PIC16LF724-I/ML - 8-bit 20MHz XLP MCU, 7KB Flash, QFN-44 | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF724-I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.64 | $1.64 |
| 10 | $1.47 | $14.70 |
| 100 | $1.28 | $128.00 |
| 500 | $1.15 | $575.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.05 | $1,050.00 |
PIC16LF724-I/ML Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, non-volatile program memory, working RAM, and configurable peripherals. The PIC16F family uses a RISC-style 14-bit instruction set optimized for deterministic interrupt response and compact code density. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC16LF724 belongs to the 8-bit MCU class, then the PIC16 mid-range family, then Microcontrollers > Integrated Circuits. The "LF" suffix denotes the wide-Vdd low-power variant (1.8V-3.6V) compatible with lithium battery chemistries, while the "F724" sub-family adds LCD drive capability to the baseline PIC16F architecture.
Key features include 25 digital I/O pins, an internal 16 MHz oscillator with PLL capable of 32 MHz on F devices, on-chip LCD driver supporting up to 96 segments, a 10-bit ADC with up to 14 channels, two 8-bit and one 16-bit timers, and nanoWatt XLP sleep currents in the nanoamp range. The 1.8V minimum supply enables direct connection to single-cell Li-coin or two AA cells without boost conversion, while the integrated LCD segment driver eliminates an external charge-pump IC in metering and wearable designs.
The PIC16LF724-I/ML uses a Harvard memory architecture with separate program and data buses, hardware multiply support via an 8x8 unsigned multiplier, and an instruction pipeline that completes most operations in one cycle. Compared with newer PIC16F1xxx families it offers smaller Flash and RAM, but its low-voltage LF process node keeps active and sleep currents competitive for cost-sensitive battery products.
Typical applications include battery-powered metering (water/gas/electric), wearable health patches, remote keyless entry, electronic shelf labels, smoke detectors, and low-cost consumer appliances. The integrated LCD segment driver removes a dedicated LCD controller and simplifies the BOM in HMI segments that previously required a discrete HT1621 or similar part.
When designing with this part, budget the I/O budget carefully - 25 GPIO pins is modest for a 44-pin package, so designers migrating from larger-pin PIC16LF193x parts must verify pin-out compatibility. Use the MPLAB XC8 compiler and the PICkit or MPLAB ICD programmer family for development; in-circuit serial programming (ICSP) requires only two dedicated pins.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives, and practical design notes not collated on the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF724-I/ML — 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 PIC16LF724-I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, Timers, Operating Temperature, I/O Pins.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF723A-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.21 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF722-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$0.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF723T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1939-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$3.98 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1902-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF724-I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Family | PIC16F 8-bit Microcontrollers |
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC RISC, 14-bit instructions |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 7 KB |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 20 MHz instruction rate |
| Internal Oscillator | 16 MHz (factory calibrated) |
| Supply Voltage (Vdd) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| I/O Pins | 25 |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 14 channels |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit |
| LCD Driver | Integrated segment driver (up to 96 segments) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
| Package | QFN-44 (ML), 8x8 mm, 0.65 mm pitch, with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (per JEDEC J-STD-020) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Programming Interface | ICSP (In-Circuit Serial Programming) |
PIC16LF724-I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0/SEG12 — GPIO RA0 / Analog input 0 / LCD segment 12 |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1/SEG7 — GPIO RA1 / Analog input 1 / LCD segment 7 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2/VREF-/SEG6 — GPIO RA2 / Analog input 2 / VREF- / LCD segment 6 |
| Pin 4 | RA3/AN3/VREF+/SEG5 — GPIO RA3 / Analog input 3 / VREF+ / LCD segment 5 |
| Pin 5 | RA4/AN4/SEG4 — GPIO RA4 / Analog input 4 / LCD segment 4 |
| Pin 6 | RA5/AN5/SEG3 — GPIO RA5 / Analog input 5 / LCD segment 3 |
| Pin 7 | RA6/OSC2/CLKOUT — GPIO RA6 / Oscillator output / Clock out |
| Pin 8 | RA7/OSC1/CLKIN — GPIO RA7 / Oscillator input / Clock in |
| Pin 9 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 10 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 11 | RB0/INT/SEG0 — GPIO RB0 / External interrupt / LCD segment 0 |
| Pin 12 | RB1/SEG1 — GPIO RB1 / LCD segment 1 |
| Pin 13 | RB2/SEG2 — GPIO RB2 / LCD segment 2 |
| Pin 14 | RB3/CCP1/SEG15 — GPIO RB3 / CCP1 PWM / LCD segment 15 |
| Pin 15 | RB4/SEG14 — GPIO RB4 / LCD segment 14 |
| Pin 16 | RB5/SEG13 — GPIO RB5 / LCD segment 13 |
| Pin 17 | RB6/PGC/ICSPCLK — GPIO RB6 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 18 | RB7/PGD/ICSPDAT — GPIO RB7 / ICSP data |
| Pin 19 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI/SEG20 — GPIO RC0 / Timer1 oscillator / LCD segment 20 |
| Pin 20 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2/SEG21 — GPIO RC1 / Timer1 oscillator / CCP2 / LCD segment 21 |
| Pin 21 | RC2/CCP1/SEG22 — GPIO RC2 / CCP1 / LCD segment 22 |
| Pin 23 | RC4/SEG24 — GPIO RC4 / LCD segment 24 |
| Pin 24 | RC5/SEG25 — GPIO RC5 / LCD segment 25 |
| Pin 25 | RC6/TX/CK/SEG26 — GPIO RC6 / USART TX / LCD segment 26 |
| Pin 26 | RC7/RX/DT/SEG27 — GPIO RC7 / USART RX / LCD segment 27 |
| Pin 27 | RD0/SEG28 — GPIO RD0 / LCD segment 28 |
| Pin 28 | RD1/SEG29 — GPIO RD1 / LCD segment 29 |
| Pin 29 | RD2/SEG30 — GPIO RD2 / LCD segment 30 |
| Pin 30 | RD3/SEG31 — GPIO RD3 / LCD segment 31 |
| Pin 31 | RD4/SEG32 — GPIO RD4 / LCD segment 32 |
| Pin 32 | RD5/SEG33 — GPIO RD5 / LCD segment 33 |
| Pin 33 | RD6/SEG34 — GPIO RD6 / LCD segment 34 |
| Pin 34 | RD7/SEG35 — GPIO RD7 / LCD segment 35 |
| Pin 35 | RE0/SEG36 — GPIO RE0 / LCD segment 36 |
| Pin 36 | RE1/SEG37 — GPIO RE1 / LCD segment 37 |
| Pin 37 | RE2/SEG38 — GPIO RE2 / LCD segment 38 |
| Pin 38 | RE3/MCLR/VPP — GPIO RE3 / Master Clear reset / Programming voltage |
| Pin 39 | RF0/SEG40 — GPIO RF0 / LCD segment 40 |
| Pin 40 | RF1/SEG41 — GPIO RF1 / LCD segment 41 |
| Pin 41 | RF2/SEG42 — GPIO RF2 / LCD segment 42 |
| Pin 42 | RF3/SEG43 — GPIO RF3 / LCD segment 43 |
| Pin 43 | RF4/SEG44 — GPIO RF4 / LCD segment 44 |
| Pin 44 | RF5/SEG45 — GPIO RF5 / LCD segment 45 |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF724-I/ML is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Powered Water/Gas/Energy Meters, Wearable Health Patches, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL), Smoke and CO Detectors, Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) and IoT Sensors, Low-Cost Consumer Appliance HMIs, Industrial Sensor Transmitters.
Battery-Powered Water/Gas/Energy Meters
The PIC16LF724-I/ML is purpose-built for battery-powered metering because its 1.8 V minimum supply enables direct operation from a single Li-coin or 2x AA cell stack without a boost converter, and the integrated LCD segment driver (up to 96 segments) directly drives the meter's mechanical-style segment display without an external HT1621. The 7 KB Flash comfortably fits typical metering firmware including pulse counting, tamper detection, and low-power protocol stacks. nanoWatt XLP sleep modes drop quiescent current into the nanoamp range between measurement cycles, enabling 10+ year battery life on metering nodes that must operate without service for the lifetime of the building.
Recommended
Wearable Health Patches
Wearables such as continuous-temperature patches and single-lead ECG monitors benefit from the PIC16LF724-I/ML's nanoWatt XLP sleep currents and 1.8 V operation from a coin cell. The integrated 10-bit ADC (up to 14 channels) digitizes multiple sensor inputs (temperature, skin contact, battery voltage) without an external ADC, and the 25 GPIO budget supports I2C/SPI sensor hubs plus LED indicators. Compared with newer ARM Cortex-M0+ wearables, the PIC16LF724's lower code density and simpler toolchain dramatically reduce BOM and firmware-engineering cost for disposable, high-volume medical patches.
Recommended
Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL)
Electronic shelf labels in retail require ultra-low sleep current to run for 5-10 years on a coin cell, modest Flash/RAM for the RF stack and display buffer, and integrated LCD segment drive - exactly the PIC16LF724-I/ML's core competency. The 25 GPIO budget accommodates a sub-GHz or BLE companion chip interface plus the segment LCD lines. Its 1.8 V minimum supply eliminates the boost converter normally required for legacy PIC16F parts, reducing both BOM cost and PCB area. Designers should verify RF stack compatibility and pair with a Microchip Sub-GHz or BLE module.
Recommended
Smoke and CO Detectors
Smoke and CO detectors require 10-year battery life, integrated analog peripherals (for the ionization chamber or electrochemical sensor), and a segment LCD or LED indicator. The PIC16LF724-I/ML delivers nanoWatt XLP sleep currents in the nanoamp range and integrates a 10-bit ADC plus analog comparator for direct sensor interface. The 7 KB Flash fits code for sensor fusion, low-battery warning, and end-of-life signaling, while the 25 GPIO budget supports multiple LED indicators, buzzer drive, and test/silence buttons. Compared with discrete timer-based smoke-detector designs, an MCU implementation adds self-calibration and end-of-life accuracy.
Recommended
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) and IoT Sensors
Battery-powered remote keyless entry fobs and simple IoT sensor nodes fit the PIC16LF724-I/ML's profile: 1.8 V to 3.6 V operation from a coin cell, 7 KB Flash for encryption keys and rolling-code algorithms, and nanoWatt XLP sleep to extend battery life beyond 5 years. The 25 GPIO budget handles buttons, LED indicators, and an SPI/I2C interface to a sub-GHz or BLE companion IC. Compared with newer PIC16F1xxx families, the LF724 offers comparable peripherals at lower cost, suiting high-volume consumer RKE markets where each cent of BOM matters.
Recommended
Low-Cost Consumer Appliance HMIs
Microwave ovens, washing machines, and rice cookers increasingly use segment LCD HMIs to display menu options and status. The PIC16LF724-I/ML drives the LCD directly while also handling button scanning, motor control timing, and safety interlocks from its 25 GPIO. The 1.8 V to 3.6 V supply range supports both 3.3 V regulated and 2-cell alkaline designs, simplifying power architecture. nanoWatt XLP standby current reduces standby power to meet energy-star budgets. Compared with a separate MCU + LCD driver approach, the integrated segment driver reduces BOM by one IC and PCB area by 1-2 sq cm.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Transmitters
Loop-powered or battery-backed 4-20 mA industrial sensor nodes benefit from the PIC16LF724-I/ML's wide -40C to +85C industrial temperature range, 1.8 V minimum supply for low-voltage analog front ends, and integrated 10-bit ADC plus analog comparator. The 7 KB Flash fits MODBUS RTU or HART-lite protocol stacks, while 25 GPIO supports HART modulation, loop disconnect, and diagnostic LEDs. The integrated LCD driver enables local display of process variables without an external controller. Compared with discrete analog designs, the MCU implementation adds digital calibration and remote diagnostics at minimal BOM cost.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF724-I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF723A-I/ML | PIC16LF722-I/ML | PIC16LF723T-I/ML | PIC16LF1939-I/ML | PIC16LF1902-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | QFN-44 (ML) 8x8mm | QFN-44 (ML) - same | QFN-28 (ML) - different | QFN-44 (ML) - same | QFN-44 (ML) - same | QFN-44 (ML) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 16 KB | 4 KB |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 32 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Supply 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 3.6 V |
| I/O Pins | 25 | 25 | 25 (different pin count for QFN-28) | 25 | 36 | 17 |
| LCD Driver | Yes (up to 96 segments) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| ADC Resolution | 10-bit | 8-bit | 8-bit | 8-bit | 10-bit | 10-bit |
| nanoWatt XLP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated LCD segment driver with nanoWatt XLP (vs PIC16LF722-I/ML)
- 16 KB Flash upgrade path available in same QFN-44 footprint (vs PIC16LF1939-I/ML)
- 1.8 V minimum supply for direct coin-cell operation (vs PIC16F724-I/ML)
- Wide industrial -40C to +85C operating range (vs PIC16LF723A-I/ML)
Design Notes
Decouple VDD with a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the MCU supply pins, plus a bulk 1 uF to 10 uF tantalum or ceramic capacitor. For battery-powered designs, the PIC16LF724's nanoWatt XLP sleep modes can drop quiescent current to the nanoamp range, but only if all unused GPIO pins are configured as outputs (not inputs) and internal peripherals are explicitly disabled in software. Estimated: total quiescent draw on a properly configured design with LCD disabled is <1 uA, suitable for 10+ year coin-cell operation.
The QFN-44 (ML) package exposes a thermal pad (EP) on the underside that MUST be soldered to a PCB copper pour for mechanical reliability and thermal dissipation. According to Microchip's package thermal model, the EP reduces theta_JA from approximately 35 C/W (without EP) to 28 C/W (with EP connected to a 1 sq in copper pour). For designs operating near 20 MIPS at 3.6 V, expect 30-50 mW active power dissipation - the EP is essential to keep junction temperature within the 125 C maximum rating.
Route the ICSP signals (PGC/PGD on RB6/RB7) as a 2-wire header accessible from the PCB edge for in-circuit programming and debugging. Keep the trace length below 50 mm and avoid routing them parallel to switching signals to minimize programming glitches. The MCLR pin (RE3) requires a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD and a 100 nF cap to ground for reliable reset; do not leave MCLR floating in production designs. Use Microchip's recommended 4-layer stack-up with a continuous ground plane beneath the MCU to ensure clean signal return paths.
Common design pitfalls: (1) Using the PIC16F724 datasheet by mistake - the LF and F variants share pinouts but the LF has a 1.8 V minimum VDD vs F's 2.0 V. (2) Configuring unused GPIO as inputs - this leaves them floating and draws parasitic current. Always configure as outputs or use internal weak pull-ups. (3) Exceeding the LCD segment driver pin budget - the PIC16LF724 supports up to 96 segments but only with a specific pin multiplexing pattern; using non-standard pins will silently fail. (4) Forgetting CONFIG bits - the device ships with all peripherals disabled; explicit CONFIG word programming is required to enable the watchdog, brown-out reset, and oscillator modes.
For designs using the integrated LCD segment driver, route SEG and COM traces with care: keep trace lengths matched within 10 mm to preserve display contrast, place 100 nF bypass caps near each LCD bias generation pin, and avoid routing SEG traces under switching power converters (the LCD inputs are high-impedance and easily coupled with noise). For PCB layout, dedicate one full ground plane layer beneath the MCU and avoid splitting it - this provides both a clean reference for the ADC and a thermal path for the EP. According to Microchip's TB1103 design guide, isolated analog and digital ground regions are unnecessary for this MCU if the ground plane is uninterrupted.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip environmental certification. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - for automotive applications, contact Microchip about AEC-Q100 equivalent parts in the PIC16F1xxx family.
