PIC16LC554T-04/SO - 4MHz 8-bit OTP MCU, 896B ROM, SOIC-18 | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LC554T-04/SO β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5.93 | $5.93 |
| 10 | $5.45 | $54.50 |
| 100 | $4.92 | $492.00 |
| 500 | $4.4 | $2,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.95 | $3,950.00 |
| 1,100 | $3.85 | $4,235.00 |
PIC16LC554T-04/SO Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, program memory, working RAM, and peripheral set on one silicon die. Within the broader semiconductor hierarchy, an MCU belongs to the digital logic and embedded-control category, alongside microprocessors, DSPs, and FPGAs. The PIC16C5x baseline architecture uses a 12-bit instruction word and a Harvard structure with separate program and data buses, making it one of the simplest PIC families - ideal for cost-sensitive and pin-constrained embedded tasks such as appliance control, sensor interfacing, and simple state machines.
The PIC16LC554T-04/SO delivers 33 single-word instructions with a two-stage pipeline and 2-cycle branches, providing predictable 1 us instruction execution at 4 MHz. Its 13 bidirectional I/O pins are arranged on PORTB for digital input/output, with high-current sink/source capability suitable for driving LEDs and small relays directly. The integrated Watchdog Timer and Power-On Reset reduce external component count, while the OTP program memory allows rapid prototyping before committing to a masked-ROM or Flash derivative. The "LC" device operates across the extended industrial temperature range of -40 C to +85 C.
Typical applications include low-cost consumer appliance controllers, LED drivers, remote-control transmitters, sensor signal conditioning front-ends, and battery-powered instruments. The 18-pin SOIC package balances board density and hand-soldering convenience, while the LC variant's lower quiescent current extends battery life in always-on products. Where flash reprogrammability is required, designers can substitute the PIC16F554 family, which is pin- and tool-compatible.
When designing with this device, ensure decoupling capacitors are placed within 5 mm of VDD and use a 4 MHz ceramic resonator with internal oscillator mode. Verify OTP programming margin during prototype builds, as OTP memory cannot be erased - this part is intended for volume production where the program is fixed at the factory. For development, Microchip recommends the PIC16F554 equivalent with Flash memory.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives, and practical design notes that are not consolidated on any single manufacturer or distributor product page.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LC554T-04/SO β 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 PIC16LC554T-04/SO (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Program Memory Size, Watchdog Timer, Core Architecture, Operating Temperature Range, Package.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LC554-04/SO
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LC554T-04I/SO
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1.78 / Unit
View Datasheet βPIC16LC554-04I/SO
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F554-I/SO
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F554T-I/SO
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LC554T-04/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC16C5x 8-bit RISC (12-bit instruction word) |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable) EPROM |
| Program Memory Size | 896 bytes (512 x 14) |
| RAM | 80 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 4 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 2.5 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 13 |
| Number of Pins | 18 |
| Package Type | SOIC-18 (Small Outline IC, surface mount) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Peripherals | POR (Power-On Reset), WDT (Watchdog Timer) |
| Oscillator | Internal RC or external crystal/ceramic resonator |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (industrial) |
| Packaging | Tape & Reel (T suffix) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LC554T-04/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0 β Bidirectional I/O port A bit 0 |
| Pin 2 | RA1 β Bidirectional I/O port A bit 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2 β Bidirectional I/O port A bit 2 |
| Pin 4 | MCLR β Master Clear (reset) input, active low |
| Pin 5 | VSS β Ground reference |
| Pin 6 | RB0 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 0 |
| Pin 7 | RB1 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 1 |
| Pin 8 | RB2 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 2 |
| Pin 9 | RB3 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 3 |
| Pin 10 | RB4 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 4 |
| Pin 11 | RB5 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 5 |
| Pin 12 | RB6 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 6 |
| Pin 13 | RB7 β Bidirectional I/O port B bit 7 |
| Pin 14 | VDD β Positive supply voltage (2.5 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 15 | OSC1 β Oscillator input / external clock input |
| Pin 16 | OSC2 β Oscillator output / connects to crystal |
| Pin 17 | T0CKI β Timer0 clock input (shared with RA3) |
| Pin 18 | RA3 β Bidirectional I/O port A bit 3 / T0CKI |
Typical Applications
PIC16LC554T-04/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Consumer Appliance Controllers, LED Lighting Drivers and Chasers, Remote Control Transmitters, Battery-Powered Sensor Front-Ends, Industrial Control Logic Replacement, Toy and Hobby Electronics.
Consumer Appliance Controllers
The PIC16LC554T-04/SO fits small household appliances such as coffee makers, toasters, fans, and simple kitchen gadgets where 13 I/O pins are sufficient for keypad scan, LED indicators, relay drivers, and triac interface. Its 2.5 V to 5.5 V supply range supports both 3.3 V and 5 V designs, and the integrated Watchdog Timer improves fault recovery in unattended appliances. Power dissipation remains low because the LC variant draws reduced quiescent current, suitable for always-on products with standby mode. Use the 4 MHz internal oscillator to eliminate an external crystal and reduce BOM cost in high-volume production.
Recommended
LED Lighting Drivers and Chasers
With 13 high-current-sink I/O pins, the PIC16LC554T-04/SO can directly drive LED matrices, chasers, and decorative lighting strips without external drivers. The 896-byte OTP memory holds animation patterns and lookup tables for color-mixing algorithms. Operating at 4 MHz gives 1 us per instruction, which is fast enough for PWM generation in the kHz range to avoid visible flicker. The 2.5 V minimum supply allows direct operation from lithium battery packs. Combined with the integrated Power-On Reset, the part boots into a defined state without external supervisor circuitry, simplifying the BOM for low-cost LED products.
Recommended
Remote Control Transmitters
The PIC16LC554T-04/SO is well suited to IR/RF remote control transmitters where low cost, small footprint, and modest I/O count are priorities. The 13 I/O pins accommodate a 4x4 keypad matrix, status LEDs, and an IR LED driver transistor. Its 80-byte RAM and 896-byte program memory comfortably handle standard RC5/RC6 or proprietary encoding protocols with lookup tables for device addresses. The LC variant's low quiescent current extends battery life in idle state, important for handhelds. OTP memory ensures the production firmware cannot be reverse-engineered or modified, a security advantage over Flash parts.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Front-Ends
For battery-powered sensor modules such as temperature loggers, humidity sensors, and simple IoT edge nodes, the PIC16LC554T-04/SO offers a balance of low power, sufficient I/O, and modest cost. Its 2.5 V minimum supply permits operation directly from two AA cells or a single Li-ion cell with a small LDO. The Watchdog Timer ensures recovery from software lockup without operator intervention in remote installations. The PIC16C5x core's deterministic instruction timing simplifies power budgeting in sleep/wake duty-cycled applications. OTP memory prevents accidental firmware corruption in the field, a reliability plus for unattended sensor nodes.
Recommended
Industrial Control Logic Replacement
In industrial retrofits and discrete-logic replacement designs, the PIC16LC554T-04/SO replaces banks of 74HC gates with a single chip, reducing board area and improving flexibility. Its 13 I/O pins handle multiple input sensors and output relays, while the 4 MHz clock allows 1 ms timing resolution for sequencing operations. The -40 C to +85 C industrial temperature range is suitable for factory-floor cabinets. The integrated POR and WDT provide the fail-safe behavior expected in industrial control. For new designs, Microchip recommends migrating to PIC16F554 (Flash) or PIC16F15354 (modern Core Independent Peripherals) family.
Recommended
Toy and Hobby Electronics
The PIC16LC554T-04/SO's small footprint, low price, and 13 I/O pins make it ideal for toys, model trains, RC receivers, and hobby projects. The PIC16C5x core's simple 33-instruction RISC architecture is well documented in textbooks and supported by free MPLAB X IDE and the XC8 compiler, lowering the entry barrier for students and hobbyists. The OTP variant is suitable for educational kits where the firmware is fixed and the cost matters most. With 80 bytes of RAM and 896 bytes of program memory, it can run simple games, sensor-based behaviors, and motor-control loops for small robots.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LC554T-04/SO β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LC554-04/SO | PIC16LC554T-04I/SO | PIC16LC554-04I/SO | PIC16F554-I/SO | PIC16F554T-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | SOIC-18 | SOIC-18 (same) | SOIC-18 (same) | SOIC-18 (same) | SOIC-18 (same) | SOIC-18 (same) |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Memory Type | OTP EPROM (896 B) | OTP EPROM (896 B) | OTP EPROM (896 B) | OTP EPROM (896 B) | Flash (896 B) | Flash (896 B) |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 20 MHz (Flash variant) | 20 MHz (Flash variant) |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.5 V to 5.5 V | 2.5 V to 5.5 V | 2.5 V to 5.5 V | 2.5 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| RAM | 80 bytes | 80 bytes | 80 bytes | 80 bytes | 80 bytes | 80 bytes |
| I/O Pins | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial |
Key Differentiators
- OTP program memory ensures firmware cannot be modified after production (vs PIC16F554-I/SO)
- Lower quiescent current than standard PIC16C554 for battery-powered designs (vs PIC16C554-04/SO)
- Tape-and-reel packaging for high-volume SMT assembly (vs PIC16LC554-04/SO)
- Widest supply voltage range in the PIC16C5x family (vs PIC16C554-04/SO)
Design Notes
Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin (pin 14) and a bulk capacitor (e.g. 10 uF) on the board supply rail. The PIC16LC554T-04/SO's wide 2.5 V to 5.5 V supply allows direct operation from 3.3 V or 5 V rails; a linear regulator is unnecessary if the upstream rail is already regulated. For battery-powered designs, add a series ferrite bead on VDD to suppress conducted noise from digital switching.
For lowest cost, use the internal 4 MHz RC oscillator mode by configuring the configuration fuse. If timing accuracy better than +/- 1% is required, connect a 4 MHz ceramic resonator between OSC1 (pin 15) and OSC2 (pin 16) with two 22 pF loading capacitors to ground. Avoid long PCB traces on the oscillator loop; route OSC1 and OSC2 symmetrically with a ground guard ring to reduce EMI coupling into adjacent analog circuits.
OTP program memory cannot be erased - once programmed, the device cannot be reprogrammed. Verify firmware on a Flash equivalent (PIC16F554-I/SO) before committing to OTP volume production. The Watchdog Timer (WDT) must be cleared periodically in the main loop via the CLRWDT instruction; failing to clear the WDT causes unintended resets in normal operation. The MCLR pin (pin 4) requires a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD for proper reset behavior; leaving MCLR floating can cause unreliable startup.
The SOIC-18 package has a thermal pad underneath that is not electrically connected; provide a small copper pour on the top layer for heat spreading if driving high-current loads continuously. Route MCLR and OSC traces first and keep them short. Group PORTB pins (6-13) together to simplify PCB routing to a connector or header. Use a ground plane on the bottom layer to reduce EMI and provide a stable reference for the analog sections of the design.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free compliance confirmed via Microchip product page. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a general-purpose industrial MCU, not an automotive-qualified part. For automotive applications, use AEC-Q100 qualified parts from the PIC16F1xx family.
