/ML — 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 PIC16F687T-I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, I/O Pins, Timers, Core Architecture, ADC.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F687T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F687-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F687-E/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.04 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F684T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F677T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F685T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.18 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F687T-I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Type | 8-Bit Microcontroller (MCU) |
| Architecture | PIC16 mid-range x14 |
| Core | RISC |
| CPU Speed | 20 MHz (5 MIPS, 200 ns instruction cycle) |
| Program Memory | 3.5 KB Flash (2K x 14) |
| RAM | 128 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 18 (with individual direction control) |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 12 channels |
| Comparators | 2 (with internal bandgap reference) |
| Timers | Timer0, Timer1, Timer2, WDT |
| PWM / ECCP | Enhanced CCP module |
| Serial Interfaces | EUSART (RS-232/RS-485), MSSP (SPI/I2C) |
| Package | 20-pin QFN with exposed pad (ML), T/R |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
PIC16F687T-I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5/T1CKI/SS/HLVDIN/AN11 — GPIO RA5 / Timer1 clock input / SPI slave select / HLVD input / ADC AN11 |
| Pin 2 | RA4/T1G/AN10/SDO — GPIO RA4 / Timer1 gate / ADC AN10 / SPI SDO |
| Pin 3 | RA3/T1OSI/AN9/C1OUT — GPIO RA3 / Timer1 oscillator input / ADC AN9 / Comparator 1 output |
| Pin 4 | RA2/T1OSO/AN8/CVREF — GPIO RA2 / Timer1 oscillator output / ADC AN8 / Comparator VREF output |
| Pin 5 | RA1/AN7/C12IN0-/ICSPCLK — GPIO RA1 / ADC AN7 / Comparator C12IN0- / ICSP clock |
| Pin 6 | RA0/AN6/C12IN0+/ICSPDAT — GPIO RA0 / ADC AN6 / Comparator C12IN0+ / ICSP data |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (2.0 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 9 | OSC2/CLKR/RA6 — Crystal oscillator output / CLKR output / GPIO RA6 |
| Pin 10 | OSC1/CLKIN/RA7 — Crystal oscillator input / external clock input / GPIO RA7 |
| Pin 11 | RC0/P2A/AN12/C2IN+/SDI/SDA — GPIO RC0 / PWM P2A / ADC AN12 / C2IN+ / SPI SDI / I2C SDA |
| Pin 12 | RC1/P2B/SDO/CCP2 — GPIO RC1 / PWM P2B / SPI SDO / CCP2 |
| Pin 13 | RC2/CCP1/P1A/AN14 — GPIO RC2 / CCP1 / PWM P1A / ADC AN14 |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCK/SCL/AN15 — GPIO RC3 / SPI SCK / I2C SCL / ADC AN15 |
| Pin 15 | RC4/SDI/SDA/TX/CK — GPIO RC4 / SPI SDI / I2C SDA / USART TX/CK (alternate) |
| Pin 16 | RC5/SDO/RX/DT — GPIO RC5 / SPI SDO / USART RX/DT |
| Pin 17 | RC6/TX/CK/AN18 — GPIO RC6 / USART TX/CK / ADC AN18 |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX/DT/AN19 — GPIO RC7 / USART RX/DT / ADC AN19 |
| Pin 19 | RB0/CCP1/INT0/AN12 — GPIO RB0 / CCP1 / External INT0 / ADC AN12 |
| Pin 20 | RB1/AN8/C2IN+ — GPIO RB1 / ADC AN8 / Comparator C2IN+ |
Typical Applications
PIC16F687T-I/ML is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Sensor Node, Appliance Control Board (Washing Machine / Coffee Maker), Industrial Automation Peripheral, Automotive Body Electronics (Interior Lighting / Seat Controller), Low-End Consumer Electronics (Remote Control / Toy), Compact IoT Edge Device.
Battery-Powered Sensor Node
The PIC16F687T-I/ML is well-matched to battery-powered sensor nodes thanks to its 2.0 V to 5.5 V wide supply range and nanoWatt Technology with sleep current as low as 50 nA at 2 V typical, per the Microchip PIC16F687 datasheet. The 10-bit ADC with up to 12 channels interfaces directly with thermistor, photocell, or analog sensor bridges without an external ADC IC. The 256-byte EEPROM with 1,000,000-cycle endurance stores calibration constants and accumulated counts across power cycles. Placed on a 2x AA or coin-cell powered board, the MCU wakes on timer interrupt, samples sensors, transmits via MSSP SPI, and returns to sleep - achieving multi-year battery life in wireless HVAC and asset-tracking deployments.
Recommended
Appliance Control Board (Washing Machine / Coffee Maker)
The PIC16F687T-I/ML fits appliance control boards because its 18 I/O pins drive relays, triacs, keypads, and segment displays with adequate margin. The Enhanced CCP (ECCP) module provides hardware PWM for motor speed control on small fans and pumps, while the EUSART supports RS-232 debug or service interfaces. The 20-pin QFN package saves PCB space compared to DIP and SSOP variants, allowing slimmer control-panel designs. According to the Microchip datasheet, the industrial -40C to +85C temperature range covers kitchen and laundry environments, and the 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply simplifies both 3.3 V and 5 V designs.
Recommended
Industrial Automation Peripheral
The PIC16F687T-I/ML suits industrial peripherals such as sensor hubs, signal-conditioner daughter cards, and small PLC I/O modules. Its MSSP supports both SPI master (to external ADCs, DACs) and I2C slave (to upstream controllers), enabling flexible network topologies. The two analog comparators with internal bandgap reference implement window comparators for sensor thresholds without external op-amps. The EUSART handles RS-485 multi-drop comms at 9.6 kbps to 115.2 kbps for fieldbus wiring. Per the Microchip datasheet, the 256-byte EEPROM stores calibration values that survive field service, while the 2.0 V to 5.5 V range tolerates 24 V industrial rails with external LDO regulation.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics (Interior Lighting / Seat Controller)
The PIC16F687T-I/ML is well-suited to automotive body-electronics sub-modules such as interior LED lighting, seat-position controllers, and mirror adjusters. The ECCP module generates PWM dimming signals for LED strings with hardware dead-band control, while the 10-bit ADC reads rheostat feedback for position sensing. Although not AEC-Q100 qualified, the industrial -40C to +85C range covers cabin temperatures. The 18 I/O pins drive multiple LED channels, and the 256-byte EEPROM stores last-known positions across battery-disconnect events - a key automotive usability requirement. Per the Microchip datasheet, the QFN exposed pad improves thermal performance under hood-adjacent mounting.
Recommended
Low-End Consumer Electronics (Remote Control / Toy)
The PIC16F687T-I/ML is ideal for low-end consumer products such as remote controls, electronic toys, and small appliances. Its nanoWatt Technology sleep modes enable multi-year battery life in IR remote controls that wake on button interrupt only. The MSSP drives SPI displays or RF transceiver chips with minimal firmware overhead, while the 10-bit ADC reads battery voltage to display low-battery warnings. Per the Microchip datasheet, the 3.5 KB Flash accommodates IR protocol stacks (RC5, NEC, Sony) or motor-control sequences for toys. The wide 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply supports both alkaline and lithium chemistries directly.
Recommended
Compact IoT Edge Device
The PIC16F687T-I/ML functions as a compact IoT edge device controller, interfacing with sensor front-ends and communicating via SPI or UART to Wi-Fi/BLE modules such as the Microchip RN4870 or ATWINC1500. The 18 I/O pins handle multiple digital sensors, while the 10-bit ADC reads analog sensors in parallel. The 256-byte EEPROM stores device keys, calibration, and event logs without external memory. The internal 8 MHz oscillator with 4x PLL option provides up to 32 MHz without external crystals, reducing BOM cost for connected sensor modules. According to the Microchip datasheet, the EUSART supports hardware flow control (CTS/RTS) for direct connection to BLE modules requiring modem signals.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F687T-I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F687T-I/SS | PIC16F687-I/ML | PIC16F687-E/ML | PIC16F684T-I/ML | PIC16F677T-I/ML | PIC16F685T-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 20-pin QFN (ML) | 20-pin SSOP - NOT QFN footprint | 20-pin QFN (ML) - same | 20-pin QFN (ML) - same | 20-pin QFN (ML) - same | 20-pin QFN (ML) - same | 20-pin QFN (ML) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 2 KB | 1.75 KB | 7 KB |
| RAM | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 256 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes |
| I/O Pins | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 14 |
| Operating Voltage | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Temperature Range | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +125C (extended) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| CPU Speed | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| ADC | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch | 8-bit, 8 ch | 10-bit, 8 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch |
Key Differentiators
- Highest Flash-to-package-size ratio in PIC16 mid-range at 20-QFN (vs PIC16F684T-I/ML)
- Highest I/O count in PIC16 mid-range QFN-20 family (vs PIC16F677T-I/ML)
- NanoWatt Technology for lowest sleep current (vs PIC16F628AT-I/SO)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 20 MHz, 5 V supply, full peripheral-active mode, the PIC16F687T-I/ML draws ~5-7 mA typical per the Microchip mid-range datasheet. In sleep (nanoWatt) mode, this drops to 50 nA typical at 2 V. For battery-powered designs, use the internal LF oscillator (31 kHz) for sleep-only operations and switch to HF oscillator only for active processing. Disable unused peripherals via the corresponding PCON/PIE bits to minimize idle current. A 100 nF decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of VDD pin 8 is mandatory; add 10 uF bulk if powering from a long cable or weak regulator.
The QFN-20 ML package has an exposed thermal pad on the underside (pin 21 / EP). This pad must be soldered to a copper pour on the top layer of the PCB for both thermal dissipation and ground continuity. Recommended footprint: 0.5 mm pitch land pads, 3.5 mm x 3.5 mm thermal pad with 9-13 thermal vias to internal ground plane. Per Microchip QFN layout guidelines, the thermal pad should have solder mask openings slightly larger than the pad to ensure reliable solder joint formation. Routing the EP to a floating or signal-trace net will cause thermal stress failures and pin-level ground reference errors.
Estimated: configuration word (CONFIG) defaults must be reviewed before locking the device. The default oscillator configuration may differ from the intended INTOSC setting; verifying CONFIG1H bits before programming prevents mysterious clock-loss issues. Also, the ICSP interface (ICSPCLK on RA1, ICSPDAT on RA0) shares GPIO functions - if RA0/RA1 are used in the application as outputs driving loads >10 mA, in-circuit programming may fail due to load interference. Add series 100 ohm resistors or programming jumpers for production-line ICSP reliability. Brown-out reset (BOR) thresholds must be set explicitly; default-disabled BOR allows unreliable startup below 2.0 V.
Place the 100 nF VDD bypass capacitor within 3 mm of pin 8 (VDD). Route the ICSP clock and data signals (RA1, RA0) directly to a 2x5 0.1 inch header for programming access. Keep analog inputs (AN6-AN15) separated from digital switching traces by at least 3 mm or by a ground pour to minimize ADC noise. The 20 MHz oscillator traces (OSC1/OSC2) should be short and surrounded by ground pour; if using the internal oscillator, configure OSC1/OSC2 pins as GPIO to reduce EMI. Keep the EUSART TX/RX traces impedance-controlled if running at >115.2 kbps over long cables.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - industrial -40C to +85C only. Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip environmental compliance statement. Conflict-minerals compliant per Microchip CMRT filing.
