PIC16LF18344-I/GZ - 8-Bit XLP MCU, 7KB Flash, 32MHz | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF18344-I/GZ ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.77 | $1.77 |
| 10 | $1.6 | $16.00 |
| 100 | $1.45 | $145.00 |
| 500 | $1.35 | $675.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.3 | $1,300.00 |
PIC16LF18344-I/GZ Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a compact computing core that integrates a CPU, non-volatile program memory, working RAM, data EEPROM, and a mix of analog/digital peripherals on a single silicon die. The PIC16LF family from Microchip Technology uses a RISC-based 8-bit core optimized for deterministic instruction execution and ultra-low standby current, with the LF (Low-Voltage/Frequency) suffix denoting operation down to 1.8V. Within the broader product hierarchy, the PIC16LF18344 sits at: 8-bit MCU -> PIC16 family -> PIC16F183xx sub-family -> enhanced mid-range core with CIP and XLP.
Key features include 10-bit ADC resolution, Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) for flexible digital-peripheral mapping (CLC, CWG, CCP, PWM, communication modules), 5-bit DAC, two comparators, four 8-bit timers, one 16-bit timer, and hardware CLC (Configurable Logic Cell) for glue-logic replacement. The XLP technology delivers standby currents below 1 µA typical, enabling coin-cell or Energy Harvesting applications. The integrated Core Independent Peripherals allow functions such as waveform generation, signal conditioning, and motor control to run without CPU intervention.
Architecturally, the PIC16LF18344 leverages an enhanced mid-range 8-bit core with a 14-bit instruction word, supporting direct and indirect addressing modes with linear access to the 4K-word program space. The 32MHz internal oscillator combined with PLL and the PPS routing fabric enables flexible pin assignments for SPI, I²C, UART, and PWM. With its small 4x4 mm UQFN footprint and CIP integration, the part targets high-density, low-power designs where PCB real estate and standby current are at a premium.
Typical applications include IoT sensor nodes, wearable health monitors, consumer remote controls, battery-backed utility meters, automotive body electronics (non-safety), and low-cost HMI panels. The wide 1.8V–3.6V supply range makes it ideal for direct Li-ion / 2x AA cell operation without an additional LDO. For designs requiring AES or capacitive touch, the PIC16LF18344's PPS and CLC blocks simplify hardware-software partitioning.
When designing with this device, allocate a continuous ground plane beneath the UQFN exposed pad and stitch vias to inner ground layers for thermal relief. The PPS feature means the firmware remaps peripheral functions to alternate pins without PCB rework; reserve SWD/ICSP pins to dedicated test points. Decouple VDD with a 100 nF X7R placed within 3 mm of the supply pin and add a bulk 1 µF for cold-start surge loads.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative MPNs, application blocks, and design notes that complement (not duplicate) the manufacturer datasheet. For deeper architecture details, always cross-reference the official Microchip PIC16(L)F18324/18344 datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF18344-I/GZ — 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 PIC16LF18344-I/GZ (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Operating Temperature, Timers, Program Memory (Flash).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F18344-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF18324-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF18344-E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.54 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1579-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1829-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.69 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1828-I/GZ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF18344-I/GZ Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC16 enhanced mid-range |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 7 KB (4K x 14) |
| Data RAM | 512 B |
| Data EEPROM | 256 B |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 32 MHz |
| Operating Supply Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Number of I/O Pins | 18 |
| ADC Resolution | 10 bit |
| Package | 20-pin UQFN (4x4 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Data Bus Width | 8 bit |
| Instruction Set | 14-bit PIC RISC |
| Low-Power Technology | XLP (eXtreme Low Power) |
| Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) | Yes |
| Core Independent Peripherals | CLC, CWG, CCP, NCO, DSM |
| Communication Peripherals | UART, SPI, I2C |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LF18344-I/GZ Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5 — I/O / ADC / DAC5 reference |
| Pin 2 | RA4 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 3 | RA3 — I/O / MCLR (alternate) |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 5 | RA1 — I/O / ADC / DAC reference |
| Pin 6 | RA0 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 7 | VDD — Power supply (1.8V-3.6V) |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 9 | RB7 — I/O / ICSPDAT |
| Pin 10 | RB6 — I/O / ICSPCLK |
| Pin 11 | RB5 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 12 | RB4 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 13 | RB3 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 14 | RB2 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 15 | RB1 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 16 | RB0 — I/O / Interrupt-on-change |
| Pin 17 | RA7 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 18 | RA6 — I/O / ADC |
| Pin 19 | RC5 — I/O / PWM |
| Pin 20 | RC4 — I/O / PWM |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF18344-I/GZ is suitable for 6 applications: IoT Sensor Nodes, Wearable Health Monitors, Battery-Backed Utility Meters, Consumer Remote Controls, Automotive Body Electronics (Non-Safety), Low-Cost HMI Touch Panels.
IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC16LF18344-I/GZ is well-suited for battery-powered IoT sensor nodes due to its 1.8V–3.6V wide supply range that aligns directly with single-cell Li-ion or 2x AA cells without an external LDO. The integrated 10-bit ADC combined with the 32 MHz core provides sufficient throughput for periodic sensor sampling, while the XLP technology delivers sub-1µA standby current that extends battery life to multiple years on a single coin cell. The Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) feature allows UART, I2C, and SPI sensor interfaces to be remapped in firmware, simplifying PCB routing. The 7 KB Flash is ample for lightweight protocol stacks such as Modbus, BLE HCI passthrough, or LoRaWAN device drivers in duty-cycled edge deployments.
Recommended
Wearable Health Monitors
The PIC16LF18344-I/GZ's ultra-low XLP standby current (below 1 µA typical) and small 4x4 mm UQFN footprint make it an excellent MCU core for wearable health monitors such as fitness bands, heart-rate patches, and disposable biosensors. The 18 I/O pins can drive LED indicators, haptics, and bioelectrode amplifiers, while the 32 MHz core supports real-time filtering of pulse-oximeter signals. The 1.8V minimum supply enables direct Li-ion coin-cell operation, eliminating the need for a boost converter. The Core Independent Peripherals (CLC) can implement hardware heart-rate detection while the CPU sleeps, dramatically reducing active-mode duty cycle and extending wearable battery life.
Recommended
Battery-Backed Utility Meters
The PIC16LF18344-I/GZ's wide 1.8V–3.6V operating range and integrated 256-byte data EEPROM make it suitable for battery-backed utility metering applications such as gas, water, and heat meters. The EEPROM supports up to 1M erase/write cycles, allowing persistent storage of metering registers and tamper logs without external memory. The 10-bit ADC interfaces directly with pulse-output flow sensors or analog thermistors, while the 32 MHz core performs flow integration. The XLP sleep modes keep idle current below 1 µA, ensuring 10+ year battery life on a single lithium thionyl chloride cell typical of AMR/AMI meter deployments.
Recommended
Consumer Remote Controls
The PIC16LF18344-I/GZ is well-suited for IR/RF remote controls, smart-home key fobs, and BLE beacons, where low standby current and small PCB area are essential. Its 32 MHz core supports NEC, RC5, and SIRC IR protocol encoding via the CWG (Complementary Waveform Generator) without CPU intervention. The PPS feature allows remapping of UART/SPI/PWM to any I/O pin for flexible PCB layout. The 1.8V minimum supply is compatible with single-cell CR2032 coin cells, and the XLP technology extends battery life to multiple years with intermittent button-press wake-up via the CLC peripheral.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics (Non-Safety)
The PIC16LF18344-I/GZ (industrial -40C to +85C grade) targets non-safety automotive body applications such as interior lighting controllers, seat-position memories, and HVAC damper actuators. The integrated CCP/PWM modules drive LED strings and small DC motors, while the 10-bit ADC reads potentiometers and NTC temperature sensors. The UART/SPI/I2C interfaces connect to body-domain CAN-transceiver companion chips. While the -I/GZ is industrial grade, Microchip offers automotive-qualified (AEC-Q100) variants in the same PIC16LF18344 silicon family for safety-relevant modules. The wide supply range tolerates 12V lead-acid cranking transients when paired with a 3.3V LDO.
Recommended
Low-Cost HMI Touch Panels
The PIC16LF18344-I/GZ's Core Independent Peripherals (CLC, CWG) and 10-bit ADC support simple capacitive-touch and resistive-touch HMI panels in appliances, vending machines, and industrial control knobs. The CLC implements hardware touch-proximity detection without waking the CPU, and the CWG generates the AC excitation signal for self-capacitance touch electrodes. The 18 I/O pins drive up to 18 segment LCD or LED indicators, while the PPS feature allows PWM dimming on any pin. The 32 MHz core handles display scanning and event debouncing, with the entire panel drawing under 2 mA from a single 3.3V supply.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF18344-I/GZ — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F18344-I/GZ | PIC16LF18324-I/GZ | PIC16LF18344-E/SS | PIC16LF1579-I/GZ | PIC16LF1829-I/GZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 20-UQFN (4x4 mm) | 20-UQFN (4x4) - same | 20-UQFN (4x4) - same | 20-SSOP (extended temp grade) | 20-UQFN (4x4) - same | 20-UQFN (4x4) - same |
| Flash Memory | 7 KB (4K x 14) | 7 KB | 4 KB (-43%) | 7 KB | 14 KB (+100%) | 14 KB (+100%) |
| RAM | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 1 KB (+100%) | 1 KB (+100%) |
| EEPROM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 0 B | 256 B |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 2.3 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +125C (Extended) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
Key Differentiators
- Sub-1µA XLP standby current with full peripheral retention (vs PIC16F18344-I/GZ)
- Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) for flexible pin assignment (vs PIC16LF1829-I/GZ)
- Industrial -40C to +85C temperature grade with extended option (vs PIC16LF18324-I/GZ)
Design Notes
Estimated: The PIC16LF18344-I/GZ's 20-UQFN (4x4) exposed pad must be soldered to a continuous PCB ground pour to achieve the specified thermal and electrical performance. Stitch at least 5 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.5 mm pad) through the EP to inner ground planes for heat dissipation. Without proper EP soldering, the junction-to-ambient thermal resistance increases significantly, potentially causing thermal shutdown at high ambient temperatures.
Decouple VDD with a 100 nF X7R ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of the supply pin, and add a 1 µF bulk capacitor for cold-start surge loads from inrush on digital outputs. The XLP sleep modes require a clean supply to maintain sub-1µA standby current; avoid noisy switching converters on VDD unless filtered. For battery applications, estimate battery life using: I_avg = I_active × (t_active/t_period) + I_sleep × (1 - t_active/t_period), where I_sleep for XLP is below 1 µA typical.
Do not confuse the LF (low-voltage) variant with the standard PIC16F18344 when designing 5V-tolerant systems - the LF silicon stops operating above 3.6V and will be permanently damaged above ~4V absolute maximum. For 5V designs, choose the non-LF PIC16F18344-I/GZ instead. Also note that PPS remapping must be re-applied after every reset in firmware; the PPS registers are not retained through deep sleep. Reserve ICSPCLK/ICSPDAT (RB6/RB7) for in-circuit serial programming test points even if not used in production.
Keep analog signals (ADC inputs, comparator inputs) routed away from high-speed digital signals and switching power traces. The 10-bit ADC achieves its full resolution only with proper grounding; consider a separate analog ground pour stitched to the digital ground at a single point near the IC. When using PPS to remap peripherals, ensure the firmware configures the PPS lock register before enabling the peripheral, otherwise peripheral function may be lost during reset.
Compliance Information
Industrial -40C to +85C grade; not AEC-Q100 qualified. For automotive applications, choose AEC-Q100 qualified variants in the PIC16LF18344 family. RoHS and REACH compliance per Microchip product declaration.
