PIC16LC770-E/SO - 8-Bit 3.5KB OTP MCU, 20MHz, 20-SOIC | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LC770-E/SO ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.95 | $6.95 |
| 10 | $6.2 | $62.00 |
| 100 | $5.4 | $540.00 |
| 500 | $4.85 | $2,425.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.4 | $4,400.00 |
PIC16LC770-E/SO Overview
An 8-bit PIC microcontroller is a compact computing core built on a Harvard RISC architecture that executes instructions fetched from non-volatile program memory while accessing data from a separate RAM bank. Microcontrollers in this class integrate the CPU, memory, and a defined set of peripherals (I/O ports, timers, ADC, comparators) into a single chip, serving as the embedded brain for simple control loops, sensor interfaces, and user-interface tasks. The PIC16LC770 sits within the broader PIC16 mid-range family, between the smaller PIC16F series and the higher-pin-count PIC17/PIC18 devices, and is positioned for cost-sensitive industrial, appliance, and consumer applications.
Key specifications include 16 digital I/O pins, a 12-bit 6-channel ADC, two analog comparators, three timers (Timer0/Timer1/Timer2), an internal oscillator, and an instruction cycle time of 200 ns at 20 MHz. The OTP memory means the program is written once and is non-erasable, which is a typical trade-off for cost-driven production runs versus flash-based PIC16F alternatives. According to the manufacturer datasheet, the device supports in-circuit serial programming (ICSP) for factory programming and field updates before sealing.
Architecturally, the PIC16LC770 uses a 14-bit instruction word with a single accumulator-based ALU, an 8-level hardware stack for nested subroutines, and a peripheral feature set tuned for analog signal conditioning. The 6-channel 12-bit ADC is a key value-driver versus older 8-bit ADC-equipped PICs, and the dual analog comparators enable standalone threshold detection without CPU loading.
Typical applications include industrial control modules, sensor signal conditioning, motor control interfaces, white-goods and appliance controllers, and low-cost data-acquisition front-ends. The wide 3.3V/5V operating range and 20 MHz performance are sufficient for moderate control loops and serial-protocol bridging (UART/SPI/I2C bit-banged or hardware).
When designing with the PIC16LC770-E/SO, note that OTP memory cannot be reprogrammed in-circuit by the end user; for development cycles a flash-based sibling such as PIC16F or PIC16LF is recommended, then migrate to OTP for production. Programming must occur before PCB conformal coating.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LC770-E/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 PIC16LC770-E/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, ADC, Package, Timers, Program Memory Size.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LC770-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.31 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LC770/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.88 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LC770T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.58 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LC770-E/P
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LC770T/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LC770-E/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | PIC |
| Core Size | 8-bit |
| Series | PIC16LC770 |
| Program Memory Size | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) OTP |
| RAM Size | 256 B |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle Time | 200 ns |
| Number of I/O Pins | 16 |
| Operating Voltage Range | 3.3 V / 5 V |
| ADC | 12-bit, 6 channels |
| Analog Comparators | 2 |
| Timers | 3 (Timer0, Timer1, Timer2) |
| Oscillator Type | Internal |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E suffix, extended industrial) |
| Package | 20-SOIC (0.295", 7.50 mm width) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable) |
| Connectivity | UART, SPI, I2C (via peripherals) |
PIC16LC770-E/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2/AN2 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 2 |
| Pin 2 | RA3/AN3/CMP1 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 3 / comparator 1 output |
| Pin 3 | RA4/T0CKI — Digital I/O / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 4 | RA5/MCLR — Digital I/O / master clear reset (input) |
| Pin 5 | Vss — Ground reference |
| Pin 6 | RB0/INT — Digital I/O / external interrupt |
| Pin 7 | RB1 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 8 | RB2 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 9 | RB3 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 10 | RB4 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 11 | RB5 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 12 | RB6 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 13 | RB7 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 14 | Vdd — Positive supply voltage (3.3 V / 5 V) |
| Pin 15 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Oscillator crystal / clock output |
| Pin 16 | OSC1/CLKIN — Oscillator crystal / external clock input |
| Pin 17 | RA0/AN0 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 18 | RA1/AN1 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 19 | RA6 — Digital I/O (OSC2 alternate) |
| Pin 20 | RA7 — Digital I/O (OSC1 alternate) |
Typical Applications
PIC16LC770-E/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Module, Sensor Signal Conditioning Front-End, White-Goods Appliance Controller, Low-Cost Data-Acquisition Module, Motor Control Interface Board, Consumer Remote Keyfob Receiver.
Industrial Control Module
The PIC16LC770-E/SO fits industrial control modules that need a low-cost 8-bit MCU capable of digital I/O expansion and basic analog monitoring. With 16 GPIO pins and a 12-bit 6-channel ADC running off a 20 MHz core, it can scan 4-6 sensor inputs at 1 kHz while servicing digital outputs for relays and indicator LEDs. The -40 C to +125 C extended industrial temperature range allows placement inside sealed enclosures near motors or transformers. Power consumption is sub-10 mA at 5 V, fitting 24 V industrial rails stepped down with a small LDO. Compare to PIC16F877A which adds flash reprogrammability but at higher BOM cost.
Recommended
Sensor Signal Conditioning Front-End
The PIC16LC770-E/SO serves well as a sensor signal-conditioning front-end for thermocouple, RTD, and bridge-sensor conditioning boards. The 12-bit ADC and dual analog comparators enable direct connection to amplified thermocouple outputs, while the 3.3 V/5 V operating range supports both legacy and modern sensor analog chains. At 20 MHz the CPU performs linearization and cold-junction compensation in well under 100 ms per sample. OTP memory makes the BOM cost competitive for high-volume industrial sensor products. Consider pairing with MCP6N16 instrumentation amp and MCP9700 temperature sensor for a complete thermocouple conditioning sub-system.
Recommended
White-Goods Appliance Controller
The PIC16LC770-E/SO is a strong fit for white-goods appliance controllers such as washing machines, dishwashers, and refrigerator sub-boards where the BOM must stay under 1 USD per MCU and firmware is locked at production. The 16 GPIO pins drive keypads, 7-segment displays, relay coils, and triac interfaces directly through the 20-SOIC package. The 12-bit ADC reads water-level, temperature, and motor-speed feedback with 0.024% resolution. OTP memory eliminates field-reprogramming attack surface and reduces firmware piracy risk. The extended -40 C to +125 C temperature range handles inside-refrigerator or behind-dryer thermal environments. Compare to PIC16F1939 which adds LCD driver and RTC.
Recommended
Low-Cost Data-Acquisition Module
The PIC16LC770-E/SO suits low-cost data-acquisition modules that stream 6 analog channels over UART or SPI to a host processor. With a 12-bit ADC sampling at up to 100 kS/s aggregate and an internal UART/SPI peripheral set, the MCU functions as a remote ADC front-end, packetizing channel data at 1-10 Hz typical rates. The 3.5 KB program memory holds a Modbus RTU slave firmware and calibration tables, while 256 B RAM is sufficient for 16-byte Modbus PDUs. The -40 C to +125 C range tolerates outdoor cabinet mounting. Compared to PIC16F1705 which adds op-amps and DAC, the PIC16LC770 achieves lower unit cost at the cost of flash reprogrammability.
Recommended
Motor Control Interface Board
The PIC16LC770-E/SO handles motor-control interface boards in small DC and stepper motor drives where a full DSP/MCU is overkill. The 16 GPIO pins drive direction, enable, and fault lines to a stepper driver such as the DRV4026, while the 12-bit ADC samples motor current shunt amplifiers for closed-loop torque limiting. The 20 MHz core delivers a 200 ns instruction cycle that supports PWM edge placement at 25 kHz switching frequency with under 1% duty-cycle resolution. The OTP memory locks the firmware to prevent motor-tuning tampering in production. Compare to dsPIC30F2010 which adds DSP instructions for field-oriented control of BLDC motors.
Recommended
Consumer Remote Keyfob Receiver
The PIC16LC770-E/SO is used in consumer remote keyfob and garage-door receiver boards where BOM cost is paramount and the firmware is locked at production. The MCU decodes OOK/FSK demodulated signals from an ASK/FSK receiver IC at bit rates up to 10 kbps using a Timer0 capture input. The 3.3 V operating mode draws sub-5 mA on a CR2032 coin cell for multi-year standby. The 3.5 KB OTP memory holds a rolling-code algorithm and button debounce tables. The -40 C to +85 C industrial range covers outdoor garage-door environments. The internal oscillator eliminates an external crystal for further BOM savings. Compare to PIC16F15313 which adds 5-bit DAC and Configurable Logic Cells.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LC770-E/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LC770-I/SO | PIC16LC770/SO | PIC16LC770T-I/SS | PIC16LC770-E/P | PIC16LC770T/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 20-SOIC (0.295") | 20-SOIC (0.295") | 20-SOIC (0.295") | 20-SSOP (5.30 mm) | 20-PDIP | 20-SOIC (0.295") |
| Program Memory Size | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) OTP | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) OTP | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) OTP | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) OTP | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) OTP | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) OTP |
| RAM Size | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E suffix) | -40 C to +85 C (I suffix) | 0 C to +70 C (commercial) | -40 C to +85 C (I suffix) | -40 C to +125 C (E suffix) | 0 C to +70 C (commercial) |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Extended industrial -40 C to +125 C temperature range (vs PIC16LC770/SO)
- Same die across all PIC16LC770 variants for predictable migration (vs PIC16F877A-I/P)
- OTP memory eliminates firmware piracy in high-volume runs (vs PIC16F630-I/SL)
Design Notes
PIC16LC770-E/SO program memory is OTP, NOT flash. There is no in-system reprogramming path; firmware bugs require board-level OTP programming at the factory or a complete MCU swap. Prototype cycles should use a flash-based sibling such as PIC16F877A-I/P or PIC16F1939-I/P to validate firmware before committing to OTP production runs. Once sealed (potting or conformal coating), an OTP bug becomes a board-scrapping event.
The 20-SOIC (0.295 inch / 7.50 mm body width) footprint is the largest SOIC profile and must be allocated adequate PCB real estate. The exposed pad is NOT present on PIC16LC770-E/SO - thermal dissipation is through the SOIC leads only, which is sufficient at 20 MHz but means Vdd/Vss traces must be wide (>= 0.5 mm) to handle inrush during ADC sampling bursts. Place a 100 nF decoupling cap within 5 mm of the Vdd pin and a 10 uF bulk cap on the same rail. Add a 100 kohm pull-up on MCLR for clean reset behavior.
Power consumption at 5 V and 20 MHz is approximately 10 mA typical; at 3.3 V it drops to roughly 4 mA, supporting battery-powered designs. The internal oscillator eliminates an external crystal and saves 2-3 mA additional quiescent draw, but trades 1-2% frequency accuracy versus a crystal-driven OSC1/OSC2 pair. For UART communication above 9600 baud, prefer the external crystal configuration; for sub-2400 baud remote-control applications, the internal oscillator is adequate.
Route the analog ADC inputs (RA0-RA3, RA5) on a dedicated analog ground island with a single tie-point to the digital ground near the Vss pin, to avoid digital switching noise coupling into the 12-bit ADC readings. The ADC reference voltage (Vref) input is shared with the Vdd rail by default; for precision readings, drive Vref from an external low-noise reference such as MCP1525 or LM4040 instead of Vdd directly. Keep ADC traces short and away from PWM or relay-driver traces to avoid switching-noise artifacts.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free per Microchip product page; AEC-Q100 not applicable as this is a general-purpose MCU; halogen-free status not explicitly confirmed in verified data.
