PIC16LF18446-E/SS - 8-bit 32MHz 28KB Flash XLP MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF18446-E/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.95 | $1.95 |
| 10 | $1.78 | $17.80 |
| 100 | $1.55 | $155.00 |
| 500 | $1.32 | $660.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.18 | $1,180.00 |
PIC16LF18446-E/SS Overview
A PIC microcontroller is a compact, self-contained computer-on-a-chip that integrates a CPU, non-volatile program memory, working RAM, and configurable peripherals into a single IC. PIC MCUs sit within the broader hierarchy: microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor -> integrated circuit, and they are typically deployed as the decision-making brain of small embedded systems where deterministic real-time behaviour, low power consumption, and minimal external components are required.
Key features of this part include 32 MHz maximum CPU clock, 28 KB Flash (16K x 14 words), 2 KB SRAM, 256 bytes EEPROM, 12-bit ADCC, 5-bit DAC, 2x PWM, CWG, Comparator, EUSART, SPI/I2C, and an extended industrial temperature range of -40 C to +125 C. The XLP architecture supports sleep currents down to the low-nanoampere range with retention, enabling multi-year battery life for IoT endpoints.
The 20-pin SSOP package (0.65 mm pitch, 5.30 mm body width) makes the device well suited for compact hand-held and industrial modules, while the wide operating voltage window simplifies designs that must run directly from a single lithium cell or 3.3 V regulated rail. Designers can take advantage of the integrated CIPs to offload timing-critical tasks from the CPU, reducing firmware complexity and total power consumption.
Typical applications include consumer appliances, low-power IoT sensor nodes, battery-powered industrial sensors, LED lighting controllers, and small motor or fan control loops. The 12-bit ADCC and 5-bit DAC also support precision analogue signal conditioning and waveform generation tasks that previously required a dedicated analogue front-end IC.
When designing with this part, carefully evaluate total pin demand (only 20 pins are available on the SSOP variant) and reserve dedicated ICSP pins for in-circuit programming and debugging. Adequate decoupling - typically a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of VDD - is recommended, and unused pins should be configured as outputs low to minimise quiescent current draw.
This page synthesises distributor pricing, drop-in same-family alternatives, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet, giving procurement and engineering teams a single source of truth for evaluating the PIC16LF18446-E/SS.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF18446-E/SS — 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 PIC16LF18446-E/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, DAC, Operating Temperature, ADC, Program Memory (Flash).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF18445-I/SS
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View Datasheet →PIC16LF18346-I/SS
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View Datasheet →PIC16LF18345-I/SS
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View Datasheet →PIC16LF18446-E/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC16 enhanced mid-range 8-bit CPU |
| Family | PIC16(L)F184xx - PIC XLP 16F |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 28 KB (16K x 14 words) |
| Data SRAM | 2 KB |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 32 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (LF low-voltage variant) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E = extended industrial) |
| ADC | 12-bit ADC with Computation (ADCC) |
| DAC | 5-bit DAC |
| PWM Channels | 2x PWM + Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG) |
| Comparators | 1x Comparator |
| Serial Interfaces | 1x EUSART, 1x SPI, 1x I2C |
| Package | 20-pin SSOP (5.30 mm body, 0.65 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Low-Power Technology | XLP (eXtreme Low-Power) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LF18446-E/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC / DAC reference |
| Pin 2 | RA4 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC |
| Pin 3 | RA3/MCLR — Bidirectional I/O / Master Clear (reset) input |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC |
| Pin 5 | RA1 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC / DAC output |
| Pin 6 | RA0 — Bidirectional I/O / ADC |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | RB7 — Bidirectional I/O / ICSPCLK |
| Pin 9 | RB6 — Bidirectional I/O / ICSPDAT |
| Pin 10 | RB5 — Bidirectional I/O / PWM |
| Pin 11 | RB4 — Bidirectional I/O / PWM |
| Pin 12 | RB3 — Bidirectional I/O / I2C SCL |
| Pin 13 | RB2 — Bidirectional I/O / I2C SDA |
| Pin 14 | RB1 — Bidirectional I/O / EUSART RX |
| Pin 15 | RB0 — Bidirectional I/O / EUSART TX / PWM |
| Pin 16 | VDD — Positive supply (1.8 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 17 | RA7 — Bidirectional I/O / DAC reference |
| Pin 18 | RA6 — Bidirectional I/O / oscillator |
| Pin 19 | RC0 — Bidirectional I/O / Comparator output |
| Pin 20 | RC1 — Bidirectional I/O / Comparator input |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF18446-E/SS is suitable for 7 applications: Low-Power IoT Sensor Nodes, Battery-Powered Industrial Sensors, LED Lighting and Backlight Controllers, Small Motor and Fan Control, Consumer Appliance Control Boards, Portable Medical Monitoring Accessories, Automotive Body and Comfort Modules.
Low-Power IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC16LF18446-E/SS is well matched to battery-powered IoT sensor nodes because of its 1.8 V to 3.6 V operating range, eXtreme Low-Power (XLP) sleep currents in the nanoampere range, and integrated 12-bit ADCC that handles analogue sensors without a dedicated ADC IC. The 28 KB Flash accommodates BLE/Sigfox/LoRa stack fragments or custom mesh protocols, while the 2 KB SRAM supports averaging and packet buffering. Deploying between the sensor front-end and the radio module, this MCU samples on wake, processes with the ADCC and CIPs, transmits, and returns to sleep - extending coin-cell lifetime into the multi-year range.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Industrial Sensors
For industrial sensor transmitters running from 3.6 V lithium cells, the PIC16LF18446-E/SS combines a wide -40 C to +125 C extended industrial temperature grade with the LF 1.8 V to 3.6 V supply window. The 12-bit ADCC digitises 4-20 mA loop sensors or bridge transducers directly, while the 5-bit DAC supports excitation or setpoint generation. The CWG and PWM channels drive opto-isolated H-bridges or solenoid drivers, eliminating a separate timer IC. Its CIP architecture offloads PWM generation and ADC sampling from the CPU, leaving headroom for MODBUS, IO-Link, or proprietary protocols.
Recommended
LED Lighting and Backlight Controllers
The PIC16LF18446-E/SS suits smart LED lighting and display backlight control because its Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG) plus two PWM channels produce the dead-band-controlled complementary outputs that high-efficiency LED drivers require. The 12-bit ADCC reads ambient light sensors for closed-loop dimming, and the 5-bit DAC sets constant-current reference voltages. Running from a 3.3 V rail, the LF variant consumes only a few microamps in idle - ideal for always-on night-light or indicator circuits - while delivering the processing headroom for DALI, BLE-paired, or PWM-dimmed luminaires.
Recommended
Small Motor and Fan Control
Brushless DC motor and small fan controllers benefit from the PIC16LF18446-E/SS's CWG hardware - a dedicated peripheral that generates complementary PWM with programmable dead-time, freeing the CPU from commutating logic. The 12-bit ADCC samples back-EMF for sensorless commutation or closed-loop speed control, while the Comparator triggers overcurrent protection in microseconds. At 32 MHz, the PIC16 mid-range core executes the speed-control loop with comfortable margin, and the 256-byte EEPROM stores calibration and ramp profiles across power cycles.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control Boards
White-goods and small kitchen appliances frequently embed a PIC16(L)F184xx MCU as the user-interface and supervisory controller. The PIC16LF18446-E/SS brings a 20-pin SSOP footprint compatible with the appliance form factor, while its EUSART, SPI, and I2C ports link to display modules, sensor boards, and motor inverters. The 28 KB Flash accommodates graphical LCD or capacitive-touch UI firmware, and the on-chip 5-bit DAC generates the beeper or buzzer tones without an external waveform IC, reducing the BOM and PCBA cost of mass-market appliances.
Recommended
Portable Medical Monitoring Accessories
Wearable and handheld medical accessories - pulse oximeters, glucose-meter dongles, single-lead ECG patches - leverage the PIC16LF18446-E/SS's 1.8 V minimum supply, nanoampere XLP sleep current, and integrated 12-bit ADCC for analogue-front-end sampling. The 32 MHz core executes FIR/IIR filtering on photoplethysmography or ECG waveforms in real time, while the 2 KB SRAM buffers processed data before BLE or USB transfer. The 256-byte EEPROM retains patient calibration and configuration without battery backup, simplifying regulatory submissions.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Comfort Modules
Although the 'E' suffix here denotes -40 C to +125 C extended industrial, the underlying PIC16(L)F184xx die family has automotive-grade siblings (such as the PIC16F18446-E/SSVAO variants) targeted at body controllers, mirror modules, and seat-position memories. The MCU's CWG drives seat or mirror motors, the EUSART links to the LIN bus via a transceiver, and the 5-bit DAC supports sensor excitation. Engineers designing around this footprint should source the automotive Q-grade variant for production deployments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF18446-E/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF18445-I/SS | PIC16LF18444-I/SS | PIC16LF18346-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 20-pin SSOP | 20-pin SSOP - same | 20-pin SSOP - same | 20-pin SSOP - same |
| Program Flash | 28 KB | 14 KB | 7 KB | 28 KB |
| Data SRAM | 2 KB | 1 KB | 512 B | 2 KB |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 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 |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +85 C (I) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest memory density in the PIC16(L)F184xx SSOP-20 line-up (vs PIC16LF18445-I/SS)
- Extended industrial temperature grade included (vs PIC16LF18444-I/SS)
- Newer Core Independent Peripheral (CIP) generation than the PIC16(L)F183xx family (vs PIC16LF18346-I/SS)
Design Notes
The PIC16LF18446-E/SS operates from 1.8 V to 3.6 V on VDD (pin 16). Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor within 3 mm of the VDD pin and a bulk capacitor (4.7 uF to 10 uF) at the regulator output. The LF variant supports XLP sleep currents in the nanoampere range with retention; to achieve this, configure unused pins as outputs low and disable peripherals not in use during sleep. Estimated: total quiescent current with peripherals disabled but RAM retention enabled is in the 30-100 nA range per the PIC16(L)F184xx family datasheet.
The 20-pin SSOP body is 5.30 mm wide with a 0.65 mm lead pitch. Reserve at least 6 mm of board width and ensure solder mask defined (SMD) pads for reliable assembly. The exposed die paddle is not present on the SSOP variant - thermal dissipation is limited to the leads, so for high-current GPIO loads (above 20 mA per pin) keep duty cycles low. Route the ICSP pins (RB6/RB7) to a dedicated 2x3 or 1x6 header for in-circuit programming and debugging.
Do not apply voltages above 3.6 V to any pin of the LF variant - permanent damage will occur. The MCLR/RA3 pin (pin 3) is the only pin tolerant to VDD + 0.3 V; all other I/O pins are strictly VDD-clamped. When migrating from the PIC16F18446 (F variant), re-evaluate any code that assumes 5 V tolerant I/O or higher ADC reference voltages. Finally, the SSOP-20 pinout differs from the QFN-20 variant - do not assume footprints are interchangeable without checking the datasheet pin tables.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page and DigiKey listing. The 'E' suffix is extended industrial grade, NOT AEC-Q100 automotive; for automotive applications use the AEC-Q100 qualified Q-grade variants.
