PIC16F818-E/ML - 8-bit MCU, 1.75KB Flash, 28-QFN | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F818-E/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.7 | $2.70 |
| 10 | $2.43 | $24.30 |
| 100 | $2.16 | $216.00 |
| 500 | $1.94 | $970.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.73 | $1,730.00 |
PIC16F818-E/ML Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a small programmable processor on a single integrated circuit, combining a CPU core, non-volatile program memory, RAM, and configurable peripherals. PIC microcontrollers belong to the modified Harvard architecture family (program and data memories are separate, accessed via different buses), and the PIC16F818 specifically is part of the mid-range PIC16F sub-family that sits in the broader hierarchy: 8-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor IC. This category is widely used in cost-sensitive, deterministic-control applications where lower power, small footprint, and predictable interrupt latency matter more than raw compute throughput.
Key features of the PIC16F818 include an 8 MHz internal oscillator (selectable via configuration bits), nanoWatt power management with multiple sleep modes, brown-out reset (BOR), power-on reset (POR), and a watchdog timer (WDT) for enhanced system reliability. With 16 general-purpose I/O pins and a 20 MHz maximum clock, the device fits between the smaller PIC12/PIC14 series and higher-pin-count PIC18 devices in Microchip's portfolio, giving engineers a balanced mix of capability and simplicity.
Typical applications include sensor-interface conditioning with on-chip ADC, low-power battery-operated sensor nodes, LED lighting controllers with PWM, simple motor-speed loops using the CCP module, and small consumer appliances where SPI/I²C peripheral connectivity is required. The wide operating voltage of 2.0 V to 5.5 V and the extended temperature grade make the -E variant suitable for both commercial and industrial environments.
When designing with this MCU, ensure that the exposed pad on the bottom of the VQFN-28 (ML) package is soldered to the PCB ground plane for thermal dissipation and electrical performance. Program memory size, EEPROM endurance (typically 100 k cycles), and current consumption in sleep mode should be evaluated against application-specific requirements.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F818-E/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 PIC16F818-E/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Internal Oscillator, ADC, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F818-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.18 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F88-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F819-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F690-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F818-E/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | PIC |
| Core Size | 8-bit |
| Program Memory Size | 1.75 KB (1K x 14) Flash |
| EEPROM Data Memory | 128 bytes |
| RAM Size | 128 bytes |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 20 MHz |
| Instruction Execution | 200 ns (10 MIPS) |
| Number of I/O | 16 |
| A/D Converter | 10-bit, 5 channels |
| Connectivity | I²C, SPI |
| Peripherals | Brown-out Detect/Reset, POR, PWM, WDT, CCP |
| Operating Voltage | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +125 °C (extended industrial "E" grade) |
| Internal Oscillator | 8 MHz |
| Package | 28-pin VQFN (ML) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Series | PIC® 16F |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16F818-E/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2/VREF- — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 2 / ADC VREF- |
| Pin 4 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 3 / ADC VREF+ |
| Pin 5 | RA4/AN4/T0CKI — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 4 / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 6 | RA5/AN5/MCLR/VPP — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 5 / Master Clear (reset) / Programming voltage |
| Pin 7 | RA6/OSC2/CLKO — Digital I/O / Oscillator output / Clock output |
| Pin 8 | RA7/OSC1/CLKI — Digital I/O / Oscillator input / Clock input |
| Pin 9 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 10 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (2.0 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 11 | RB0/INT — Digital I/O / External interrupt |
| Pin 12 | RB1 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 13 | RB2 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 14 | RB3/PGM — Digital I/O / Low-voltage programming input |
| Pin 15 | RB4 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 16 | RB5 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 17 | RB6/PGC — Digital I/O / In-circuit debugger clock |
| Pin 18 | RB7/PGD — Digital I/O / In-circuit debugger data |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 21 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — Digital I/O / Timer1 oscillator output / Timer1 clock input |
| Pin 22 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — Digital I/O / Timer1 oscillator input / CCP2 output |
| Pin 23 | RC2/CCP1 — Digital I/O / CCP1 PWM output |
| Pin 24 | RC3/SCK/SCL — Digital I/O / SPI clock / I²C clock |
| Pin 25 | RC4/SDI/SDA — Digital I/O / SPI data in / I²C data |
| Pin 26 | RC5/SDO — Digital I/O / SPI data out |
| Pin 27 | RC6 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 28 | RC7 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 29 | EP — Exposed pad (must be soldered to PCB ground) |
Typical Applications
PIC16F818-E/ML is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Operated Sensor Interface Node, LED Lighting PWM Controller, Small DC Motor Speed Controller, Industrial Sensor Transmitter, Consumer Appliance Control Board, Automotive Interior Auxiliary Module (non-safety), Educational and Hobby Embedded Platform.
Battery-Operated Sensor Interface Node
The PIC16F818-E/ML suits low-power sensor-interface nodes where its 5-channel 10-bit ADC and 128-byte EEPROM are sufficient. The nanoWatt sleep current is critical: in Sleep mode the device draws single-digit microamps, allowing multi-year battery life on a 3 V coin cell for periodic temperature, light, or humidity sampling. The on-chip 8 MHz internal oscillator eliminates the external resonator, saving BOM cost and PCB area. The 28-VQFN package fits small sensor PCBs, and the 20 MHz CPU bandwidth (10 MIPS) handles modest DSP such as moving-average filtering before UART/SPI transmission to a host.
Recommended
LED Lighting PWM Controller
The PIC16F818-E/ML's CCP module provides a hardware PWM channel capable of driving high-brightness LED strings at typical dimming frequencies of 1 kHz. The 10-bit PWM resolution gives 1024 dimming levels, sufficient for commercial lighting fade effects. The 16 GPIO pins allow direct LED-driver FET control and feedback from current-sense amplifiers. The 2.0 V to 5.5 V operating range supports both 3.3 V and 5 V LED-driver rails. The extended -40 °C to +125 °C temperature grade suits outdoor and industrial fixtures. The 28-VQFN exposed pad improves thermal dissipation under continuous PWM drive.
Recommended
Small DC Motor Speed Controller
The PIC16F818-E/ML is well-suited to closed-loop DC motor speed control where the 10-bit ADC reads back-EMF or current, and the CCP/PWM module drives an H-bridge at switching frequencies of a few kHz. The 200 ns instruction execution enables sub-millisecond control-loop updates. The MSSP in SPI mode allows communication with a digital potentiometer or external DAC for current-loop setpoints. The PIC16F818-E/ML is more capable than a PIC12/PIC14 device for motor control while remaining cheaper than a PIC18 device, making it a strong fit for low-cost fan, pump, and small-tool motor controllers.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Transmitter
The PIC16F818-E/ML's extended -40 °C to +125 °C operating temperature range and robust 128-byte EEPROM for calibration data make it ideal for industrial sensor transmitters. The 5-channel ADC multiplexes up to five analog sensors, and the on-chip 8 MHz internal oscillator eliminates the crystal typically needed for industrial EMC immunity. The MSSP can be configured as I²C to interface with EEPROMs, DACs, or display drivers. The 28-VQFN package withstands high-vibration environments with proper PCB staking. Designers can implement 4-20 mA loop outputs or SPI-to-Host communication.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Board
The PIC16F818-E/ML fits cost-optimized appliance mainboards where its 1.75 KB Flash holds the user-interface state machine, button-debounce logic, and simple status LED control. The 16 GPIO pins drive buttons, LEDs, relays, and buzzer lines. The PIC16F222 brown-out reset and watchdog timer improve robustness against brown-outs and firmware lockups typical in appliance power environments. The 28-VQFN exposed pad provides thermal dissipation. The 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range suits both 3.3 V and 5 V appliance designs. Programs are easily developed with Microchip's MPLAB X IDE and XC8 compiler.
Recommended
Automotive Interior Auxiliary Module (non-safety)
The PIC16F818-E/ML's -40 °C to +125 °C operating temperature range supports non-safety automotive interior modules such as trim-level lighting, ambient lighting, and HVAC mode selectors. The 5-channel ADC reads trim potentiometers, and the CCP/PWM drives LED strings with hardware fade control. While not AEC-Q100 qualified, the extended temp grade handles cabin temperatures up to +125 °C. The 28-VQFN package is footprint-compatible with the PIC16F690 upgrade path if AEC-Q100 qualification is later required for OEM module designs.
Recommended
Educational and Hobby Embedded Platform
The PIC16F818-E/ML is widely used in educational and hobby projects because of its simple 35-instruction PIC16 mid-range core, MPLAB X IDE support, and the PICkit programmer ecosystem. Students learn ADC, PWM, I²C, and SPI on a single-chip platform with 16 GPIO breadboard-friendly pins. The 1.75 KB Flash capacity is sufficient for class projects on blinking LEDs, motor control, and sensor reading. Hobbyists benefit from Microchip's free sample program and broad online documentation. The exposed-pad VQFN package teaches proper thermal design practices for SMD ICs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F818-E/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F818-I/ML | PIC16F88-I/ML | PIC16F819-I/ML | PIC16F690-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-VQFN (ML) | 28-VQFN (ML) - same | 28-VQFN (ML) - same | 28-VQFN (ML) - same | 28-VQFN (ML) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Flash | 1.75 KB | 1.75 KB | 4 KB | 2 KB | 7 KB |
| EEPROM | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes |
| ADC Channels | 5 (10-bit) | 5 (10-bit) | 7 (10-bit) | 5 (10-bit) | 12 (10-bit) |
| Max Clock Speed | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Operating Temperature (max) | +125 °C (E grade) | +85 °C (I grade) | +85 °C (I grade) | +85 °C (I grade) | +85 °C (I grade) |
| 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 |
Key Differentiators
- Extended industrial temperature grade -40 °C to +125 °C (vs PIC16F818-I/ML)
- Lowest-cost 28-VQFN PIC16F variant for extended-temperature designs (vs PIC16F88-I/ML)
- Pin-compatible upgrade path to PIC16F88-I/ML (vs PIC16F88-I/ML)
- More capable peripheral integration than PIC12F/PIC14F series (vs PIC16F690-I/ML)
Design Notes
The 28-VQFN (ML) package has an exposed die pad on the bottom that must be soldered to a PCB ground pour. Without this connection the device's thermal and electrical performance degrades significantly. Per Microchip guidelines, the PCB land pattern should use a 4 mm x 4 mm center pad with at least 8 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.5 mm pitch) stitching the center pad to inner ground layers. Estimated: junction-to-ambient thermal resistance θJA is approximately 40 °C/W on a 2-layer JEDEC test board, dropping to ~25 °C/W on a 4-layer board with full ground pour.
For battery-powered applications, leverage the PIC16F818's nanoWatt features: use Sleep mode between ADC conversions and gate the MSSP peripheral off when not in use. Typical Sleep current is single-digit µA at 3 V. The on-chip brown-out reset (BOR) must be configured in the configuration words to match your supply rail (BOR enabled, BOR voltage = 2.0 V min). The internal 8 MHz oscillator eliminates an external resonator, but for EMI-sensitive designs use an external crystal on RA6/RA7 with HS oscillator mode.
Do not connect anything to RA5 that pulls MCLR low unintentionally during normal operation; MCLR must be tied to VDD through a 10 kΩ pull-up to prevent spurious resets. When using the ADC, ensure the acquisition time exceeds 1.2 µs (with 20 MHz CPU clock) to allow the sample-and-hold capacitor to settle - faster ADC reads produce inaccurate conversions. Do not exceed 5.5 V on any pin; the absolute maximum rating for VDD is 7.5 V but continuous operation above 5.5 V is not guaranteed.
For I²C bus runs above 100 kHz with multiple slaves, add 4.7 kΩ pull-ups on SCL/SDA and place the pull-ups close to the master PIC16F818. The MSSP peripheral's slew-rate control bits should be enabled for 400 kHz operation. For SPI at the maximum 10 MHz SCK rate, keep traces under 50 mm and provide a solid ground plane under the SPI bus to control reflections. Decouple VDD with a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the VDD pins, plus a 10 µF bulk capacitor on the supply rail.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose PIC16F690-I/ML or PIC18-series for automotive applications requiring AEC-Q100. Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip environmental compliance.
