PIC16F73T-I/SS - 8-Bit 20MHz MCU 7KB Flash 28-SSOP
MPN: PIC16F73T-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.2 | $7.20 |
| 10 | $6.45 | $64.50 |
| 100 | $5.65 | $565.00 |
| 500 | $5.05 | $2,525.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.5 | $4,500.00 |
PIC16F73T-I/SS Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, memory, and programmable I/O peripherals. The PIC16F73 belongs to Microchip's mid-range 8-bit PIC architecture, sitting between the baseline PIC10/12/16 family and the enhanced PIC18 family. Mid-range PIC MCUs use a 14-bit instruction word and 35 single-word instructions, with an 8-level hardware stack and a unified data/Flash memory map. They are widely adopted in cost-sensitive embedded designs that need deterministic real-time control, on-chip analog, and simple serial connectivity.
Key features include 5 channels of 8-bit A/D conversion, an internal oscillator option for reduced BOM cost, an integrated USART for asynchronous/synchronous serial communication, and a CCP module for PWM or capture/compare timing. The Flash-based program memory supports in-circuit serial programming (ICSP), enabling in-system firmware updates without removing the part. Brown-out Reset (BOR) and Power-on Reset (POR) circuits protect against erratic supply conditions, and the Watchdog Timer (WDT) with on-chip oscillator improves system robustness.
Architecturally, the device uses a Harvard architecture (separate program and data buses) implemented in CMOS with Microchip's nanoWatt power-management extensions. The Flash memory is rated for typically 100K erase/write cycles and 40 years of data retention. The peripheral feature set is tuned for embedded control rather than for high-throughput processing, which is why the part retains a small RAM and modest program-memory footprint.
Typical applications include appliance controls, sensor signal conditioning, low-cost HVAC thermostats, lighting ballasts, automotive body modules (non-safety), battery chargers, and small industrial instrument front-ends. The combination of internal oscillator + 22 I/O + on-board ADC often eliminates external components, shrinking the bill of materials in volume production.
When designing with this device, supply decoupling must be placed within 0.25 inch of VDD, and the MCLR reset line should be tied through a 10k pull-up to VDD unless driven by an external supervisor. The ICSP clock and data lines (RB6/RB7) must not be loaded with capacitance above the datasheet limit or in-circuit programming will fail.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-family alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet or single distributor listing.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F73T-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 PIC16F73T-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Timers, ADC, Core Architecture, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F73-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F73-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F737-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F737-E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.51 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F72T-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.32 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F72T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F73T-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC16 (8-bit) |
| Program Memory Size | 7 KB Flash (4K x 14) |
| Data RAM | 192 bytes |
| Instruction Word Width | 14 bits |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle Time | 200 ns |
| Number of I/O Pins | 22 |
| ADC | 5 channels, 8-bit |
| Timers | 2x 8-bit + 1x 16-bit |
| Serial Interface | USART (AUSART) |
| CCP/PWM Module | Yes (1 module) |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (industrial, -I suffix) |
| Package | 28-pin SSOP (5.30 mm body width) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
PIC16F73T-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/Vpp — Master Clear (reset) input / programming voltage |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — PORTA bit 0 / analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — PORTA bit 1 / analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 — PORTA bit 2 / analog input channel 2 |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — PORTA bit 3 / analog input channel 3 / ADC reference |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI — PORTA bit 4 / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4/SS — PORTA bit 5 / analog input channel 4 / SPI slave select |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 9 | OSC1/CLKIN — Oscillator input / external clock in |
| Pin 10 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Oscillator output / clock out |
| Pin 11 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — PORTC bit 0 / Timer1 I/O |
| Pin 12 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — PORTC bit 1 / Timer1 oscillator / CCP2 |
| Pin 13 | RC2/CCP1 — PORTC bit 2 / CCP1 PWM output |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCK/SCL — PORTC bit 3 / SPI/I2C clock |
| Pin 15 | RC4/SDI/SDA — PORTC bit 4 / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 16 | RC5/SDO — PORTC bit 5 / SPI data out |
| Pin 17 | RC6/TX/CK — PORTC bit 6 / USART TX / clock |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX/DT — PORTC bit 7 / USART RX / data |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 21 | RB0/INT — PORTB bit 0 / external interrupt |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 |
| Pin 24 | RB3/PGM — PORTB bit 3 / LVP programming |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 |
| Pin 27 | RB6/PGC — PORTB bit 6 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 28 | RB7/PGD — PORTB bit 7 / ICSP data |
Typical Applications
PIC16F73T-I/SS is suitable for 6 applications: Appliance control (HVAC, dishwashers, washing machines), Battery chargers and power management front-ends, Lighting controls (DALI, DMX, analog dimmers), Automotive body and interior modules (non-safety), Industrial instrument front-ends and sensor hubs, Low-cost remote controls and consumer IR / RF nodes.
Appliance control (HVAC, dishwashers, washing machines)
The PIC16F73T-I/SS is well suited to white-goods controller boards because its 7 KB Flash holds sensor-acquisition and closed-loop control firmware, while the 22 I/O and 5x 8-bit ADC read NTC thermistors, pressure sensors, and triac zero-cross detection. The 20 MHz instruction rate gives 200 ns deterministic loop time which exceeds typical PID loop requirements. Industrial -I temperature grade (-40 C to +85 C) handles oven-adjacent enclosures. Pair with a TRIAC driver MOC3021 and an opto-isolated mains-zero-cross detector.
Recommended
Battery chargers and power management front-ends
In a CC/CV charger the PIC16F73T-I/SS digitizes pack voltage and current via its 5x 8-bit ADC, drives MOSFET gates via PWM, and terminates the charge cycle with the 16-bit timer. Operating voltage of 2.0 V to 5.5 V lets the MCU run from the battery itself with no separate regulator. The 192 byte RAM holds voltage/current-setpoint tables per-cell chemistry. Brown-out Reset and Watchdog Timer increase field robustness against low pack voltage.
Recommended
Lighting controls (DALI, DMX, analog dimmers)
Lighting ballast and dimmer designs use the PIC16F73T-I/SS's CCP/PWM module to generate high-resolution dimming signals and its USART to bridge to DALI or DMX-512 transceivers. With 7 KB Flash the MCU fits DALI-LED slope-control state machines, and the 5 channels of ADC monitor current/voltage feedback for closed-loop output regulation. The wide 2.0V-5.5V supply tolerates rectified mains-derived rails with simple zener regulation.
Recommended
Automotive body and interior modules (non-safety)
PIC16F73T-I/SS drives body-electronic modules such as mirror adjusters, seat controllers, and HVAC panel logic. Its -I temperature grade handles cabin environments (-40 C to +85 C). The USART operates as a LIN slave via the on-chip UART plus a LIN transceiver for body-network communication. The 5-channel ADC reads switch positions and ambient-light sensors without external analog. For underhood or -40 C to +125 C requirements, upgrade to a Q100-qualified sibling.
Recommended
Industrial instrument front-ends and sensor hubs
Industrial process instruments and sensor hubs benefit from the PIC16F73T-I/SS's 22 I/O for pushbuttons, LEDs, and instrumentation loops; its 5x 8-bit ADC reads 4-20 mA current loop voltages and thermistors. The USART supports RS-232/485 point-to-point links with a MAX232/MAX485 transceiver. Brown-out Reset, Power-on Reset, and Watchdog Timer bring industrial-grade robustness to unattended remote installations.
Recommended
Low-cost remote controls and consumer IR / RF nodes
Remote controls and simple RF transmitter/receiver nodes use the PIC16F73T-I/SS as an inexpensive MCU with timers for IR-modulation/measurement or Manchester-encoded OOK/FSK generation. The 192-byte RAM fits button state and rolling-code buffers, while the CCP module times carrier burst or duty-cycle duty for safety. With an internal oscillator option, designers reach BOM counts of fewer than 10 external components for sub-$1 transmitter designs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F73T-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F73-I/SS | PIC16F73-I/SO | PIC16F737-I/SS | PIC16F737-E/SS | PIC16F72T-I/SO | PIC16F72T-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) | 28-SSOP (5.30 mm) - same | 28-SOIC (7.50 mm) - different land pattern, not drop-in to SSOP PCB | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SOIC - different land pattern | 28-SSOP - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | 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 | 1.75 KB Flash (-75%) | 1.75 KB Flash (-75%) |
| Data RAM | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 256 bytes (+33%) | 256 bytes (+33%) | 128 bytes (-33%) | 128 bytes (-33%) |
| ADC Resolution | 8-bit | 8-bit | 8-bit | 10-bit (+25% resolution) | 10-bit (+25% resolution) | 8-bit | 8-bit |
| ADC Channels | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 (+1) | 6 (+1) | 5 | 5 |
| Maximum Frequency | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (industrial) | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +125 C (extended) | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C |
Key Differentiators
- Compact 28-SSOP footprint option (vs PIC16F73-I/SO)
- On-chip Flash and ICSP for field upgrade (vs PIC16F737-I/SS)
- Comprehensive peripheral set for mid-range MCU class (vs PIC16F72T-I/SS)
Design Notes
Estimated: Decoupling analysis. With FOSC=20 MHz and ICC_typ=2 mA, the part draws roughly 10 mA peaks during instruction bursts. Place a 100 nF X7R ceramic within 0.25 inch of VDD (pin 20) plus a 1 uF X7R + 10 uF electrolytic for bulk, all connected to the VSS pin 19 ground. Add 1 uF + 100 nF on the AVDD pin if present on the die variant, with analog ground separated to reduce ADC noise coupling. A weak internal pull-up on MCLR (typical 50 kohm) is suppressed if external pull-up < 40 kohm. A typical design uses 10 kohm MCLR to VDD.
Estimated: 28-SSOP land-pattern and layout considerations. The 28-SSOP has 0.65 mm pitch and 5.30 mm body width; recommend 0.40 mm wide pads with 0.20 mm via-in-pad optional for thermal relief. Keep analog traces (RA0-RA4) separated from switching traces (RC2 PWM, RC3/RC4 serial clock) by a ground pour. Crystal traces on OSC1/OSC2 should be short and guarded by a ground ring to avoid EMI coupling into the ADC analog pins. Maintain unbroken ground return beneath the chip body to reduce EMI emissions from switched I/O.
Common pitfalls with PIC16F73T-I/SS: (1) Using PORTA pins as digital outputs while the ADC is enabled can cause them to drive the analog mux, corrupting ADC readings - always configure TRISA and ADCON1 correctly. (2) Forgetting RB6/RB7 ICSP function means the part becomes unreprogrammable later - assign a debug header on every prototype. (3) Configuring CCP1 for PWM without setting PR2 correctly results in non-intuitive PWM frequency - the relationship is PWM_freq = FOSC / (4 x PR2 x TMR2_prescaler). (4) Brown-out Reset must be enabled in configuration bits; if disabled, supply droop below VDD min produces indeterminate code execution.
Estimated: ADC accuracy at 8-bit resolution in mid-range PIC parts is approximately +/-1 LSB around the hot-spot band. Place a 1 kHz RC filter (1 kohm + 100 nF) on each analog pin for source impedances above 10 kohm to allow the ADC S/H to fully settle. The internal bandgap reference has a settling time of 30 us; allow 250 us acquisition before sampling. Do not switch digital outputs on PORTA during sample-and-hold windows, as documented in the Microchip mid-range reference manual section on A/D conversion.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product documentation. Pb-free terminal plating (matte tin over Ni). ICSP programming supported in-circuit. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose a Q-100 qualified PIC16 variant for automotive applications.
