PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO - 8-Bit OTP MCU, 4MHz, 18-SOIC | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.2 | $4.20 |
| 10 | $3.78 | $37.80 |
| 100 | $3.15 | $315.00 |
| 500 | $2.65 | $1,325.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.25 | $2,250.00 |
PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, non-volatile program memory, volatile data memory, and peripheral I/O into one package; the PIC16 family, specifically, uses a Harvard architecture with a 14-bit instruction word and an 8-bit data path, placing it within the broader MCU taxonomy of RISC microcontroller -> embedded controller -> semiconductor device. PIC microcontrollers are widely adopted in cost-sensitive, deterministic control applications because of their small footprint, low power consumption, and predictable instruction timing.
Key features include a 4 MHz operating frequency, 2-level deep hardware stack, 12-bit instruction width with direct/indirect/relative addressing, 7-8 special function hardware registers, and integrated peripherals such as Brown-out Detect/Reset (BOR), Power-On Reset (POR), and a Watchdog Timer (WDT). The 18-SOIC (300 mil, 7.50 mm) wide-body plastic package is industry-standard and enables both hand-prototyping and high-volume automated assembly.
Architecturally, the device uses a modified Harvard RISC core where program and data memory are accessed through separate buses, allowing instruction fetch and operand read to overlap in some cycles. The OTP program memory field is one-time programmable, meaning each unit must be programmed at production time, which is well-suited to high-volume commercial SKUs but not to prototyping iteration.
Typical applications include automotive interior body controllers and instrument clusters, industrial low-cost sensor interface nodes, consumer appliance control boards, and discrete logic-replacement subsystems that benefit from MCU-driven flexibility. The industrial -40C to +125C operating range and BOR/POR/WDT integration make it particularly well-suited for headless embedded designs that must survive harsh electrical environments.
When designing with this device, ensure your programmer supports the PIC16C OTP family and budget erase/write cycles carefully, as OTP memory cannot be reprogrammed; a windowed (JW) variant is required for iterative development before locking the design into OTP. Decoupling must follow the manufacturer recommended 100 nF + bulk capacitor layout at the VDD/VSS pins to ensure clean processor operation.
This page synthesizes distributor live-pricing tiers, drop-in OTP MCU alternatives, and pin-compatibility guidance that the manufacturer datasheet appendix does not list together in one table.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LC620AT-04E/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 PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Program Memory Size, Operating Temperature Range, Program Memory Type, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LC620A-04E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.07 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LC620AT-04I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LC620AT-04/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LC620A-04I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LC620-04E/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC RISC (Harvard) |
| Core Family | PIC 16C |
| Instruction Width | 14-bit |
| Data Bus Width | 8-bit |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 4 MHz |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable) |
| Program Memory Size | 896 B (512 x 14) |
| RAM Size | 96 B |
| I/O Pins | 12 |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.5 V to 6.25 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +125C (Industrial, 'E' grade) |
| Hardware Stack Depth | 2 levels |
| Special Function Registers | 7 to 8 |
| Addressing Modes | Direct, Indirect, Relative |
| Integrated Peripherals | Brown-out Detect/Reset (BOR), Power-On Reset (POR), Watchdog Timer (WDT) |
| Package | 18-SOIC (0.300 inch / 7.50 mm wide-body, SO-18) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR — Master Clear (device reset, active low) |
| Pin 2 | RA0 — PORTA bit 0, digital I/O |
| Pin 3 | RA1 — PORTA bit 1, digital I/O |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — PORTA bit 2, digital I/O |
| Pin 5 | RA3 — PORTA bit 3, digital I/O |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI — PORTA bit 4 / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 7 | OSC1 — Oscillator crystal input / RC clock input |
| Pin 8 | OSC2 — Oscillator crystal output / RC clock output |
| Pin 9 | RC0 — PORTC bit 0, digital I/O |
| Pin 10 | RC1 — PORTC bit 1, digital I/O |
| Pin 11 | RC2 — PORTC bit 2, digital I/O |
| Pin 12 | RC3 — PORTC bit 3, digital I/O |
| Pin 13 | RC4 — PORTC bit 4, digital I/O |
| Pin 14 | RC5 — PORTC bit 5, digital I/O |
| Pin 15 | RC6 — PORTC bit 6, digital I/O |
| Pin 16 | RC7 — PORTC bit 7, digital I/O |
| Pin 17 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 18 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (2.5 V to 6.25 V) |
Typical Applications
PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Automotive Interior Body Controller, Industrial Sensor Interface Node, Consumer Appliance Control Board, Discrete Logic Replacement, Educational MCU Trainer Board, Power Supply Sequencing Controller.
Automotive Interior Body Controller
The PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO is well-suited to automotive interior body electronics such as lighting controllers, mirror positioners, and seat controllers because of its -40C to +125C industrial-grade operating range and integrated Brown-out Reset (BOR), Power-On Reset (POR), and Watchdog Timer (WDT) peripherals that survive automotive cranking transients from 2.5 V to 6.25 V on the supply rail. The 12 GPIO pins distributed across PORTA (5) and PORTC (8) directly drive relays, MOSFET pre-drivers, and switch-sense inputs, eliminating external logic glue. The OTP program memory at 896 B fits typical body-control state machines (door lock, light timer, wiper logic) without firmware update paths that aren't possible at the OTP cost point. Compared with newer PIC16F parts, the LC620A trades Flash reprogrammability for rock-bottom unit cost, which is acceptable for non-safety automotive interior nodes.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Interface Node
The PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO serves as a low-cost sensor-conditioning front-end in industrial settings where analog signals must be digitized and forwarded to a higher-level PLC or field bus. The 4 MHz PIC 16C RISC core executes simple scaling/filtering algorithms within 96 B of RAM and 896 B of OTP program memory without bloating the BOM. The -40C to +125C operating range tolerates unconditioned factory floor cabinets and the integrated WDT prevents lockup from electrical noise - a common failure mode on long sensor cables. The 18-SOIC package survives hand-soldering for prototype, and reflow for production, allowing the same PCB to serve both prototype and pilot builds. For higher-channel-count nodes, design multiple PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO slave MCUs tied together by a single master, leveraging each unit's small footprint.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Board
The PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO is a fit for white-goods and small-appliance control boards - washing-machine timer boards, microwave user-interface controllers, and HVAC thermostat secondary displays - where the BOM cost is the dominant constraint and firmware is locked at production. The OTP memory at 896 B holds typical appliance state-machine code, the 12 GPIO pins drive segment-LCD multiplexing, key-pad scan, and relay banks, and the 2-level hardware stack is adequate for state machines that do not call deep subroutines. The BOR at 2.5 V safeguards against brownout during motor stall conditions common in appliance environments. Compared with Flash-based PIC16F628 alternatives, the LC620A saves roughly $0.50-$1.50 per unit in volume, which adds up across thousands of white-goods per year.
Recommended
Discrete Logic Replacement
The PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO replaces 74HC-series discrete logic gates (74HC00, 74HC138, 74HC151, etc.) with a single programmable device when logic functions are too complex for pure CMOS glue. Instead of designing a PCB with 6-8 logic chips, designers encode the equivalent state machine in firmware at 896 B of OTP, dramatically reducing the BOM, PCB area, and assembly cost. The 4 MHz clock is more than sufficient for slow control loops, and the 12 GPIO pins cover most glue-logic replacement use cases on a single chip. The 18-SOIC wide-body package remains hand-solderable for prototype and one-off retrofits - the kind of project that benefits from the PIC's flexibility.
Recommended
Educational MCU Trainer Board
The PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO is an inexpensive MCU kernel for university lab trainers teaching RISC architecture fundamentals, Harvard memory models, and assembly-level embedded programming. The 18-SOIC package is breadboard-compatible with SOIC-to-DIP adapters, the 4 MHz is slow enough to single-step instruction traces without timing artifacts, and the 14-bit PIC16C instruction set is small enough to teach in one semester. While OTP prevents in-system reprogramming, instructors use the JW (windowed) ceramic variant of the same die for code iteration - the SO plastic variant then ships in student take-home projects where EEPROM-style updates are not required.
Recommended
Power Supply Sequencing Controller
The PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO drives multi-rail power-up sequencing in industrial-grade power supplies, where every rail must enable in a specific order to prevent inrush latch-up or MOSFET body-diode cross-conduction. The integrated BOR/POR provides a clean reset of all output enables at power-up, the WDT recovers from software hang in noisy switcher environments, and the 12 GPIO pins drive up to 6 high-/low-side enable pairs directly. The -40C to +125C operating range tolerates hot air vents and crowded multi-rail designs. Compared with a CPLD or FPGA-based sequencer, the PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO costs a tenth as much and lives in a smaller package, at the cost of OTP-only code updates.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LC620A-04E/SO | PIC16LC620AT-04I/SO | PIC16LC620AT-04/SO | PIC16LC620A-04I/SO | PIC16LC620-04E/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 18-SOIC (300 mil) | 18-SOIC - same | 18-SOIC - same | 18-SOIC - same | 18-SOIC - same | 18-SOIC - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core Architecture | PIC 16C, 8-bit RISC | PIC 16C, 8-bit RISC - same | PIC 16C, 8-bit RISC - same | PIC 16C, 8-bit RISC - same | PIC 16C, 8-bit RISC - same | PIC 16C, 8-bit RISC - same |
| Clock Speed | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz |
| Program Memory | 896 B OTP | 896 B OTP - same | 896 B OTP - same | 896 B OTP - same | 896 B OTP - same | 896 B OTP - same |
| RAM Size | 96 B | 96 B - same | 96 B - same | 96 B - same | 96 B - same | 96 B - same |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +125C (E grade) | -40C to +125C (E grade) - same | -40C to +85C (I grade) | 0C to +70C (commercial) | -40C to +85C (I grade) | -40C to +125C (E grade) - same |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.5 V to 6.25 V | 2.5 V to 6.25 V - same | 2.5 V to 6.25 V - same | 2.5 V to 6.25 V - same | 2.5 V to 6.25 V - same | 2.5 V to 6.25 V - same |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-cost 18-pin PIC 16C variant with industrial operating range (vs PIC16LC620A-04/SO)
- All-same-brand drop-in alternatives at the same price tier (vs PIC16F628A-I/SO)
- Tape-and-reel factory packaging supports high-volume SMT (vs PIC16LC620A-04E/SO)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 4 MHz core clock and 5 V supply, the PIC16LC620AT-04E/SO typically draws 2-5 mA active and 1-5 uA standby per the PIC16C62X datasheet. Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor directly between VDD (pin 18) and VSS (pin 17), within 5 mm of the package, plus a bulk 1-10 uF tantalum or aluminum electrolytic on the PCB-level VDD rail. The integrated BOR hold voltage is approximately 2.0-2.5 V; designs with slow-rising supplies below 100 ms risetime should add an external POR supervisor (e.g., MCP100) because the internal BOR may not trigger.
Estimated: route the 4 MHz oscillator traces (OSC1/OSC2 pins 7/8) on the top layer over a continuous ground pour, kept short and away from switching nodes. For crystal oscillators, place the load capacitors (typically 15-33 pF) immediately adjacent to OSC1/OSC2. For RC oscillator mode, keep the resistor and capacitor close to the oscillator pins to minimize stray capacitance. Avoid running digital signal traces (PORTC outputs) parallel to and adjacent to the oscillator traces - they couple noise into the clock and corrupt timing.
Critical: OTP memory cannot be erased or rewritten - every firmware iteration consumes a physical part. Use a JW (windowed) PIC16C620A-JW for development, then lock the final firmware into the plastic SO-18 OTP version only after code freeze. Do not exceed absolute maximum ratings of 7.0 V on VDD or 500 mA on any pin per datasheet; place series resistors on PORTC outputs that drive relays or solenoids. The MCLR pin (1) requires a 10-50 kOhm pull-up to VDD; missing MCLR pull-up results in unexpected resets.
PORTA pins are 5 V tolerant TTL-level inputs (with TTL input buffers on RA0-RA3 and a schmitt-trigger input on RA4); do not drive RA4 to a level above VDD + 0.3 V or latch-up can occur. PORTC pins are bidirectional TTL I/O - sink capability is typically 25 mA per pin (200 mA total port) and source capability is much lower at 5 mA. Add external driver transistors (e.g., 2N7002 or VN10KM) when driving relays or LED banks; never attempt to source 25 mA from a PORTC pin directly.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page; not AEC-Q100 qualified (only certain PIC16Cxxx-AUTO SKUs carry automotive qualification); lead-free SO packaging per Microchip Pb-free designation.
