PIC16LF726-E/SO - 8-bit 20MHz XLP MCU 14KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF726-E/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.6 | $3.60 |
| 10 | $3.24 | $32.40 |
| 100 | $2.71 | $271.00 |
| 500 | $2.42 | $1,210.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.16 | $2,160.00 |
PIC16LF726-E/SO Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller is a single-chip computer built around an 8-bit data bus, integrating CPU, RAM, non-volatile program memory, and peripherals on one die. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC16LF726 sits under PIC16 family -> PIC16F7xx sub-family -> 8-bit PIC microcontrollers -> microcontrollers (MCU) -> microprocessors and microcontrollers -> semiconductor ICs. Its primary role in any embedded system is to provide deterministic real-time control, sensor readout, user-interface handling, and low-speed serial bridging between human-interface elements and a host processor.
Key features include 14 KB self-programmable Flash (8K single-word instructions of 14 bits each), 368 bytes of SRAM, a 256-byte EEPROM data block, a 10-bit ADC with multiple channels, dual analog comparators, PWM modules, and a four-phase on-chip oscillator that supports a 16 MHz internal RC mode for BOM-saving designs without external crystals. The XLP variant typically offers sleep currents in the tens-of-nA range, watchdog timer, brown-out reset, and in-circuit serial programming (ICSP) via two pins.
Typical applications include battery-powered sensor nodes, low-power IoT endpoints, white-good control boards (washing machines, microwave ovens, coffee makers), industrial HMI panels, handheld instruments, and remote-control transmitters. The PIC16LF726 is particularly attractive when engineers need legacy PIC16 toolchain compatibility, proven long-term Microchip supply, and reliable XLP deep-sleep performance below 1 uA.
A common design trade-off: 8-bit PIC cores trade raw MIPS for deterministic interrupt latency and code efficiency in bit-manipulation-heavy code. Plan for 5 V-tolerant pin behavior by reviewing the electrical characteristics table, and ensure the ICSP/ICD pin pair is reserved for in-system programming.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, helping engineers evaluate second-source options, lifecycle risk, and PCB-layout constraints for new designs.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF726-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 PIC16LF726-E/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Core, Internal Oscillator, Package, Timers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF726-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.72 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF722-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF722A-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$0.92 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF1936-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F726-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF726-E/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Microchip Technology |
| Series | PIC® XLP™ 16F |
| Core | PIC16 (8-bit RISC) |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Program Memory Type | Flash |
| Program Memory Size | 14 KB (8K x 14 words) |
| Data RAM | 368 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| I/O Pins | 25 |
| Supply Voltage (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Supply Voltage (F variant) | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (Extended, 'E' suffix) |
| Package | 28-pin SOIC (SO, 7.50 mm body) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Connectivity | I2C, SPI, USART |
| ADC | 8-channel 10-bit (per family datasheet) |
| PWM | Yes (per family datasheet) |
| Timers | Multiple 8/16-bit (per family datasheet) |
| Internal Oscillator | 16 MHz (per Mouser description) |
| XLP Technology | nanoWatt XLP (eXtreme Low Power) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (per DigiKey listing) |
PIC16LF726-E/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5/MCLR#/VPP — Digital I/O / Master Clear (active-low reset) / ICSP programming voltage |
| Pin 2 | RA4/AN3 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 3 |
| Pin 3 | RA3/AN2 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 2 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN1 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 5 | RA1/AN0 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 6 | RA0/AN4 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 4 |
| Pin 7 | OSC1/RA7 — Crystal oscillator input / digital I/O |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | OSC2/RA6 — Crystal oscillator output / digital I/O |
| Pin 10 | RC0 — Digital I/O (PORTC) |
| Pin 11 | RC1 — Digital I/O (PORTC) |
| Pin 12 | RC2 — Digital I/O (PORTC) |
| Pin 13 | RC3 — Digital I/O (PORTC) |
| Pin 14 | RC4/SDA — Digital I/O / I2C data (peripheral alternate) |
| Pin 15 | RC5 — Digital I/O (PORTC) |
| Pin 16 | RC6 — Digital I/O (PORTC) |
| Pin 17 | RC7 — Digital I/O (PORTC) |
| Pin 18 | RB0/INT — Digital I/O / External interrupt |
| Pin 19 | RB1 — Digital I/O (PORTB) |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (1.8 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 21 | RB2 — Digital I/O (PORTB) |
| Pin 22 | RB3 — Digital I/O (PORTB) |
| Pin 23 | RB4 — Digital I/O (PORTB) |
| Pin 25 | RB5 — Digital I/O (PORTB) |
| Pin 26 | RB6/ICSPCLK — Digital I/O / ICSP clock |
| Pin 27 | RB7/ICSPDAT — Digital I/O / ICSP data |
| Pin 28 | RE3 — Digital I/O (PORTE, alternate function) |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF726-E/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, White Goods Appliance Control, Industrial HMI and Keypad Panels, Handheld Measurement Instruments, Remote Control Transmitters (RF/IR), Energy-Harvesting Wireless Switches.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC16LF726-E/SO fits battery-powered IoT sensor nodes because its nanoWatt XLP technology delivers sleep currents under 100 nA per the family datasheet, while the 1.8 V minimum supply lets it run directly from a single Li-ion or two-AA cell without boost converters. With 14 KB Flash the MCU can host a small Sub-GHz proprietary stack, BLE HCI bridge, or LoRaWAN device driver, and the integrated I2C/SPI peripherals interface directly with temperature, humidity, and accelerometer sensors. Typical node duty cycles of 0.1% to 1% achieve multi-year battery life at 3 V coin-cell capacity. Compared with 32-bit Cortex-M0+ parts the PIC16 trades raw MIPS for deterministic interrupt latency and lower sleep current at small memory sizes.
Recommended
White Goods Appliance Control
The PIC16LF726-E/SO is well-suited for white-goods control boards (washing machines, microwave ovens, dishwashers, coffee makers) because its extended -40C to +125C temperature grade handles under-cabinet and motor-drive thermal environments. The 25 GPIO pins directly drive relay coils, triac gates, seven-segment displays, and keypad matrices without external logic. Its 10-bit ADC reads thermistor, water-level, and motor-current sensing channels, while PWM outputs control motor drivers and triac phase-angle dimming. The proven PIC16 toolchain and Microchip's long-term supply commitment reduce BOM-risk for 7-10 year production runs typical in appliance markets.
Recommended
Industrial HMI and Keypad Panels
The PIC16LF726-E/SO targets industrial HMI panels and keypad interfaces because its 14 KB Flash comfortably stores state machines for menu navigation, debouncing, and character LCD driving, while the 368-byte RAM holds button-press buffers and display refresh state. USART, SPI, and I2C peripherals bridge to graphic LCD controllers, capacitive touch ICs, or host PLCs. The 1.8-3.6 V supply lets it share a 3.3 V rail with Wi-Fi/BLE modules in industrial IoT gateways, and the extended temperature grade supports factory-floor enclosures. Compared with discrete logic, this single-chip solution reduces PCB area and BOM cost while improving EMI robustness via firmware-controlled slew rates.
Recommended
Handheld Measurement Instruments
The PIC16LF726-E/SO powers handheld multimeters, clamp meters, and field-test instruments because its nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep mode extends battery life across months of standby, and the 20 MHz core runs ADC sampling, RMS calculations, and LCD refresh with margin. The 10-bit ADC with internal voltage reference simplifies battery-voltage monitoring and sensor signal conditioning, while the 25 GPIO pins drive mode switches, rotary encoder inputs, and piezo buzzer outputs. Compared with 32-bit competitors, the PIC16LF726 reduces per-unit cost in volume and avoids fanless thermal-management design complexity for low-duty measurement cycles.
Recommended
Remote Control Transmitters (RF/IR)
The PIC16LF726-E/SO serves in remote-control transmitters for toys, ceiling fans, AV equipment, and garage-door openers because its low 1.8 V minimum supply runs directly from a 3 V coin cell, and the 20 MHz core generates IR carrier frequencies, RF encoder bit patterns, and rolling-code algorithms with deterministic timing. Sleep currents below 100 nA mean a single CR2032 can power the remote for years of standby. The 25 GPIO pins scan keypads with matrix decoding, while PWM outputs drive IR LEDs or sub-GHz transmitter enable lines. Compared with pure-hardware encoder ASICs, firmware-based remotes allow protocol updates without retooling.
Recommended
Energy-Harvesting Wireless Switches
The PIC16LF726-E/SO is an excellent fit for energy-harvesting wireless light switches and IoT push-buttons because its nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep current (per family datasheet, often under 50 nA) lets a 100 uF storage capacitor power a wireless transmission burst from a single kinetic or solar harvest event. The 14 KB Flash holds a complete Sub-GHz or BLE beacon stack, while the 1.8 V minimum supply matches typical energy-harvester output rails without boost conversion. The extended -40C to +125C temperature grade ensures reliable operation across indoor climate variations. Compared with ultra-low-power ARM parts, the PIC16LF722 family typically achieves lower sleep current per MHz of MIPS.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF726-E/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF726-I/SO | PIC16LF722-I/SO | PIC16LF722A-I/SO | PIC16LF1936-I/SO | PIC16F726-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SOIC | 28-SOIC - same | 28-SOIC - same | 28-SOIC - same | 28-SOIC - same | 28-SOIC - same |
| Program Memory | 14 KB Flash | 14 KB Flash | 3.5 KB Flash | 7 KB Flash | 14 KB Flash | 14 KB Flash |
| Data RAM | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 128 bytes | 256 bytes | 512 bytes | 368 bytes |
| 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 | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Max Clock | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 32 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Temperature Grade | Extended -40C to +125C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C |
| XLP Technology | Yes (nanoWatt XLP) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | I2C, SPI, USART | I2C, SPI, USART | I2C, SPI, USART | I2C, SPI, USART | I2C, SPI, USART | I2C, SPI, USART |
Key Differentiators
- Extended -40C to +125C temperature grade versus -40C to +85C for industrial-grade siblings (vs PIC16LF726-I/SO)
- 14 KB Flash versus 3.5 KB Flash in PIC16LF722-I/SO (vs PIC16LF722-I/SO)
- nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep currents typically under 100 nA per family datasheet (vs PIC16F726-I/SO)
Design Notes
Reserve RB6 (ICSPCLK) and RB7 (ICSPDAT) as dedicated ICSP pins tied through 4.7 kohm pull-downs to ground; routing these signals away from noisy switching traces ensures reliable in-system programming. Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin and a 10 uF bulk capacitor on the same rail. MCLR#/VPP requires a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD; without it the MCU may randomly enter reset states on power-up transients.
The 'LF' (low-voltage) variant operates from 1.8 V to 3.6 V; do not exceed 3.6 V on VDD or damage may occur. For designs targeting 5 V supply rails, use the PIC16F726 instead. Estimated: at 20 MHz active current is typically ~2 mA per the family datasheet, so a 3 V coin cell at 220 mAh yields roughly 110 hours of continuous operation; use sleep mode to extend this to multi-year battery life for sensor nodes.
A common pitfall is using the wrong configuration bits: the PIC16LF726-E/SO defaults to internal RC oscillator, but external crystal applications must set the FOSC configuration bits correctly or the MCU will not start. Brown-out reset (BOR) must be enabled for battery-powered designs or voltage sag during RF transmission will cause code execution errors. Watchdog timer (WDT) should be enabled for industrial applications to recover from software lockups, but must be cleared in firmware periodically.
Keep analog input traces short and isolated from switching digital signals to minimize ADC noise coupling; add a ground guard ring around sensitive analog pins if the board has high-current motor or relay traces nearby. Place the crystal (if used) within 5 mm of OSC1/OSC2 pins with grounded guard traces around both pins and the load capacitors to avoid stray capacitance shifts that affect oscillator accuracy.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per DigiKey product listing 1948003 and Microchip product environmental compliance documentation. Lead-free matte-tin terminations suitable for Pb-free reflow. AEC-Q100 qualification not applicable - this is an industrial/consumer MCU. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified web data.
