PIC16LF1906-E/SO - 14KB Flash 8-bit MCU w/ LCD & nanoWatt XLP | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF1906-E/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.62 | $2.62 |
| 10 | $2.34 | $23.40 |
| 100 | $1.95 | $195.00 |
| 500 | $1.72 | $860.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.48 | $1,480.00 |
PIC16LF1906-E/SO Overview
What is a low-power 8-bit Flash microcontroller? An MCU (microcontroller unit) integrates a CPU, non-volatile program memory, working RAM, data EEPROM, and a rich peripheral set on a single chip. The PIC16LF1906 sits in the PIC16 mid-range family (8-bit -> PIC MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded computing) and adds the nanoWatt XLP (eXtreme Low Power) feature set, which provides Sleep currents below 1 uA, deep Sleep modes with RAM retention, and peripheral activity monitors that wake the CPU on real events rather than on timers.
Key differentiating features of the PIC16LF1906 include a 14 KB Flash / 512 B RAM / 256 B EEPROM memory combination, a dedicated LCD driver with charge pump capable of driving up to a 4x17 segment display, a 10-bit ADC with up to 14 channels, multiple Enhanced USART, MSSP (SPI/I2C) peripherals, and a 16-bit timer plus 8-bit timers for event capture and PWM generation. The integrated LCD charge pump eliminates external bias resistors and operates even from low supply voltages.
Typical applications include battery-powered metering with on-glass LCD readout (gas/water/heat meters), portable medical monitoring devices such as glucose meters and pulse oximeters, IoT sensor nodes requiring multi-year battery life, consumer remote controls, small appliances with integrated display, and HVAC thermostat front-ends. The combination of nanoWatt XLP Sleep currents in the sub-microamp range and a built-in LCD driver lets the same MCU drive the display and run the application with no auxiliary display IC.
When designing with this part, reserve the ICD/ICSP pins (RB6/RB7) for in-circuit programming and debugging using a PICkit, MPLAB Snap, or ICD debugger; do not assign them as general-purpose I/O on production boards. Add a 100 nF decoupling cap directly on Vdd/Vss and a bulk cap near the regulator, and follow Microchip application notes for the LCD charge-pump capacitor selection. Pin count is 28 in the SO package (SO-300 mil wide body); an SP (SPDIP) and SS (SSOP) variant are available for breadboarding and high-density respectively.
This page synthesizes drop-in alternatives, side-by-side parametric comparisons, and design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, to help engineers and buyers move from part selection to prototype quickly.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF1906-E/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 PIC16LF1906-E/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, Maximum CPU Speed, Core Architecture, LCD Driver.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF1906-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1904-E/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF1907-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF1903T-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.09 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F1906-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF1906-E/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Program Memory Type | Flash |
| Program Memory Size | 14 KB |
| RAM Size | 512 B |
| EEPROM Size | 256 B |
| CPU Core | PIC16 enhanced mid-range (8-bit RISC) |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 8 MIPS (8 MHz @ 1:1 instruction cycle) |
| Supply Voltage Range (Vdd) | 1.8 V to 3.4 V (F-version LF extended) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +125C (E suffix = industrial) |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 14 channels |
| Comparators | Yes (internal references, dedicated module) |
| LCD Driver | Up to 4x17 segments with charge pump |
| Timers | 16-bit x1, 8-bit x2, WDT |
| Communication | EUSART x1, MSSP (SPI/I2C) x1 |
| I/O Pins | Up to 25 (depending on package) |
| Package | SOIC-28 (SO, 300-mil wide body) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited floor life) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
| nanoWatt XLP Technology | Yes (Sleep <1 uA typical, deep Sleep with RAM retention) |
PIC16LF1906-E/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA1 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 2 | RA0 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 3 | RA3 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment / MCLR (input only) |
| Pin 4 | RA4 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 5 | RA5 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 6 | RE3 — Digital I/O (input only on this package) |
| Pin 7 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | RB7 — Digital I/O / LCD segment / ICSPDAT |
| Pin 10 | RB6 — Digital I/O / LCD segment / ICSPCLK |
| Pin 11 | RB5 — Digital I/O / LCD segment / CCP |
| Pin 12 | RB4 — Digital I/O / LCD segment / SDA |
| Pin 13 | RB3 — Digital I/O / LCD segment / SCL |
| Pin 14 | RB2 — Digital I/O / LCD segment |
| Pin 15 | RB1 — Digital I/O / LCD segment / INT |
| Pin 16 | RB0 — Digital I/O / LCD segment / INT |
| Pin 17 | RA7 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment / CLKIN |
| Pin 18 | RA6 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment / CLKOUT |
| Pin 19 | RC0 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 20 | RC1 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 21 | RC2 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 22 | RC3 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment / SCL |
| Pin 23 | RC4 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment / SDA |
| Pin 24 | RC5 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment |
| Pin 25 | RC6 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment / TX |
| Pin 26 | RC7 — Digital I/O / analog / LCD segment / RX |
| Pin 27 | RD0 — Digital I/O / LCD segment |
| Pin 28 | RD1 — Digital I/O / LCD segment |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF1906-E/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Utility Metering (Gas/Water/Heat), Portable Medical Monitoring Devices, IoT Sensor Nodes with Long Battery Life, Consumer Remote Controls with LCD, HVAC Thermostat Front-Ends, Small Appliance Control with Display.
Battery-Powered Utility Metering (Gas/Water/Heat)
The PIC16LF1906-E/SO is purpose-built for battery-powered metering thanks to its 1.8-3.4 V wide Vdd range and nanoWatt XLP Sleep currents below 1 uA, enabling 10+ year life on a single lithium cell. The integrated 4x17-segment LCD driver with charge pump drives the meter readout glass directly without external bias resistors, eliminating a separate display ASIC and reducing BOM cost. The 14 KB Flash and 512 B RAM are sized for interval data logging plus AMR protocol stacks. Typical configurations: the MCU sleeps with RAM retention while the WDT-based wake cycles every second to count pulses from the metering sensor, then returns to Sleep. The 10-bit ADC handles battery voltage monitoring for low-battery warnings. This is the same PIC16 family used in many smart-meter reference designs from Microchip's metering app-note library.
Recommended
Portable Medical Monitoring Devices
Portable medical monitors such as glucose meters, pulse oximeters, and single-lead ECG event recorders need long battery life and a built-in display readout, which aligns directly with the PIC16LF1906-E/SO feature set. The LF Vdd range (1.8-3.4 V) supports direct operation from two AAA cells without a boost regulator. The nanoWatt XLP Sleep mode keeps quiescent current under 1 uA between measurement events, while a peripheral wake-on-change interrupt from a sensor signal can wake the CPU in microseconds. The integrated LCD charge pump drives a 4x17 segment display for showing numeric readings and icons. The 14 KB Flash fits small RTOS-less firmware plus measurement libraries. The 10-bit ADC with 14 channels is sufficient for thermistor and pulse-oximeter front-ends. Medical designs also benefit from the -40C to +125C extended industrial temperature range on the E-suffix part.
Recommended
IoT Sensor Nodes with Long Battery Life
IoT sensor nodes deployed in the field (environmental monitoring, agriculture, asset tracking) demand multi-year battery life, which the PIC16LF1906-E/SO enables through nanoWatt XLP Sleep currents below 1 uA. The LF Vdd range supports direct operation from a single lithium primary cell without a boost converter, reducing quiescent drain. The 14 KB Flash is large enough to hold a LoRaWAN or Wireless M-Bus protocol stack alongside application code. The MSSP (SPI/I2C) peripheral talks to external sensors (temperature, humidity, accelerometers) while the EUSART drives a sub-GHz radio module like the MRF89XA or RN2483. A wake-on-change interrupt from a sensor triggers a reading and radio transmission, then the MCU returns to deep Sleep. The integrated LCD driver is optional here but useful for local status display in maintenance use cases.
Recommended
Consumer Remote Controls with LCD
Consumer universal remotes and HVAC controllers benefit from the PIC16LF1906-E/SO combination of integrated LCD driver, low Sleep current, and modest pin count in SOIC-28. The LCD charge pump drives a small status display (channel, mode icons, battery level) without an external display ASIC, lowering BOM cost. The LF Vdd range supports direct 2x AAA battery operation. nanoWatt XLP Sleep keeps the device drawing negligible current when idle, while an interrupt-on-change from the keypad matrix wakes the CPU in microseconds to handle a key press. The 14 KB Flash is sufficient for IR protocol databases (NEC, RC5, SIRC) plus LCD menus. The EUSART supports IR modulation at carrier frequencies. The MSSP can drive an I2C EEPROM for additional protocol storage.
Recommended
HVAC Thermostat Front-Ends
HVAC thermostat front-ends need a small LCD readout, battery or 24 VAC operation, and long life - a perfect fit for the PIC16LF1906-E/SO. The 4x17-segment LCD driver with charge pump shows temperature, mode, setpoint, and status icons directly on the wall-unit glass. The 10-bit ADC reads the local thermistor plus optional humidity sensor on separate channels. nanoWatt XLP Sleep reduces quiescent drain between user interactions, extending battery life or reducing heat in 24 VAC-powered designs. The EUSART can interface to a host controller over RS-485 or to a Wi-Fi/BLE module for cloud connectivity. The 14 KB Flash holds the UI state machine plus HVAC control algorithm. The PIC16 enhanced mid-range core provides deterministic interrupt response for safety-critical overtemperature logic.
Recommended
Small Appliance Control with Display
Small appliances like coffee makers, rice cookers, and induction cooktops increasingly include a segmented LCD or LED-imitating display for status, and the PIC16LF1906-E/SO is well-suited for these designs. The integrated LCD charge pump removes the need for an external display driver, simplifying the BOM and PCB. The 10-bit ADC with 14 channels handles temperature, current sensing (via shunt), and rotary encoder inputs. The MSSP talks to I2C peripherals such as touch sensors or EEPROM. nanoWatt XLP keeps standby power low for Energy Star compliance. The 14 KB Flash holds the cooking profiles plus user-interface state machine. The MSSP can drive a small LED segment display as an alternative to LCD, giving designers a flexible display choice.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF1906-E/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF1906-I/SO | PIC16LF1904-E/SO | PIC16LF1907-I/SO | PIC16LF1903T-I/SO | PIC16F1906-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | SOIC-28 (SO) | SOIC-28 (SO) - same | SOIC-28 (SO) - same | SOIC-28 (SO) - same | SOIC-28 (SO) - same | SOIC-28 (SO) - same |
| Program Flash Memory | 14 KB | 14 KB | 7 KB | 16 KB | 4 KB | 14 KB |
| RAM | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B | 512 B |
| EEPROM | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B | 256 B |
| Vdd Range | 1.8 V to 3.4 V (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.4 V (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.4 V (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.4 V (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.4 V (LF) | 2.3 V to 5.5 V (F) |
| LCD Driver with Charge Pump | Yes (4x17 segments) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited (no charge pump) | Yes |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (E extended) | -40C to +85C (I industrial) | -40C to +125C (E) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C (I) |
| Param Match % | 100 | 95 | 85 | 95 | 75 | 80 |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Flash in PIC16LF190x family at 28-pin SO (vs PIC16LF1904-E/SO)
- Industrial extended temperature range (-40C to +125C) (vs PIC16LF1906-I/SO)
- Lower-voltage Vdd range suited to battery operation (vs PIC16F1906-I/SO)
Design Notes
Estimated: At Vdd=3.0 V, Vdd-on Sleep with WDT and LCD off, the PIC16LF1906 LF Sleep current is under 1 uA typical, supporting multi-year battery life from a single CR2032 coin cell (~220 mAh). For battery-life calculation, sum Sleep current, active current (multiplied by duty cycle), and any peripheral currents (LCD charge pump adds ~5-20 uA when active). Use the nanoWatt XLP Sleep mode (with RAM retention) rather than full Sleep if fast wake-up is needed.
Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor as close as possible to the Vdd (pin 7) and Vss (pin 8) pins, using the shortest possible trace length (under 3 mm). Add a 1-10 uF bulk capacitor on the Vdd rail near the MCU for transient handling during Sleep-to-active transitions. For the LCD charge pump, follow Microchip AN582 - use the specified capacitor values on VLCD and ensure low-leakage ceramic types (X7R or X5R) for the charge pump reservoir. ICSP pins RB6/RB7 (pins 9-10) should not be assigned to external circuitry that could interfere with programming voltage levels.
Do not exceed the absolute maximum Vdd of 3.6 V on the LF variant (LF is rated 1.8-3.4 V); connecting a 5 V supply will damage the part - use the PIC16F1906 instead if 5 V operation is required. The MCLR pin (RA3/MCLR on pin 3) is input-only and cannot drive as a normal GPIO; configure it correctly in CONFIG words. The LF part has a maximum clock frequency of 8 MHz (vs 32 MHz on some F variants); running above 8 MHz will cause unstable execution. Always configure unused pins as outputs (not inputs) to minimize Sleep current leakage.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. The E suffix extends the industrial temperature range; this is NOT AEC-Q100 automotive qualified - Microchip designates AEC-Q100 parts with a -VAO or similar suffix. Lead-free SOIC-28 package. Halogen-free status: not stated on the publicly verified datasheet excerpts.
