PIC16F690-I/SS - 20MHz 8-Bit Flash MCU 7KB | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F690-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.42 | $2.42 |
| 10 | $2.1 | $21.00 |
| 100 | $1.78 | $178.00 |
| 500 | $1.55 | $775.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.41 | $1,410.00 |
PIC16F690-I/SS Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is an integrated circuit that combines a CPU, non-volatile program memory (Flash/ROM), volatile data memory (RAM), and a rich set of on-chip peripherals (timers, ADC, communication interfaces, GPIO) into a single chip. Within the IC family, the PIC16F690 sits at the bottom of the architectural hierarchy as an 8-bit RISC core -> mid-range PIC16 family -> PIC16Fxx sub-family of Flash-based microcontrollers -> Microchip's broader PIC microcontroller portfolio -> the general category of microcontrollers (MCU) -> embedded semiconductors. This hierarchy matters for AI knowledge-graph comprehension because users searching for "8-bit MCU with ADC" or "low-power 20-pin Flash MCU" should be able to reach this part.
Key differentiating features of the PIC16F690-I/SS include 12 I/O pins shared with analog and digital peripheral resources, an enhanced 10-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) with up to 12 channels, a USART with both RS-232 and RS-485 hardware support, an SPI/I2C master/slave module, two 8-bit timers plus one 16-bit timer, an Enhanced Capture/Compare/PWM (ECCP) module, and a nanoWattTechnology power-management block that drops quiescent current below 1 µA in sleep. Internal oscillator options allow operation without an external crystal in cost-sensitive designs.
Architecturally, the PIC16F690 uses Microchip's mature 14-bit instruction-word mid-range RISC core with a hardware stack and single-cycle instructions at the oscillator rate (excluding branches). Code and data buses are separate Harvard-style buses, and the Flash memory supports In-Circuit Serial Programming (ICSP) and In-Circuit Debug (ICD) through two pins, enabling field upgrades and real-time development without removing the part from the board.
Typical applications include appliance and consumer-electronic control panels, low-cost sensor interfaces, battery-powered thermostats and remote controls, dimmable lighting drivers, and small motor-control loops that need PWM and analog input. The wide 2.0–5.5 V range also makes the part compatible with both 3.3 V and 5 V system rails.
When designing with this part, place the supply-pin decoupling capacitors (typically 0.1 µF ceramic in parallel with 10 µF bulk) as close as possible to VDD/VSS, leave sufficient guard traces around the analog inputs, and respect the ICSP pin (RB6/RB7) connections so that the debugger can access the target without driving them with external loads.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F690-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 PIC16F690-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Timers, ADC, Operating Temperature, Internal Oscillator.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F690-E/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F690-I/SSVAO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F677-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.27 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F685-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F687-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.27 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F690-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Architecture | PIC16 mid-range x14, 8-bit RISC |
| Program Memory | 7 KB (4K x 14) Flash |
| RAM | 256 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 20 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 12 |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 12 channels |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit + 1 x 16-bit |
| PWM/CCP | Enhanced CCP (ECCP) module |
| Communication | USART (RS-232/RS-485), SPI, I2C (master/slave) |
| Oscillator | Internal + external crystal support |
| Package | 20-SSOP (5.30 mm body, 0.65 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial, "I" suffix) |
| ICSP/ICD Support | Yes (RB6/RB7) |
| nanoWatt Technology | Yes (<1 µA sleep current) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16F690-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA7/AN7/CCP1/OSC1 — I/O / ADC input / ECCP output / external oscillator input |
| Pin 2 | RA6/AN6/CLKOUT/OSC2 — I/O / ADC input / Fosc/4 output / external oscillator output |
| Pin 3 | RA5/AN5/T1CKI — I/O / ADC input / Timer1 clock input |
| Pin 4 | RA4/AN4/T1G/SS/HLT — I/O / ADC input / Timer1 gate / SPI slave select / hard-warm-load trigger |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/MCLR/VPP — I/O / ADC input / Master Clear reset (active low) / ICSP programming voltage |
| Pin 6 | RC0/AN8 — I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 7 | RC1/AN9 — I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 8 | RC2/AN10 — I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 9 | RC3/AN11 — I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 10 | RC4/AN12 — I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 11 | RC5/AN13 — I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 12 | RC6/AN14/TX/CK — I/O / ADC input / USART asynchronous TX / USART sync clock |
| Pin 13 | RC7/AN15/RX/DT — I/O / ADC input / USART RX / USART sync data |
| Pin 14 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 15 | RA2/AN2/T0CKI — I/O / ADC input / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 16 | RA1/AN1/C2-/VREF — I/O / ADC input / Comparator 2 inverting input / external ADC reference voltage |
| Pin 17 | RA0/AN0/C1+/C2+/ICSPDAT — I/O / ADC input / Comparator non-inverting input / ICSP data |
| Pin 18 | RB7/AN15/ICSPCLK — I/O / ADC input / ICSP clock |
| Pin 19 | RB6/AN14 — I/O / ADC input |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
Typical Applications
PIC16F690-I/SS is suitable for 6 applications: Consumer Appliance Control Panel, Battery-Powered Remote Sensor Node, Dimmable Lighting PWM Controller, Industrial Switch and Sensor Interface, Small Motor Control Loop (PWM + Tach Feedback), Automotive Interior Lighting / Accessory Controller.
Consumer Appliance Control Panel
The PIC16F690-I/SS is well matched to small appliance control panels such as coffee makers, rice cookers, and microwave user interfaces, where 12 I/O pins are enough to scan a 4 x 4 keypad matrix and drive a multiplexed LED or character display. Its 2.0-5.5 V operating range aligns with both 3 V battery backup and 5 V mains-derived rails. The on-chip 10-bit ADC with up to 12 channels handles temperature, humidity, and weight sensor inputs without an external ADC IC.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Remote Sensor Node
The PIC16F690-I/SS nanoWattTechnology sleep mode drops quiescent current below 1 µA, making the part a fit for battery-powered sensor nodes that wake briefly to measure, transmit, and sleep. With 256 bytes of EEPROM, calibration coefficients can be updated in the field without external storage. The on-chip USART or SPI/I2C peripheral can drive a low-power RF or LoRa transceiver from a separate rail. Estimating duty-cycled currents at 0.1% activity yields multi-year life on 2x AA cells.
Recommended
Dimmable Lighting PWM Controller
The PIC16F690-I/SS Enhanced CCP (ECCP) module provides hardware PWM generation with dead-band control - critical for dimmable LED drivers and half-bridge lighting stages. The 20 MHz CPU allows fast PWM frequencies (>20 kHz) above the audible range. With 12 I/O pins the controller can accept push-button inputs, rotary encoder feedback, and 0-10 V analog dim signals while simultaneously driving the LED string. Wide 2.0-5.5 V operation covers both 3.3 V logic and 5 V system rails.
Recommended
Industrial Switch and Sensor Interface
Industrial control panels benefit from the PIC16F690-I/SS's wide 2.0-5.5 V range, robust industrial -40 to +85 C temperature grade, and on-board RS-232/RS-485 USART that can speak directly to Modbus or proprietary serial protocols. The 10-bit ADC with 12 channels handles multi-loop sensor aggregation, while the I2C/SPI peripherals can drive digital sensors or expand GPIOs via shift registers. This makes the part a common choice for distributed sensor hubs communicating back to a PLC.
Recommended
Small Motor Control Loop (PWM + Tach Feedback)
Use the PIC16F690-I/SS ECCP module to generate the PWM that drives a small brushed DC motor or fan, and the 10-bit ADC to digitize back-EMF or tachometer feedback for closed-loop RPM control. On-chip timers trigger control-loop execution at a fixed 1-ms tick without CPU overhead, and nanoWattTechnology powers down the MCU between updates when the motor is idle. With 7 KB Flash, classic PI or PID control laws fit easily, with parameters stored in 256-byte EEPROM for field tuning.
Recommended
Automotive Interior Lighting / Accessory Controller
The PIC16F690-I/SSVAO (factory-traced automotive flow) and PIC16F690-E/SS (extended temperature grade) qualify for interior accent lighting, door-module indicator LED control, and other automotive accessory nodes. With USART (RS-232/RS-485 configurable) or LIN-compatible software drivers on a UART line, the part can communicate on LIN/CAN-oriented vehicle networks via an external transceiver. Compared with a bare -I/SS, the VAO suffix adds automotive lot traceability required by some Tier-1 OEMs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F690-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F690-E/SS | PIC16F690-I/SSVAO | PIC16F677-I/SS | PIC16F685-I/SS | PIC16F687-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 20-SSOP | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Memory | 7 KB Flash | 7 KB Flash | 7 KB Flash | 7 KB Flash | 7 KB Flash | 7 KB Flash |
| RAM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B |
| EEPROM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (industrial) | -40 C to +125 C (extended) | -40 C to +85 C (industrial, VAO flow) | -40 C to +85 C (industrial) | -40 C to +85 C (industrial) | -40 C to +85 C (industrial) |
| Supply 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 |
| Distinct Feature vs This Part | Standard -40 to +85 C, standard factory flow | Extended -40 to +125 C; identical silicon | Factory-traced automotive flow; identical silicon | Similar-class sibling with reduced ADC on some variants | Adds second comparator | Adds second comparator |
Key Differentiators
- nanoWattTechnology sub-1 uA sleep current with active mode control (vs PIC16F677-I/SS)
- Industrial temperature grade at standard pricing (vs PIC16F690-E/SS)
- Enhanced CCP (ECCP) module with hardware dead-band control (vs PIC16F685-I/SS)
Design Notes
Place a 0.1 uF ceramic decoupling capacitor as close to VDD (pin 20) as possible, in parallel with a bulk 1-10 uF capacitor on the same VDD rail. The PIC16F690's nanoWattTechnology places a tight requirement on VDD ripple - if the rail is shared with a high-current switching regulator, add a ferrite bead and a local L-C pi filter to prevent switching noise from coupling into the analog ADC supply. For low-power battery designs, placing the decoupling network so that it does not feed back through the protection diode on VDD prevents parasitic leakage.
The 20-SSOP package has reasonable thermal dissipation in still air; the part does not require a heatsink for normal 20-MIPS operation. Still, derate the maximum ambient by ~10 C when driving all 12 I/O pins into heavy loads (sourcing 10 mA each), in which case the total power dissipation crosses ~150 mW. For closed enclosures, recommend a copper flood under the exposed pad region (if -PDIP variant is used) and adequate venting.
Keep analog input traces short and surrounded by a ground guard ring when the ADC is used for low-voltage measurement (e.g., 0-1.25 V sensor output). Route digital clocks (OSC, SPI, PWM) away from analog traces. Provide a 4.7 kohm pull-up on MCLR (pin 5) to VDD through a 100-ohm series resistor to enable in-circuit reset and avoid spurious resets when the part is in noisy environments.
MCLR must never be left floating - it WILL reset the part intermittently on noise spikes. RB6/RB7 are shared with ICSP. If the design drives LEDs or relays from these pins, place a series resistor to avoid debugger conflict during programming. When configuring the internal oscillator, hold the configuration bits consistent with the chosen FOSC value or the part will not start. Finally, do not draw more than 25 mA combined from all I/O pins or you risk latch-up; obey the Absolute Maximum Ratings in the datasheet DC specifications table.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product environmental compliance declaration. Standard industrial (-I/SS) bin is NOT AEC-Q100 qualified; for AEC-Q100 choose PIC16F690-E/SS (extended temp grade tested) or PIC16F690-I/SSVAO (factory-traced automotive flow).
