PIC16F726-E/SS - 8-Bit 20MHz 14KB Flash MCU 28-SSOP | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F726-E/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.85 | $2.85 |
| 10 | $2.62 | $26.20 |
| 100 | $2.31 | $231.00 |
| 500 | $2.04 | $1,020.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.78 | $1,780.00 |
PIC16F726-E/SS Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, memory (Flash/RAM/EEPROM), peripherals, and I/O on one die. The PIC16F72X family sits in Microchip's mid-range 8-bit MCU portfolio (PIC10/12/14/16/18 families), targeting ultra-low-power embedded applications where deterministic timing and long battery life matter more than raw computational throughput. XLP (eXtreme Low Power) nanoWatt technology adds sleep currents below 100 nA in real-world configurations, which is why PIC16F726 variants dominate battery-backed sensor nodes, metering, and remote-control products.
Key features include 11 ADC channels with 8-bit resolution, two 8-bit timers plus one 16-bit timer, one Enhanced USART, one MSSP (SPI/I2C), an internal 16MHz/20MHz oscillator selectable via configuration bits, and 25 mA source/sink per I/O for direct LED drive. The extended (-E) operating temperature range is -40C to +125C, suitable for automotive under-hood, outdoor industrial, and white-goods deployments. The 'I' vs 'E' suffix specifies the temperature grade (industrial -40C to +85C for 'I', extended -40C to +125C for 'E'); pin-out and peripheral set are identical between grades.
The PIC16F726 uses a Harvard RISC architecture with a 14-bit instruction word, executing most instructions in one instruction cycle (4 clock ticks), yielding up to 5 MIPS at 20MHz. The ADC is built on a successive-approximation register with selectable reference (VDD or fixed internal), and the MSSP supports both SPI master/slave and I2C master/slave modes. nanoWatt XLP delivers sleep currents measured in tens of nanoamperies with the watchdog and peripherals properly gated, enabling multi-year coin-cell lifetimes in periodic-sampling designs.
Typical applications include handheld remote controls, sensor interface boards, low-power wireless sensor nodes, small appliance controls, battery-backed metering, HVAC auxiliary controls, and automotive body modules where the wide -40C to +125C range is required. The PIC16F726E/SS is the extended-temperature variant of the family; the standard PIC16F726-I/SS is the industrial-temperature counterpart with the same pin-out.
When designing with this device, place the VDD/VSS pair with low-ESR decoupling (100nF + 1uF) within 3mm of the pins. Use the internal oscillator and enable fail-safe clock monitor if crystal-less operation is desired; otherwise route the 32.768kHz secondary oscillator to Timer1 for RTC. The ICSP programming pins (RB6/7, IO/PGD/PGC) must be kept free of pulldowns that exceed 5kOhm during in-circuit programming.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives, and practical design notes that are not aggregated on the manufacturer datasheet or single-distributor product pages.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F726-E/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 PIC16F726-E/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Internal Oscillator, Package, Timers, ADC, I/O Pins.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F726-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.61 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F727-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F723A-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F724-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F722-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.24 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F723A-E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.13 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F723-E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F726-E/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Microchip Technology |
| Series | PIC16F |
| Family | PIC16F72X (PIC16 (L)F722/3/4/6/7) |
| Core | 8-bit PIC RISC |
| Instruction Set Architecture | Harvard, 14-bit instruction word |
| Program Memory Type | Flash |
| Program Memory Size | 14 KB (8K x 14 words) |
| RAM | 368 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 20 MHz |
| MIPS | 5 MIPS |
| Internal Oscillator | 16 MHz / 20 MHz selectable |
| Supply Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 5.5 V (extended temp device) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +125C (extended grade, -E suffix) |
| ADC | 8-bit, 11 channels |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit |
| Communication | 1x Enhanced USART, 1x MSSP (SPI / I2C) |
| I/O Pins | 25 |
| I/O Source/Sink | 25 mA per pin |
| Package | 28-SSOP (0.209" / 5.30 mm body) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Low-Power Technology | nanoWatt XLP |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited floor life) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16F726-E/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0 — PORTA bit 0 / Analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1 — PORTA bit 1 / Analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2 — PORTA bit 2 / Analog input channel 2 |
| Pin 4 | RA3/MCLR/VPP — PORTA bit 3 / Master Clear (reset, active low) / ICSP programming voltage |
| Pin 5 | RA4/AN3 — PORTA bit 4 / Analog input channel 3 |
| Pin 6 | RA5/AN4 — PORTA bit 5 / Analog input channel 4 |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | OSC1/CLKI/RA7 — External oscillator input / PORTA bit 7 |
| Pin 9 | OSC2/CLKO/RA6 — External oscillator output / PORTA bit 6 |
| Pin 10 | RB0/INT — PORTB bit 0 / External interrupt |
| Pin 11 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 |
| Pin 12 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 |
| Pin 13 | RB3 — PORTB bit 3 |
| Pin 14 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 |
| Pin 15 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 |
| Pin 16 | RB6/PGC — PORTB bit 6 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 17 | RB7/PGD — PORTB bit 7 / ICSP data |
| Pin 18 | VSS — Ground reference (digital) |
| Pin 19 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 20 | RC0 — PORTC bit 0 |
| Pin 21 | RC1 — PORTC bit 1 |
| Pin 22 | RC2 — PORTC bit 2 |
| Pin 23 | RC3 — PORTC bit 3 |
| Pin 24 | RC4 — PORTC bit 4 |
| Pin 25 | RC5 — PORTC bit 5 |
| Pin 26 | RC6 — PORTC bit 6 |
| Pin 27 | RC7 — PORTC bit 7 |
| Pin 28 | VSS — Ground reference |
Typical Applications
PIC16F726-E/SS is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Backed Remote Control / Sensor Node, HVAC Auxiliary Control Board, Automotive Body / Comfort Module, White Goods and Small Appliance Control, Smart Metering and Energy Monitoring, Industrial Sensor Interface Board, Consumer Electronics - Toy / Educational Robotics.
Battery-Backed Remote Control / Sensor Node
The PIC16F726-E/SS is engineered for battery-powered wireless sensor nodes and handheld remote controls where sub-100 nA sleep current and the -40C to +125C extended temperature grade are non-negotiable. nanoWatt XLP technology enables multi-year coin-cell lifetimes for periodic-sampling temperature, humidity, or occupancy sensors that wake every few seconds, sample the ADC, transmit over a low-power ISM link, and return to sleep. The 14 KB Flash holds a small RTOS-style scheduler plus app-specific logic, and the 368 B RAM comfortably buffers a few sensor frames. The MSSP port drives either SPI for sub-GHz radios (CC1101, SX1276) or I2C for sensor ICs (BME280, SHT31), while the 25 mA I/O source/sink can directly drive an LED indicator without a buffer. Wide 1.8-5.5 V VDD supports 2-cell alkaline (2.4-3.2 V), single Li-ion (3.0-4.2 V), and 5 V regulated rails equally well. Estimated: average current of 5 uA across 1 wake/sec duty cycling yields roughly 2 years on 2 x AA alkaline.
Recommended
HVAC Auxiliary Control Board
In HVAC auxiliary control boards (zone dampers, fan controllers, programmable thermostats) the PIC16F726-E/SS provides enough Flash for a small control loop plus UI logic, with 11 ADC channels reading thermistors and pressure sensors, and 25 mA I/O capable of driving relays through transistors. The extended -40C to +125C temperature grade covers attic, rooftop, and outdoor unit environments where industrial-grade parts would thermally fault. The internal 16/20 MHz oscillator eliminates external crystal cost and survives mechanical vibration, while the 16-bit Timer1 with external 32.768 kHz option supports a software RTC for time-of-day scheduling. The MSSP/I2C connects to EEPROM-backed parameter storage; the EUSART links to wall-mounted remote keypads. Compared with discrete logic designs, the integrated MCU reduces BOM and PCB area, and nanoWatt XLP sleep allows backup-power operation during brown-outs.
Recommended
Automotive Body / Comfort Module
The PIC16F726-E/SS in the -E (extended -40C to +125C) temperature grade is well-suited for non-safety automotive body and comfort subsystems: seat controllers, mirror adjusters, ambient lighting, door modules, and rain/light sensor interfaces. Automotive 12 V rails require wide VDD tolerance (this part supports 1.8-5.5 V with an upstream regulator), and the AEC-Q100-like qualification of Microchip PIC mid-range -E variants is standard for non-safety modules. 11 ADC channels handle ambient light, position feedback, and current sense, while the Enhanced USART connects to LIN transceivers or sub-MCU networks. nanoWatt XLP ensures quiescent current stays below typical OEM <100 uA key-off budgets when the module is dormant. Drop-in compatibility with PIC16F723A-E/SS and PIC16F724-E/SS within the same package family lets a single PCB host different program-memory SKUs without rework.
Recommended
White Goods and Small Appliance Control
The PIC16F726-E/SS is widely deployed as the main controller in white goods such as rice cookers, induction cooktops, washing machines, microwave ovens, and air purifiers. The 11 ADC channels read thermistor / weight / flow sensors, two 8-bit timers generate PWM for motor / heater control, and the 16-bit Timer1 captures tachometer feedback for closed-loop fan or pump control. The -40C to +125C extended grade covers the heat-soak environments inside appliance enclosures, and nanoWatt XLP keeps standby power compliant with energy-star limits. The Enhanced USART enables service-port diagnostics, and the MSSP/SPI drives LED or OLED displays. Same-package family drop-ins (PIC16F727-I/SS, PIC16F723A-I/SS) support code-size migration without PCB rework.
Recommended
Smart Metering and Energy Monitoring
In residential and small-commercial energy, gas, and water metering, the PIC16F726-E/SS combines the 14 KB Flash needed for segmented metering firmware with nanoWatt XLP sleep currents that enable 10+ year lithium-battery operation. The 11 ADC channels read current transformers, voltage dividers, and temperature sensors, while the 16-bit Timer1 with external 32.768 kHz crystal provides the RTC backbone for time-of-use billing. The MSSP port drives SPI-based EEPROM or FRAM for non-volatile log storage, and the Enhanced USART interfaces to wireless M-Bus, LoRa, or PLC modems. The extended temperature grade ensures operation in outdoor meter enclosures across climates, and the wide 1.8-5.5 V VDD supports both primary-cell and AC-line-derived power schemes.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Interface Board
In 4-20 mA loop-powered transmitters, isolated sensor front-ends, and Modbus / RS-485 field modules, the PIC16F726-E/SS provides the ADC, timers, and UART peripherals needed to bridge analog sensors to digital industrial networks. The 8-bit ADC with 11 channels handles multi-sensor PCB designs (pressure + temperature, or strain + temperature for compensation), and the Enhanced USART with RS-485 transceiver support is the standard field-bus interface. nanoWatt XLP keeps loop-powered devices within their 3.5 mA budget, and the -40C to +125C extended grade supports outdoor / cabinet-mounted industrial installations. Drop-in compatibility with PIC16F723-E/SS and PIC16F723A-E/SS lets designers right-size Flash for cost without PCB changes.
Recommended
Consumer Electronics - Toy / Educational Robotics
The PIC16F726-E/SS is well-matched to consumer toys, educational robotics, and hobby kits that need an 8-bit MCU with generous Flash, PWM, and ADC at low cost. The 25 mA I/O source/sink directly drives small DC motors and LEDs without external buffers, two 8-bit timers plus the 16-bit Timer1 cover PWM channels for servo / motor control, and the 11 ADC channels read IR / line / potentiometer sensors. nanoWatt XLP keeps idle current low for battery-powered robots, and the extended temperature grade survives the heat generated by motor-driver PCB layouts. The 28-SSOP package is hand-solderable for prototyping, while the same-family drop-ins (PIC16F723A-E/SS, PIC16F722-I/SS) let kit makers tune cost per tier without changing the PCB.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F726-E/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F726-I/SS | PIC16F727-I/SS | PIC16F723A-I/SS | PIC16F724-I/SS | PIC16F722-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) - same | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 14 KB (8K x 14) | 14 KB | 14 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 3.5 KB |
| RAM | 368 B | 368 B | 368 B | 192 B | 192 B | 128 B |
| Max Frequency | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| ADC Channels | 11 x 8-bit | 11 x 8-bit | 11 x 8-bit | 11 x 8-bit | 11 x 8-bit | 11 x 8-bit |
| Temperature Grade | Extended -40C to +125C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C |
| LCD Driver | No | No | Yes (28 segments) | No | No | No |
| Approx Unit Price (USD, qty 100, as of 2026-09-21) | 2.31 | 2.20 | 2.45 | 2.05 | 2.10 | 1.90 |
Key Differentiators
- Extended temperature grade available in same SSOP-28 footprint (vs PIC16F726-I/SS)
- Largest flash memory tier of the SSOP-28 PIC16F72X family (vs PIC16F723A-I/SS)
- Pin-compatible upgrade path with LCD driver available (vs PIC16F727-I/SS)
Design Notes
Decouple VDD (pin 19) with a 100 nF X7R ceramic placed within 3 mm of the pin, plus a bulk 1 uF / 4.7 uF tantalum or ceramic near the MCU. For battery designs, place a low-quiescent LDO (TPS782 or MCP1700) upstream and gate it with an I/O pin if sub-uA standby is required. Always tie MCLR (pin 4) directly to VDD through a 10 kOhm pull-up; never leave MCLR floating - floating MCLR causes spurious resets. For ICSP, do not place any capacitor larger than 100 nF on the MCLR/VPP line.
Route ICSP pins RB6/PGC and RB7/PGD with no series resistors above 100 ohm and keep pulldowns >5 kOhm off these lines; otherwise in-circuit programming will fail. Keep the analog inputs (RA0-RA5) away from switching nodes; add a small RC (1 kOhm + 100 pF) low-pass filter at the ADC pin if the source impedance exceeds 2.5 kOhm, per the acquisition-time requirement in the datasheet. Provide a solid ground plane under the SSOP-28 to reduce ADC and oscillator noise coupling.
Configuration bits must be set correctly: disable the watchdog timer (WDTE) for low-power sleep, enable internal oscillator (FOSC = INTOSCIO), and clear the brown-out reset voltage appropriately for the supply rail. The 8-bit ADC requires the acquisition time to be honored in software - waiting only 1-2 us on a high-impedance source causes significant ADC error. Note that 'I' suffix parts are industrial grade (-40C to +85C) while 'E' suffix parts are extended grade (-40C to +125C); the data memory size, peripheral set, and pin-out are identical between grades. When migrating from PIC16F726 to PIC16F727 (same SSOP-28 pin-out) remember that the PIC16F727 reserves LCD-segment pins on PORTA/PORTB, which may break designs that drove general-purpose logic on those pins.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page; lead-free matte-tin plating; no AEC-Q100 qualification claim (Microchip PIC mid-range -E variants are not formally AEC-Q100 qualified at the part level - consult Microchip for automotive program details); extended temperature grade (-40C to +125C) supports automotive under-hood modules by design intent.
