PIC16LF1508T-I/SO - 7KB Flash 8-Bit MCU, 20MHz, 20-SOIC
MPN: PIC16LF1508T-I/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.62 | $1.62 |
| 10 | $1.45 | $14.50 |
| 100 | $1.28 | $128.00 |
| 500 | $1.1 | $550.00 |
| 1,000 | $0.95 | $950.00 |
| 3,300 | $0.85 | $2,805.00 |
PIC16LF1508T-I/SO Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer integrating a CPU, program memory (Flash/ROM), data memory (RAM), peripherals, and I/O on one die. PIC microcontrollers use a RISC-based Harvard architecture, executing one instruction per clock cycle (except branches) which delivers deterministic timing and excellent code density. Within Microchip's portfolio the 8-bit PIC16 line sits between the smaller PIC10/PIC12 series and the higher-performance PIC18 family, optimized for cost-sensitive embedded control. The "LF" prefix indicates the low-voltage F-version, typically supporting 1.8V-3.6V operation versus the standard "F" range of 2.3V-5.5V.
Key features of the PIC16LF1508 include 18 I/O pins, a 10-bit ADC with up to 12 channels, Enhanced Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (EUSART), MSSP (I2C/SPI), four 10-bit PWM modules, and two 8-bit timers plus one 16-bit timer. The device supports up to 256 bytes of EEPROM emulation through data EEPROM and runs instruction cycles at 200 ns at 20 MHz.
Typical applications include low-power sensor nodes, IoT edge devices, consumer white goods, lighting control, battery-powered handheld instruments, simple motor control loops, and human-machine interface (HMI) panels where cost-per-node and energy budget dominate the design constraints.
When designing with this part, confirm Vdd range (1.8V-3.6V for LF), plan the brown-out reset threshold, and allocate the ADC acquisition time properly. A 0.1uF decoupling capacitor placed within 5 mm of Vdd is mandatory for stable core operation.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF1508T-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 PIC16LF1508T-I/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, ADC, DAC, Timers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF1508-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1508T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1508-I/P
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.04 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1509T-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F1508T-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1508T-I/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC16 Enhanced Mid-Range 8-bit |
| Program Memory | 7 KB (4K x 14) Flash |
| Data RAM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 20 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle | 200 ns @ 20 MHz |
| I/O Pins | 18 |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 12 channels |
| PWM Modules | 4 x 10-bit |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit |
| Communication | 1 x EUSART, 1 x MSSP (I2C/SPI) |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Package | 20-pin SOIC (SO) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LF1508T-I/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 2 | RA4 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 3 | RA3/MCLR — Bidirectional I/O or Master Clear (Reset) |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 5 | RA1 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 6 | RA0 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC channel |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | RA7 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 9 | RA6 — Bidirectional I/O / OSC2 |
| Pin 10 | RC0 — Bidirectional I/O / PWM |
| Pin 11 | RC1 — Bidirectional I/O / PWM |
| Pin 12 | RC2 — Bidirectional I/O / PWM |
| Pin 13 | RC3 — Bidirectional I/O / PWM / SCL |
| Pin 14 | RC4 — Bidirectional I/O / SDA |
| Pin 15 | RC5 — Bidirectional I/O / RX |
| Pin 16 | RC6 — Bidirectional I/O / TX |
| Pin 17 | RC7 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 18 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 19 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (1.8V-3.6V) |
| Pin 20 | RB7 — Bidirectional I/O / ICSPCLK |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF1508T-I/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node, LED Lighting Controller, Home Appliance User Interface Panel, Small DC Motor Speed Controller, Portable Medical Monitoring Accessory, Automotive Interior Accessory (Non-Safety).
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node
The PIC16LF1508T-I/SO fits battery-powered IoT sensor nodes because its 1.8V-3.6V supply window directly accepts a single-cell Li-ion or 2xAA alkaline stack. Its nanoWatt XLP sleep mode draws approximately 20 nA with Watchdog Timer enabled, allowing years of operation from a coin cell. The integrated 10-bit ADC with up to 12 channels reads temperature, humidity, and battery voltage without external multiplexing. The MSSP peripheral drives an SPI-connected radio such as the MRF24WN or RN4871, while the EUSART handles debug output. Placed as the system MCU on a sensor PCB, the 20-SOIC package supports hand-solderable prototypes while remaining pick-and-place compatible with volume production.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controller
The PIC16LF1508T-I/SO serves as an LED lighting controller by using its four 10-bit PWM channels to drive independent LED strings with 8-bit-equivalent dimming resolution at 20 MHz. The 18 I/O pins accommodate multiple PWM channels plus switches, occupancy sensors, and a 0-10V analog dimming input read via the 10-bit ADC. The wide 1.8V-3.6V range simplifies designs powered from a single 3.3V LDO. The EUSART supports DALI or DMX-512 protocol via external transceivers, while the MSSP handles I2C to LED driver ICs. Compared with discrete PWM-generator chips, the PIC16LF1508T adds programmability for flicker-free dim curves.
Recommended
Home Appliance User Interface Panel
The PIC16LF1508T-I/SO is ideal for white-goods user-interface panels because the 20-SOIC package fits behind a control board while the 18 I/O scan up to a 4x4 matrix keypad plus LED indicators. Its 7 KB Flash accommodates UI state machines, while the four PWM channels drive buzzers and indicator LEDs without external timer ICs. Operating from 3.3V the MCU interfaces directly to LED-segment displays via the MSSP. The XLP sleep mode supports capacitive-touch wake events, contributing to Energy Star standby budgets. Compared with discrete logic controllers, the PIC16LF1508T-I/SO integrates an ADC for temperature compensation of the front panel.
Recommended
Small DC Motor Speed Controller
The PIC16LF1508T-I/SO drives small brushed DC motors in toys, fans, and pumps using its four PWM channels for variable duty-cycle speed control at up to 20 kHz switching. The 10-bit ADC reads back-EMF or shunt-current for closed-loop speed regulation, while the EUSART enables PWM tuning via UART commands. The PIC16LF1508's 256-byte RAM supports a basic PID loop without external memory, and the 20-SOIC package dissipates heat generated by switching MOSFET gates via the exposed-pad option on some variants. Compared with dedicated motor-driver ASICs, the PIC16LF1508T adds programmability and field-upgradeability.
Recommended
Portable Medical Monitoring Accessory
The PIC16LF1508T-I/SO is well-suited to portable medical accessories such as pill-bottle reminders or wireless pulse-oximeter dongles. Its low-voltage LF range operates from a single CR2032 coin cell, while XLP sleep mode at ~20 nA extends shelf life to multi-year standby. The 10-bit ADC reads pulse-oximeter photodiode currents with internal 1.024V reference for ratiometric measurement. The EUSART streams data to a paired Bluetooth module while the MSSP interfaces with 24-bit sigma-delta ADC upgrade paths. Compared with ARM Cortex-M0 designs, the PIC16LF1508T-I/SO offers a smaller code footprint and faster deterministic interrupt response for safety-critical timing.
Recommended
Automotive Interior Accessory (Non-Safety)
The PIC16LF1508T-I/SO controls non-safety automotive interior accessories such as ambient lighting strips, USB charging indicators, and HVAC-mode memory switches. While the LF variant is not AEC-Q100 qualified, it operates reliably from a 3.3V regulated rail powered by the vehicle's 12V bus via a switching pre-regulator. Four PWM channels generate smooth RGB color-mixing fades for ambient LEDs, and the EUSART interfaces with CAN via external MCP2515 transceivers. Compared with automotive-specific PIC16F variants, the LF version offers lower voltage operation but the designer should verify temperature margin against the -40C to +85C industrial spec.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF1508T-I/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF1508-I/SO | PIC16LF1508T-I/SS | PIC16LF1508-I/P | PIC16LF1509T-I/SO | PIC16F1508T-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 20-SOIC | 20-SOIC - same | 20-SSOP | 20-PDIP | 20-SOIC - same | 20-SOIC - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Flash | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 14 KB | 7 KB |
| Data RAM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 512 B | 256 B |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V - 3.6 V | 1.8 V - 3.6 V | 1.8 V - 3.6 V | 1.8 V - 3.6 V | 1.8 V - 3.6 V | 2.3 V - 5.5 V |
| Max CPU Speed | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| I/O Pins | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| ADC | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch | 10-bit, 12 ch |
| PWM Modules | 4 x 10-bit | 4 x 10-bit | 4 x 10-bit | 4 x 10-bit | 4 x 10-bit | 4 x 10-bit |
Key Differentiators
- True low-voltage operation down to 1.8V versus standard PIC16F1508 minimum of 2.3V (vs PIC16F1508T-I/SO)
- Double program memory in same 20-SOIC footprint (vs PIC16LF1508T-I/SO vs PIC16LF1509T-I/SO)
- Surface-mount SOIC versus through-hole PDIP for prototypes (vs PIC16LF1508-I/P)
Design Notes
Place a 0.1uF decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin (pin 19) with a short ground return to VSS (pin 18) to keep core switching currents local. Estimated: an under-decupled PIC16LF1508 may show 50-100 mV supply ripple at 20 MHz, which couples into ADC readings via the internal bandgap. For ADC sampling at >50 kSPS, add a 10uF bulk capacitor on VDD plus a ferrite bead from the upstream LDO. Use MCP1700 as a low-Iq (1.6uA) regulator when running from a battery.
Keep the MCLR/RA3 reset trace short and avoid routing it near PWM outputs. Estimate: a long MCLR trace picks up capacitive noise and can cause spurious resets during PWM transitions on RA2. For ICSP programming, dedicate RB7/RA0 as ICSPCLK/ICSPDAT and isolate them from high-current switching. A 10 kohm pull-up on MCLR is mandatory; do not leave it floating because the LF part's low-voltage reset threshold can otherwise stay indeterminate.
Do not assume the LF and F variants are interchangeable at low Vdd: the PIC16LF1508 (LF) drops out below 1.8V, while the PIC16F1508 needs 2.3V minimum. A design that powers down to 1.9V on a depleted battery will Brown-Out Reset on the F variant but still run on the LF variant. Also, do not enable the internal FVR without first checking the FVRST settling time (typically 25us) in the ADC acquisition setup - omitting this delay causes erroneous initial ADC readings.
Estimated: the MSSP I2C pins (RC3=SCL, RC4=SDA) require external pull-ups to VDD because the PIC16LF1508 I/O are push-pull only. Use 2.2 kohm pull-ups for 400 kHz Fast Mode and 4.7 kohm for 100 kHz Standard Mode. If the bus capacitance exceeds 200 pF, add a 100 ohm series resistor at the SDA pin to dampen ringing. For SPI, verify that the SSP1STAT CKE bit is configured for the correct clock edge based on the peripheral's datasheet.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page; not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose PIC16F1508T-I/SO-Q1 or PIC16F1509T-I/SO-Q1 for automotive safety applications. Halogen-free and lead-free per Microchip's standard 8-bit PIC16 family certification.
