PIC16LF18854-E/SS - 7KB Flash 32MHz XLP 8-bit MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF18854-E/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.29 | $2.29 |
| 10 | $2.05 | $20.50 |
| 100 | $1.75 | $175.00 |
| 500 | $1.55 | $775.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.38 | $1,380.00 |
PIC16LF18854-E/SS Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a small, low-cost processor that combines a CPU, non-volatile program memory (Flash), volatile working memory (RAM), and on-chip peripherals (timers, ADC, communication, I/O) into a single IC. 8-bit MCUs such as the PIC16 family sit within the broader taxonomy of microcontrollers -> embedded processors -> digital ICs -> semiconductors. The "LF" prefix denotes the eXtreme Low Power (XLP) variant, designed for battery-powered applications where nanoWatt sleep currents and active-mode efficiency are critical.
Key features include 25 configurable I/O pins, an internal 32 MHz oscillator, 10-bit ADC with computation (ADC2), a 5-bit DAC, zero-crossing detection (ZCD), complementary waveform generator (CWG), signal measurement timer (SMT), hardware limit timer (HLT), windowed watchdog (WWDT), scan/CRC, peripheral pin select (PPS), and Core Independent Peripherals (CIP) that offload tasks from the CPU. The 28-SSOP package is the medium-density pin-count option in the PIC16F1885x/7x family.
Architecturally, the PIC16LF18854 uses a RISC-based PIC16 core with a 14-bit instruction word and a 2-stage pipeline, achieving up to 16 MIPS at 32 MHz. The XLP technology provides multiple low-power modes (DOZE, IDLE, SLEEP) with a typical sleep current below 50 nA, and the integrated voltage regulator supports operation down to 1.8 V, enabling single-cell lithium or two-cell alkaline battery operation.
Typical applications include low-power IoT sensor nodes, battery-powered home automation, consumer white goods, capacitive-touch user interfaces, LED lighting controllers, and small motor-control BLDC or fan drivers. The combination of CIPs and XLP makes the part especially attractive for always-on edge devices where the CPU can spend most of its time in sleep.
When designing with this device, pay attention to the Microchip Code Configurator (MCC) generated peripheral setup and the PPS mapping, because incorrect PPS assignments are the most common source of firmware faults on first bring-up. Decouple VDD with a 100 nF + 1 µF pair placed within a few millimetres of the supply pins, and leave the MCLR pin either pulled high or routed to the programmer header.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in SSOP-28 alternatives, and practical XLP design notes not collected in a single place in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF18854-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 PIC16LF18854-E/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Operating Temperature, Core Architecture, DAC.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF18855-E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.28 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF18876-E/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F18854-E/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F18855-E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF18456-E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.82 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF18854-E/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC16 (8-bit, 14-bit instruction word, RISC) |
| Family | PIC® XLP™ 16F |
| Flash Program Memory | 7 KB (4K x 14 words) |
| Data RAM | 512 B |
| Data EEPROM | 256 B |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 32 MHz |
| Operating Supply Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +125 C (E suffix = Extended) |
| Number of I/O Pins | 25 |
| ADC | 10-bit ADC2 (computation) |
| DAC | 5-bit DAC |
| Comparators | Yes |
| PWM Channels | Yes (multiple) |
| Special Peripherals | CWG, SMT, HLT, WWDT, SCAN/CRC, ZCD, PPS |
| Package | 28-pin SSOP (5.30 mm body width) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (SMD/SMT) |
| Low-Power Technology | XLP (eXtreme Low Power) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
PIC16LF18854-E/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5 — Bidirectional I/O / ICSPCLK programming clock |
| Pin 2 | RA4 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 3 | RA3/MCLR — Bidirectional I/O / Master Clear (reset, active low) |
| Pin 4 | RC5 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 5 | RC4 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 6 | RC3 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 7 | RC2 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 8 | RC1 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 9 | RC0 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 10 | RB7/ICSPDAT — Bidirectional I/O / ICSP data |
| Pin 11 | RB6 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 12 | RB5 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 13 | RB4 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 14 | RC7 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 15 | RC6 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 16 | RB3 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 17 | RB2 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 18 | RB1 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 19 | RB0 — Bidirectional I/O / interrupt-on-change |
| Pin 20 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 21 | RA2 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 22 | RA1 — Bidirectional I/O / ICSPPGED |
| Pin 23 | RA0 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 24 | RA7 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 25 | RA6 — Bidirectional I/O / oscillator output |
| Pin 26 | RC5/OSC2 — Bidirectional I/O / oscillator pin 2 |
| Pin 27 | RC4/OSC1 — Bidirectional I/O / oscillator pin 1 |
| Pin 28 | VDD — Positive supply (1.8 V to 3.6 V) |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF18854-E/SS is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node, Capacitive-Touch User Interface, Home-Automation and Smart-Lighting Controller, White-Good Appliance Control Board, Small BLDC Fan or Pump Driver, Industrial Sensor Transmitter (4-20 mA / 0-10 V).
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Node
The PIC16LF18854-E/SS is well suited to battery-powered IoT sensor nodes that spend most of their lifetime in deep sleep. Its XLP family delivers sub-100 nA sleep current while the 32 MHz HFINTOSC and CIPs (SMT, CWG, ADC2 with computation) let the MCU wake, take a measurement, and transmit via UART-bridged radio without CPU overhead. Running from a single CR2032 coin cell at 3.0 V, the part can deliver years of service life at a duty cycle below 0.1%. Unlike an STM32 in this class, the LF18854 does not require an external 32 kHz crystal for low-power timing, reducing BOM cost and PCB area.
Recommended
Capacitive-Touch User Interface
The PIC16LF18854-E/SS can drive a 12-25-key capacitive-touch user interface thanks to the mTouch peripheral (combined with the 10-bit ADC2 and CTMU). The Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) scan the touch matrix in hardware, wake the CPU only on a confirmed touch event, and keep average current under 5 µA in standby. The 5-bit DAC and PWM can also drive a small LED backlight in lock-step with the touch scan, removing the need for a separate touch controller and shortening the BOM for white-goods front panels.
Recommended
Home-Automation and Smart-Lighting Controller
For home-automation and smart-lighting controllers the LF18854's CWG, PWM, and ZCD peripherals generate phase-correct zero-crossing-triggered dimming signals without CPU intervention. The PIC16LF18854-E/SS runs the dimming engine entirely in hardware, leaving the CPU free to handle Zigbee or BLE-bound UART/SPI traffic from a companion radio. The 1.8 V to 3.6 V supply range matches directly to single-cell lithium or two-cell alkaline battery operation, simplifying the regulator section.
Recommended
White-Good Appliance Control Board
In a washing-machine, dishwasher, or refrigerator control board the PIC16LF18854-E/SS acts as a sub-controller that drives relays via PWM, reads thermistor / NTC sensors through ADC2, and supervises the main relay with the WWDT and HLT (hardware limit timer). The extended -40 C to +125 C operating range is essential for sealed motor compartments, and the SSOP-28 footprint is a good match for through-hole conversion to wave-solder manufacturing lines still common in appliance production.
Recommended
Small BLDC Fan or Pump Driver
The LF18854 is a strong fit for a small sensorless BLDC fan or pump controller when paired with a 3-phase gate driver. The CWG generates complementary PWM with hardware dead-band, the SMT measures back-EMF period for closed-loop speed control, and the ZCD times the commutation event - all without waking the CPU for every electrical revolution. The 28-SSOP package and 1.8 V minimum supply let the controller sit close to the gate-driver bias rail with a simple LDO.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Transmitter (4-20 mA / 0-10 V)
For a 2-wire 4-20 mA or 3-wire 0-10 V industrial sensor transmitter, the PIC16LF18854-E/SS provides the ADC2 front end, the 5-bit DAC for loop calibration, the UART for HART or RS-485 option, and the SCAN/CRC peripheral that protects non-volatile calibration data in EEPROM. The extended -40 C to +125 C temperature range and the LF supply range allow the device to run directly from a regulated loop voltage, dropping the bill of materials to a single IC plus passives.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF18854-E/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF18855-E/SS | PIC16LF18876-E/SS | PIC16F18854-E/SS | PIC16F18855-E/SS | PIC16LF18456-E/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-SSOP | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SOIC (pin-compatible footprint variant) |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| 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 | 2.3 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Max CPU Frequency | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 7 KB | 14 KB | 28 KB | 7 KB | 14 KB | 14 KB |
| RAM | 512 B | 1 KB | 2 KB | 512 B | 1 KB | 1 KB |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C | -40 C to +125 C |
| Low-Power Technology | XLP (LF) | XLP (LF) | XLP (LF) | Standard F-core | Standard F-core | XLP (LF) |
Key Differentiators
- XLP sub-100 nA sleep with full CIP wake-and-return-to-sleep (vs PIC16F18854-E/SS)
- Larger on-die peripheral set with CWG/SMT/HLT/ZCD in 28-SSOP (vs PIC16LF18446-I/SS)
- Pin-compatible scaling within the same LF1885X/7X family (vs PIC16LF18855-E/SS)
Design Notes
Place a 100 nF + 1 µF ceramic decoupling pair within 5 mm of the VDD pin on pin 28, with the 100 nF closer to the IC. For the LF18854's sub-100 nA sleep mode, also tie any unused I/O pins to defined logic levels (do not leave them floating) to avoid parasitic current paths through the input buffer. When running on a CR2032 coin cell, switch to LFINTOSC instead of HFINTOSC during sleep to drop current further.
The most common first-bring-up fault on the LF18854 is a Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) mismatch: the CWG, PWM and UART are routed to physical pins via PPS registers, and MCC-generated code can leave the wrong mapping active after a Reset. Always re-assert PPS in the firmware init and verify the routing with a logic analyser. Also confirm the MCLR pin is either tied high through a 10 kΩ resistor or routed to the ICSP header; an open MCLR will keep the part in Reset.
Estimated: at 32 MHz CPU and 7 KB Flash the LF18854 toggles an average of 5-10 mA on VDD, so a continuous VDD trace wider than 0.4 mm is recommended, with a via-star pattern under the SSOP thermal pad. Keep the ICSP traces (ICSPCLK on RA5, ICSPDAT on RB7) short and away from PWM or PWM-complementary switching traces to avoid in-circuit programming noise coupling. Ground the SSOP thermal pad to the local ground pour.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - automotive designs should use the automotive-grade (VAO) variant instead. Lead-free matte-tin finish on SSOP.
