PIC16F876AT-I/SO - 8-Bit 20MHz 14KB Flash MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC16F876AT-I/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.1 | $7.10 |
| 10 | $6.4 | $64.00 |
| 100 | $5.55 | $555.00 |
| 500 | $4.95 | $2,475.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.3 | $4,300.00 |
PIC16F876AT-I/SO Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, program memory, data memory, and peripherals on a single die. The 'PIC' (Peripheral Interface Controller) architecture uses a Harvard RISC design with a fixed instruction set that simplifies pipelining and decoding, allowing most instructions to execute in a single clock cycle. Within the broader taxonomy, PIC16F876A sits in the legacy mid-range 8-bit family, sitting between baseline (PIC10/12) and enhanced mid-range (PIC16F1xxx) families - well suited for control-oriented tasks rather than compute-intensive signal processing. The 'A' suffix denotes an enhanced flash revision with higher code density and improved peripherals versus the original PIC16F876.
Key features include two 10-bit ADC modules with up to 8 channels, two 8-bit and one 16-bit timer, a USART with synchronous and asynchronous modes, a Master Synchronous Serial Port (MSSP) supporting SPI and I2C, an addressable 14-channel Capture/Compare/PWM module, and 22 source/sink I/O capable of 25 mA per pin for direct LED drive. Brown-out Reset (BOR), Power-On Reset (POR), and a Watchdog Timer with on-chip oscillator improve field reliability, while In-Circuit Serial Programming (ICSP) via two pins allows firmware updates without removing the part from the board.
The enhanced flash cell supports 100,000 erase/write cycles and 40-year data retention per Microchip datasheet literature for the PIC16F87XA family. The 14-bit instruction word with 35 single-word instructions enables compact code while the 8-level hardware stack simplifies interrupt handling and real-time response.
Typical applications include industrial control and sensor interfacing, automotive body and HVAC subsystems, consumer appliance control boards, low-power remote sensor nodes, and small home automation hubs. Compared with PIC16F873A, the F876A adds 6KB more Flash (14KB vs 8KB); compared with PIC16F877A, the F876A shares the same 14KB Flash but uses a 28-pin package rather than 40/44 pins - fewer I/O pins in exchange for a smaller PCB footprint.
When designing with the PIC16F876A-I/SO, reserve the MCLR/VPP pin for ICSP and add a 10-47 kΩ pull-up plus a 100 nF decoupling cap adjacent to VDD. Always bypass VDD with a 100 nF X7R ceramic placed within 5 mm of the pin, and keep the analog VDD/VSS traces short and parallel to reduce ADC reference noise. The industrial (-I) temperature grade supports -40 °C to +85 °C; for automotive under-hood duty cycles consider PIC16F876A-E/SO (-40 °C to +125 °C) or the Q-graded automotive variants.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives within the 28-SOIC footprint, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16F876AT-I/SO — 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 PIC16F876AT-I/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Timers, Core Architecture, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F873A-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F876A-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F876A-E/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F876-20I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$7.16 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F876-04I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F873T-20I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F876AT-I/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | PIC® 16F |
| Core Processor | PIC |
| Core Size | 8-bit |
| Core Architecture | RISC Harvard |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 14 KB (8K x 14 words) |
| RAM | 368 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 20 MHz |
| Instruction Throughput | 5 MIPS |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 22 (PORTA, PORTB, PORTC) |
| ADC | 2x 10-bit, up to 8 channels |
| Timers | 2x 8-bit + 1x 16-bit (TMR0, TMR1, TMR2) |
| CCP Modules | 2 (Capture/Compare/PWM) |
| Serial Interfaces | USART, SSP (SPI / I2C) |
| Package | 28-SOIC (SO) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (Industrial -I) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tape & Reel (T) |
| MSL Level | 1 (per JEDEC J-STD-020) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16F876AT-I/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/VPP — Master Clear (Reset) input / Programming voltage input |
| 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 voltage positive |
| 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 reference |
| Pin 9 | OSC1/CLKIN — Crystal/Resonator connection or external clock input |
| Pin 10 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Crystal/Resonator connection or clock output |
| Pin 11 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — PORTC bit 0 / Timer1 oscillator output or clock input |
| Pin 12 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — PORTC bit 1 / Timer1 oscillator input / CCP2 module |
| Pin 13 | RC2/CCP1 — PORTC bit 2 / CCP1 module (Capture/Compare/PWM 1) |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCK/SCL — PORTC bit 3 / SPI clock / 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 / SPI clock |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX/DT — PORTC bit 7 / USART RX / SPI data |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference (second VSS) |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (2.0V to 5.5V) |
| Pin 21 | RB0/INT — PORTB bit 0 / External interrupt input |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 |
| Pin 24 | RB3/PGM — PORTB bit 3 / Low-voltage programming enable |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 27 | RB6/PGC — PORTB bit 6 / ICSP clock / interrupt-on-change |
| Pin 28 | RB7/PGD — PORTB bit 7 / ICSP data / interrupt-on-change |
Typical Applications
PIC16F876AT-I/SO is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Sensor Interface Board, Consumer Appliance Control Board, Automotive Body Control Module (BCM), Battery-Powered Sensor Logger, Small Home Automation / Smart Hub, Hobbyist / Educational Trainer Board, Industrial Motor Driver Front-End.
Industrial Sensor Interface Board
The PIC16F876AT-I/SO is well-suited to industrial sensor interface boards because its dual 10-bit ADC with up to 8 channels and 22 source/sink I/O capable of 25 mA each can read multiple analog and digital sensors simultaneously without external muxes. The 14 KB Flash and 368-byte RAM comfortably hold average signal-conditioning routines, while the I2C/SPI MSSP drives external ADC or DAC peripherals. Industrial -40 to +85 °C operation tolerates factory-floor thermal cycles. Power-on reset, brown-out reset, and watchdog timer with internal oscillator improve field reliability against supply transients and lockups common in cabinet installations.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Board
In consumer appliances such as coffee machines, washing machines, and induction cookers, the PIC16F876AT-I/SO acts as the main control MCU, driving motor control PWM via its CCP module and reading user inputs from buttons/encoders. The 25 mA per-pin source/sink directly controls LED indicator arrays, relay coils, and triac interfaces without external drivers. The 14 KB Flash supports menu state machines in higher-end units, and EEPROM stores user settings like brew strength or wash cycle selection. With USART plus SPI, the appliance can communicate with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules for smart-home integration in retrofit models.
Recommended
Automotive Body Control Module (BCM)
The PIC16F876A-E/SO variant suits automotive body modules such as door locks, mirror adjustments, and lighting controllers, where the -E suffix extends operating temperature to -40 to +125 °C and supports 12 V direct battery operation via 5V LDO post-regulation. The PIC16F876AT-I/SO industrial variant is also widely used in cabin-Climate-Control and HVAC subsystems behind a 5V rail. The 14 KB Flash comfortably fits classic-CAN-controlled BCM firmware, and the USART plus PWM modules drive motors and LEDs from the same chip. Watchdog timer with internal oscillator recovers from rare EMI upset common near ignition coils and motors.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Logger
Low-power sensor logging nodes can run the PIC16F876AT-I/SO in sleep mode for years on a single CR2032 or 2xAA battery pack, drawing less than 1.5 μA at 2V with peripherals off. The integrated 10-bit ADC measures environmental signals (temperature, light, vibration) at scheduled intervals, and the on-chip USART/MSSP wakes up briefly to dump accumulated data over a Bluetooth Low Energy or LoRa module. The 14 KB Flash supports simple data compression and filtering algorithms. With brown-out reset and power-on reset, the part safely handles weak or noisy batteries without spurious writes to Flash or EEPROM wear-out.
Recommended
Small Home Automation / Smart Hub
The PIC16F876AT-I/SO acts as a low-cost glue controller in compact home-automation hubs, bridging multiple wireless modules and driving relay or MOSFET switching arrays for lights, fans, and motorized shades. With 22 I/O and two CCP modules, the MCU can independently control several actuators while the MSSP drives SPI relays and the USART commands an ESP8266/ESP32 Wi-Fi module. The 14 KB Flash is sufficient for rule-based logic and OTA bootloader stubs. Per the manufacturer datasheet, the enhanced flash cell supports 100,000 erase/write cycles - plenty for daily schedule updates over the device lifetime.
Recommended
Hobbyist / Educational Trainer Board
The PIC16F876A-I/SO is a popular choice for educational trainer boards, university courses, and hobbyist kits because it combines 14 KB Flash for advanced tutorials, full peripheral set (USART, SPI/I2C, ADC, PWM), and breadboard-friendly SOIC footprint. The ICSP (In-Circuit Serial Programming) header enables step-debugging with the PICkit 3/4 programmer without removing the MCU. Per Microchip datasheet, the 35 single-word instructions simplify assembly teaching, while the free MPLAB X IDE and XC8 C compiler provide a low-cost toolchain. Long-running microcontroller courses rely on this part for full semester curricula.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Driver Front-End
Stepper and small BLDC motor front-end controllers pair well with the PIC16F876AT-I/SO due to its flexible PWM (CCP module, dual output + 16-bit timer) and high-current 25 mA I/O, allowing direct interface to FET gate drivers without costly external logic. Five MIPS throughput is sufficient for closed-loop control of stepper motors in 3D printers, CNC accessories, and small industrial positioning tables. The PIC16F876A-I/SO 14 KB Flash accommodates trapezoidal acceleration profiles and basic encoder feedback. I2C/MSSP provides peripherals like current-sensing ADCs for overcurrent protection.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16F876AT-I/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F873A-I/SO | PIC16F876A-I/SO | PIC16F876A-E/SO | PIC16F876-20I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SOIC | 28-SOIC - same | 28-SOIC - same | 28-SOIC - same | 28-SOIC - same |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 14 KB (8K x 14) | 8 KB (4K x 14) | 14 KB (8K x 14) | 14 KB (8K x 14) | 14 KB (8K x 14) |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| RAM | 368 B | 368 B | 368 B | 368 B | 368 B |
| EEPROM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B |
| I/O Pins | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| ADC | 2x 10-bit (8 ch) | 2x 10-bit (8 ch) | 2x 10-bit (8 ch) | 2x 10-bit (8 ch) | 2x 10-bit (8 ch) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (-I) | -40 °C to +85 °C (-I) | -40 °C to +85 °C (-I) | -40 °C to +125 °C (-E) | -40 °C to +85 °C (-I) |
Key Differentiators
- Enhanced Flash and onboard EEPROM in a 28-SOIC footprint (vs PIC16F873A-I/SO)
- Tape & Reel industrial grade (T-I) vs tube packing (I) (vs PIC16F876A-I/SO)
- Industrial -40 to +85 °C grade with same silicon as automotive -E (vs PIC16F876A-E/SO)
Design Notes
Add a 100 nF X7R ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin (pin 20), paired with a bulk 10 μF tantalum or electrolytic at the regulator output. The PIC16F876A-I/SO draws up to ~20 mA at 20 MHz and 5 V with all peripherals active, so regulator headroom matters. Always put the second VSS pin (19) to ground with a low-impedance trace; the dual-ground pin arrangement reduces ground bounce during ADC conversions.
Place the 28-SOIC footprint on the PCB with the dot marker at pin 1 in the upper-left, and orient traces such that the SOIC body is parallel to a clean rectangular ground pour. Keep analog AVdd/Vss (shares with VDD/VSS on this part) routes short and parallel, and avoid running digital switching signals across the analog pin area to minimize ADC noise. Estimated: with 50 mm trace and 1 oz copper, the trace impedance stays well under 1 Ω - sufficient for 8-bit ADC accuracy. Per Microchip datasheet, the exposed paddle is not present on this SOIC package.
Do not use configuration bits (FOSC, WDTE, BOREN, PWRTE, MCLRE) without explicitly setting them in your code or programmer profile. A common bug: leaving MCLRE enabled forces the MCLR pin to act as reset, blocking ICSP low-voltage programming on RB3. Also note that OSC2 doubles as a general I/O on RC1 in INTIO2 mode - inadvertent use as GPIO disables the crystal/PLL. The ICSP clock (RB6/PGC) and data (RB7/PGD) pins cannot be repurposed as GPIO during programming and need isolation resistors on shared lines.
Pin 9 (OSC1) and pin 10 (OSC2) should be routed as a short loop to the crystal/ceramic resonator pads, with the load capacitors within 5 mm of each pin and no digital signals crossing underneath. Estimated: total load capacitance on the order of 22-27 pF yields stable oscillation at 20 MHz. The 5 MIPS throughput makes this MCU tolerant of moderate clock skew, but at high-baud-rate USART (≥ 57600 baud) with low VDD, switching to a 4x PLL or external clock is recommended.
Compliance Information
Per Microchip product page and authorized distributor listings (DigiKey 482241, Mouser 579-PIC16F876AT-I/SO). Industrial -I grade operates -40 to +85 °C; for AEC-Q100 automotive designs, choose -E or -Q grade variants.
