PIC16LF1906-I/SO - 14KB Flash LCD XLP MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF1906-I/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.62 | $2.62 |
| 10 | $2.36 | $23.60 |
| 100 | $2.05 | $205.00 |
| 500 | $1.78 | $890.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.55 | $1,550.00 |
PIC16LF1906-I/SO Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer built around an 8-bit data path, integrating a CPU, program memory (Flash/ROM), working RAM, peripherals (timers, ADC, communication ports), and a clock into one IC. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC16LF1906 belongs to the PIC16 family -> 8-bit PIC microcontrollers -> microcontrollers (MCUs) -> microprocessors and microcontrollers -> semiconductors. The "LF" prefix denotes the F-prefix low-voltage Flash variant, suitable for operation down to 1.8V, and the nanoWatt XLP branding indicates deep-sleep currents on the order of tens of nanoamps.
Key features include 14KB self-programmable Flash, 512 bytes SRAM, an integrated LCD driver supporting up to 116 segments, 10-bit ADC with capacitive voltage divider, mTouch capacitive sensing, an Enhanced Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (EUSART), two SPI/I2C modules, multiple Enhanced Capture/Compare/PWM (ECCP) modules, and a Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) system that reassigns digital peripheral pins in firmware. The nanoWatt XLP technology delivers typical sleep currents below 100 nA with RTCC and brown-out reset (BOR) retention, ideal for coin-cell-powered metering.
The device uses Microchip's enhanced mid-range 8-bit CPU core with a hardware multiplier, 49 instructions, and 16-level hardware stack. The wide 1.8V-3.6V supply range (LF series) and industrial-grade -40C to +85C operating window let it ride the same battery cell from fresh through end-of-life. Internal 32kHz LFINTOSC, 16MHz HFINTOSC, and PLL options remove the need for external crystals in many cost-sensitive applications.
Typical applications include battery-powered metering (water/gas/heat), electronic shelf labels, thermostat control panels, medical glucose meters, portable consumer devices with segment LCDs, capacitive-touch user interfaces, IoT sensor endpoints, and white-goods user-interface boards. The on-chip LCD driver and mTouch peripheral enable a fully integrated display-plus-touch BOM.
When designing with the PIC16LF1906, allocate one PPS mapping per digital peripheral to avoid pin conflicts, observe the LCD bias network reference (typically 3x 100k resistors or the charge-pump option), and select the LFINTOSC + power-managed sleep mode to exploit XLP nanoamp currents in always-on designs. Use MPLAB X IDE with MPLAB XC8 compiler and MPLAB Snap ICD for development.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, application circuit guidance, and design notes not bundled in the Microchip datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF1906-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 PIC16LF1906-I/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, LCD Driver, Package, Timers, Communication.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF1906-E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.48 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1906-I/SP
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.36 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1907-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF1904-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF1903-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F1936-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.74 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1906-I/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Family | PIC16F |
| Core Architecture | PIC16 8-bit Enhanced Mid-Range |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 14 KB (8K x 14 words) |
| Data SRAM | 512 B |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 20 MHz |
| Operating Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| Package | 28-pin SOIC (SO) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Pin Count | 28 |
| LCD Driver | Integrated, up to 116 segments |
| ADC | 10-bit ADC with Capacitive Voltage Divider |
| Capacitive Touch | mTouch supported |
| Communication | 1x EUSART, 2x MSSP (SPI / I2C) |
| PWM / ECCP | 2x ECCP, 1x CCP |
| Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) | Yes |
| Internal Oscillators | 31 kHz LFINTOSC, 16 MHz HFINTOSC, PLL |
| Low-Power Technology | nanoWatt XLP |
| Hardware Multiplier | Yes |
| Instruction Set | 49 instructions, 16-level hardware stack |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LF1906-I/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2 — Digital I/O / analog input |
| Pin 2 | RA3 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 3 | RA4 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 4 | RA5 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 5 | RA6 — Digital I/O / oscillator |
| Pin 6 | RA7 — Digital I/O / oscillator |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 8 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 9 | RB0 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 10 | RB1 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 11 | RB2 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 12 | RB3 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 13 | RB4 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 14 | RB5 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 15 | RB6 — Digital I/O / ICSP programming clock |
| Pin 16 | RB7 — Digital I/O / ICSP programming data |
| Pin 17 | RC0 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 18 | RC1 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 19 | RC2 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 20 | RC3 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 21 | RC4 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 22 | RC5 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 23 | RC6 — Digital I/O / EUSART TX |
| Pin 24 | RC7 — Digital I/O / EUSART RX |
| Pin 25 | RE3 — Digital I/O / MCLR |
| Pin 26 | RA0 — Digital I/O / analog input |
| Pin 27 | RA1 — Digital I/O / analog input |
| Pin 28 | VSS — Ground |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF1906-I/SO is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Powered Metering, Thermostat Control Panels, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL), Portable Medical Devices, Capacitive Touch User Interfaces, IoT Sensor Endpoints, White-Goods Control Boards.
Battery-Powered Metering
The PIC16LF1906-I/SO is well-suited for battery-powered water, gas, and heat meters because of its nanoWatt XLP low-power technology and integrated segmented LCD controller. Sleep currents under 100 nA with RTCC retention let the MCU spend most of its life in deep sleep, waking only to drive the LCD and count pulses from the metering sensor. The wide 1.8 V to 3.6 V supply range accommodates a 3 V lithium coin cell through end-of-life without a boost converter, and the 14 KB Flash comfortably stores metering firmware, calibration tables, and segmented display fonts.
Recommended
Thermostat Control Panels
The integrated LCD driver (up to 116 segments) and the mTouch capacitive touch peripheral make the PIC16LF1906-I/SO a natural fit for HVAC thermostat control panels with segment LCDs and touch buttons. The 10-bit ADC with capacitive voltage divider supports both temperature-sensor reads and the touch-button front panel without an external touch IC. The 14 KB Flash holds UI state machines, scheduling logic, and PID loops, while 512 B SRAM supports a small display buffer. The wide 1.8-3.6 V range simplifies running from 2x AA cells.
Recommended
Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL)
The PIC16LF1906-I/SO suits electronic shelf labels because its integrated LCD driver eliminates the need for a separate display ASIC and its nanoWatt XLP current allows coin-cell operation over multi-year lifetimes. The 14 KB Flash and 512 B RAM accommodate wireless-stack glue logic for sub-GHz or NFC-paired ESL modules, and the wide 1.8-3.6 V range is matched to common coin-cell chemistries. mTouch provides option-capable touch keys on higher-end ESL models.
Recommended
Portable Medical Devices
The PIC16LF1906-I/SO fits portable medical devices such as glucose meters and pulse oximeters because of its deterministic PIC16 enhanced mid-range core, integrated LCD driver for numeric readouts, and low-power nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep currents. The 14 KB Flash is sufficient for measurement routines, calibration coefficients, and on-screen UI, while the 10-bit ADC with capacitive voltage divider provides sensor front-end conversion. Industrial temperature grade plus low-voltage operation suits battery-powered home-care medical instruments.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch User Interfaces
The on-chip mTouch capacitive voltage divider and Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) make the PIC16LF1906-I/SO a strong fit for capacitive touch user interfaces on white goods, kitchen appliances, and consumer products. PPS lets firmware reassign touch channels to alternate pins without board rework, and the 14 KB Flash accommodates mTouch firmware plus UI state machines. The 1.8-3.6 V supply lets the MCU share a regulated 3.3 V rail with other board components, while the 28-SOIC package suits hand-solderable prototyping and high-volume SMD production.
Recommended
IoT Sensor Endpoints
The PIC16LF1906-I/SO is a strong choice for low-power IoT sensor endpoints that wake periodically to read sensors and transmit via a companion radio (sub-GHz, BLE, or LoRa). nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep currents under 100 nA extend battery life to years on a single coin cell, while the EUSART and two MSSP modules provide straightforward glue logic to the radio. The 14 KB Flash and 512 B RAM comfortably run small RTOS or state-machine firmware plus sensor drivers, and PPS allows board-layout flexibility in tight sensor housings.
Recommended
White-Goods Control Boards
The PIC16LF1906-I/SO is well-matched to white-goods control boards (washing machines, dishwashers, ovens) that combine a segment LCD UI with capacitive touch keys and motor-control PWM. The integrated LCD driver drives the segmented display without an external driver, the mTouch peripheral provides waterproof touch buttons, and the two ECCP/CCP modules generate motor-control PWM. The industrial temperature grade plus the integrated peripherals reduce BOM cost and PCB area versus a discrete MCU-plus-display-driver-plus-touch-IC design.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF1906-I/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF1906-E/SO | PIC16LF1907-I/SO | PIC16LF1904-I/SO | PIC16LF1903-I/SO | PIC16F1936-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-pin SOIC (SO) | 28-pin SOIC (SO) - same | 28-pin SOIC (SO) - same | 28-pin SOIC (SO) - same | 28-pin SOIC (SO) - same | 28-pin SOIC (SO) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 14 KB | 14 KB | 28 KB (+100%) | 7 KB (-50%) | 7 KB (-50%) | 14 KB |
| Data SRAM | 512 B | 512 B | 1 KB (+100%) | 256 B (-50%) | 256 B (-50%) | 512 B |
| Operating Voltage Range | 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 | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 32 MHz |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) | -40 C to +125 C (Extended) | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| nanoWatt XLP Low-Power Technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (older nanoWatt) |
| Integrated LCD Driver | Yes (up to 116 segments) | Yes (up to 116 segments) | Yes (up to 116 segments) | Yes (up to 72 segments) | Yes | Yes |
Key Differentiators
- Largest Flash/RAM in the 28-pin PIC16LF190x SOIC family (vs PIC16LF1904-I/SO)
- Industrial temperature grade fits most metering/consumer products; extended grade variant available (vs PIC16LF1906-E/SO)
- Up to 116 LCD segments versus 72 on PIC16LF1904 (vs PIC16LF1904-I/SO)
- nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep technology plus 1.8-3.6 V wide supply (vs PIC16F1936-I/SO)
Design Notes
Exploit nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep modes to maximize coin-cell battery life. Configure unused peripherals to off, use Sleep mode with RTCC wakeup (typical sleep current <100 nA per Microchip datasheet 40001569D), and gate the ADC + capacitive voltage divider with firmware after each conversion. Estimated: an always-on metering loop waking once per second and taking 5 ms at 5 mA active would yield an average current of about 25 uA, allowing a 220 mAh CR2032 to last roughly 1 year.
Place the LCD bias-network components (typically three 100k resistors or the internal charge-pump option) close to the LCD bias pins, and keep the LCD segment traces short and well-matched to reduce ghosting. Add a 100 nF decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin and a 10 uF bulk capacitor on the same rail; use a guard trace or via fence around the EUSART TX/RX lines if the PCB routes near the LCD bias network to prevent coupling.
Avoid simultaneous reassignment of Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) output pins to the same physical I/O without first unlocking the PPS sequence (PPSLOCKED bit in INTCON). When migrating from PIC16LF1903/4 firmware, validate that the LCD segment mapping is identical; the PIC16LF1906 supports more LCD segments than the PIC16LF1904, so code that assumes a 72-segment pinout may mis-route. Use ICSP pin RB6/RB7 for in-circuit programming and do not reassign these pins via PPS during programming mode.
Use the EUSART in high-speed mode with the internal 16 MHz HFINTOSC + 4x PLL only after characterising jitter on the radio companion side; for sub-GHz or BLE companion radios, prefer the external crystal oscillator mode to meet radio packet-timing budgets. Drive EUSART TX/RX with short, impedance-controlled traces if baud rates exceed 115200 bps, and add a series ferrite or RC snubber if the trace runs near the LCD bias network.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C); choose PIC16LF1906-E/SO for extended temperature (-40C to +125C). AEC-Q100 not applicable for this industrial-grade MCU - choose an AEC-Q100 qualified variant for automotive applications.
