PIC16LF1503-E/ST - 8-Bit MCU, 3.5KB Flash, 20MHz | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF1503-E/ST ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| 10 | $1.95 | $19.50 |
| 100 | $1.65 | $165.00 |
| 500 | $1.42 | $710.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.22 | $1,220.00 |
| 3,000 | $1.05 | $3,150.00 |
PIC16LF1503-E/ST Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer with an 8-bit data path that integrates a CPU, RAM, Flash program memory, and peripherals such as ADC, timers, and communication interfaces. Within the broader semiconductor hierarchy, MCUs sit at the same level as microprocessors but with embedded memory and I/O on die. The PIC16LF1503 uses Microchip's enhanced mid-range 8-bit CPU core, combining deterministic interrupt handling with ultra-low-power sleep modes (down to ~20nA typical) and operating from 1.8V to 3.6V for the 'LF' variant.
Key features include 3.5KB self-programmable Flash, 128 bytes RAM, six 10-bit ADC channels, a Configurable Logic Cell (CLC), Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG), Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO), and 12 high-current I/O capable of directly driving LEDs. The 14-pin TSSOP footprint is pin-compatible with the broader PIC16F1503 family, simplifying board reuse across temperature grades and process variants.
The architecture uses a Harvard RISC design with a 14-bit instruction word and 32 kHz to 20 MHz internal oscillator plus flexible clock options. The 'nanoWatt XLP' family achieves typical sleep currents under 50nA, making it competitive in battery-powered sensor designs where duty-cycled operation dominates energy budgets.
Typical applications include low-power IoT sensor nodes, LED lighting controls, consumer appliances, capacitive-touch user interfaces, and battery-powered instrumentation. The TSSOP-14 footprint is well-suited to compact hand-held designs where PCB area is constrained.
When designing, ensure decoupling capacitors of 100nF and 10uF are placed close to VDD, route MCLR with proper pull-up, and verify ADC inputs do not exceed VDD+0.3V during fault conditions. Pin-compatible variants in the same 14-TSSOP package simplify migration without PCB rework.
This page synthesizes verified distributor pricing, drop-in 14-TSSOP alternatives, and practical low-power design notes that complement the manufacturer datasheet for the PIC16LF1503-E/ST.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF1503-E/ST — 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 PIC16LF1503-E/ST (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Timers, ADC, Package, Instruction Set.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF1503-I/ST
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.79 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1503T-I/ST
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1503-I/ST
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.94 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1503T-I/SL
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$0.74 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1503-E/ST Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Architecture | 8-bit PIC enhanced mid-range |
| CPU Core | PIC16F |
| Program Memory | 3.5 KB (2K x 14) Flash |
| RAM | 128 bytes |
| Operating Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| I/O Pins | 12 |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 11 channels |
| Timers | 8-bit and 16-bit (multiple) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C |
| Package | 14-TSSOP (ST) |
| Pin/Package Count | 14 pins |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Low-Power Mode | nanoWatt XLP (<50 nA typical sleep) |
| Special Features | CLC, CWG, NCO, 10-bit ADC, internal oscillator |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LF1503-E/ST Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (1.8V-3.6V) |
| Pin 2 | RA5/OSC1 — I/O pin / oscillator input |
| Pin 3 | RA4/OSC2 — I/O pin / oscillator output |
| Pin 4 | RA3/MCLR/VPP — I/O pin / Master Clear (reset) / programming voltage |
| Pin 5 | RC5 — I/O pin |
| Pin 6 | RC4 — I/O pin |
| Pin 7 | RC3 — I/O pin |
| Pin 8 | RC2 — I/O pin |
| Pin 9 | RC1 — I/O pin |
| Pin 10 | RC0 — I/O pin |
| Pin 11 | RA1/ICSPCLK — I/O pin / ICSP clock |
| Pin 12 | RA0/ICSPDAT — I/O pin / ICSP data |
| Pin 13 | RA2/INT — I/O pin / external interrupt |
| Pin 14 | VSS — Ground reference |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF1503-E/ST is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node, LED Lighting Control, Consumer Appliance User Interface, Capacitive-Touch Button Interface, Small Motor Control (BLDC/Fan), Portable Medical / Health Monitoring Accessory.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node
The PIC16LF1503-E/ST is well-suited for battery-powered IoT sensor nodes because of its sub-50nA nanoWatt XLP sleep current and 1.8V-3.6V supply range, which together allow years of life on a CR2032 coin cell. Its 10-bit ADC with up to 11 channels can directly digitize temperature, humidity, and battery voltage sensors without external components. Combined with the integrated CLC and NCO peripherals, designers can implement simple wake-on-event signal processing without waking the CPU. The 14-TSSOP package keeps PCB area minimal for compact sensor form factors.
Recommended
LED Lighting Control
The PIC16LF1503-E/ST drives LED lighting applications via its Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG) and high-current I/O capable of sourcing/sinking up to 25mA per pin. The CWG produces complementary PWM outputs with dead-band control ideal for half-bridge LED driver topologies, eliminating the CPU overhead of bit-banging. Its 20MHz operation gives sufficient resolution for flicker-free dimming at typical PWM frequencies of 1-4kHz. The 14-TSSOP package allows integration into compact bulb and strip-light controllers.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance User Interface
The PIC16LF1503-E/ST fits consumer appliance user-interface boards thanks to its 12 GPIO pins, 10-bit ADC for capacitive-touch or potentiometer sensing, and robust -40C to +125C extended temperature rating. The CLC peripheral can implement glue logic such as button debouncing and PWM-trigger generation without CPU load, freeing the core for user-interface state machines. Its low cost and small TSSOP footprint support cost-sensitive consumer designs. Microchip's MPLAB Code Configurator generates initialization code rapidly.
Recommended
Capacitive-Touch Button Interface
The PIC16LF1503-E/ST supports capacitive-touch sensing via the mTouch peripheral framework, using its 10-bit ADC and CLC to implement charge-time measurement on up to 8 touch electrodes. The 12 available I/O allow flexible PCB routing for buttons, sliders, or proximity sensors. NanoWatt XLP sleep currents below 50nA keep battery-powered touch remotes alive for years. The 20MHz core processes touch algorithms in microseconds, enabling fast, responsive user input.
Recommended
Small Motor Control (BLDC/Fan)
The PIC16LF1503-E/ST can drive small brushless DC or brushed DC motors via its CWG, NCO, and PWM peripherals. The NCO generates precise frequency or duty-cycle waveforms for sensorless commutation, while the CWG provides complementary outputs with dead-band control for half-bridge MOSFET drivers. Its 20MHz MIPS performance handles simple trapezoidal commutation algorithms. Extended temperature operation supports under-hood automotive or industrial fan applications.
Recommended
Portable Medical / Health Monitoring Accessory
The PIC16LF1503-E/ST fits portable medical accessories like pulse-oximeter probes, glucose-meter dongles, or fitness bands because of its low-power operation, 10-bit ADC for physiological signal digitization, and small 14-TSSOP footprint. The low sleep current allows continuous wear-time battery life of weeks between charges. The CLC can preprocess sensor signals (filtering, threshold detection) before the CPU wakes, saving power. Microchip's validated IEC 60730 library supports functional-safety requirements.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF1503-E/ST — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF1503-I/ST | PIC16LF1503T-I/ST | PIC16F1503-I/ST | PIC16LF1503T-I/SL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 14-TSSOP (ST) | 14-TSSOP (ST) - same | 14-TSSOP (ST) - same | 14-TSSOP (ST) - same | 14-SOIC (SL) - different |
| Flash Memory | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB | 3.5 KB |
| RAM | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes | 128 bytes |
| Supply Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 2.3 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Max Frequency | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Temperature Range | -40C to +125C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| I/O Pins | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 11 channels | 10-bit, up to 11 channels | 10-bit, up to 11 channels | 10-bit, up to 11 channels | 10-bit, up to 11 channels |
Key Differentiators
- Extended temperature grade -40C to +125C (vs PIC16LF1503-I/ST)
- Complementary Waveform Generator and NCO peripherals (vs PIC16F506-I/SL)
- Wide temperature + TSSOP-14 + nanoWatt XLP (vs PIC16LF1459-E/SS)
Design Notes
Decouple VDD (pin 1) with a 100nF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the pin, and add a bulk 10uF capacitor on the supply rail. The PIC16LF1503-E/ST draws ~20 nA in Sleep with WDT disabled, but spikes to several mA during ADC conversions - low-ESR ceramic decoupling prevents VDD sag during these events. Estimated: at 20 MHz active, IDD ~3 mA at 3.3V (per typical datasheet curves), so 100nF + 10uF is adequate for most designs.
Route the ICSPDAT and ICSPCLK pins (RA0/RA1) with short, parallel traces to a programming header for debug access. If unused, they remain as standard GPIO. Place the 14-TSSOP land pattern per JEDEC MO-153 with thermal relief on the ground pad (none on this package - no exposed pad). Keep clock traces (RA4/OSC2) short to minimize EMI.
Do not exceed 3.6V on VDD - the 'LF' variant is NOT 5V tolerant. Use PIC16F1503 instead for 5V designs. MCLR (pin 4) requires a pull-up resistor (typically 10k) to VDD for normal operation; tying it directly to VDD disables in-circuit programming. The internal weak pull-ups on PORTB can be enabled via the WPU register but are insufficient for driving high-current loads.
Keep analog inputs (RA0-RA5) physically separated from switching traces and digital outputs to reduce ADC noise coupling. Place a ground pour under the MCU and stitch vias around the perimeter for shielding. The 14-TSSOP package allows dense routing but requires 0.65mm pitch traces - use 0.1mm trace/space minimum to avoid manufacturing issues.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - for automotive, contact Microchip for AEC-Q100 grade parts in the PIC16F1503 family.
