PIC16LF73T-I/SS - 8-Bit 20MHz 7KB Flash MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF73T-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5.62 | $5.62 |
| 10 | $5.18 | $51.80 |
| 100 | $4.65 | $465.00 |
| 500 | $4.12 | $2,060.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.71 | $3,710.00 |
PIC16LF73T-I/SS Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is an integrated circuit that combines a CPU core, program memory, data memory, and programmable peripherals in a single chip. The PIC16F family sits within Microchip's 8-bit PIC16 lineage, which uses a Harvard RISC architecture optimized for deterministic instruction execution and small code footprint. LF-series parts add extended low-voltage operation support down to 2.0V, enabling battery-powered and energy-harvesting applications.
Key features of the PIC16LF73T-I/SS include 8-level hardware stack, integrated I2C, SPI, and USART peripherals for asynchronous and synchronous communication, brown-out reset (BOR) and power-on reset (POR) for robust startup, and an ADC module with multiple input channels. The device operates across the industrial temperature range of -40C to +85C and is housed in a 28-pin SSOP package compatible with standard surface-mount assembly.
The architecture is a 14-bit instruction word with a 35-instruction set, allowing single-cycle execution for most operations. The wide operating voltage range (2.0V to 5.5V) and low-power sleep modes make it adaptable to a variety of power budgets. Its ADC, capture/compare/PWM modules, and timers provide flexible mixed-signal capability for sensor interface and motor control tasks.
Typical applications include industrial control panels, sensor signal conditioning, battery management subsystems, home appliance controls, automotive body electronics, and embedded serial communications. The wide peripheral set supports both analog and digital subsystem integration without external components.
When designing with this part, ensure decoupling capacitors are placed close to VDD/VSS pins and that the MCLR pin is pulled high via a resistor-capacitor network for reliable reset behavior. Use ICSP programming header access during prototyping to simplify firmware iteration. The -I suffix indicates the industrial temperature grade.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in compatible alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, helping engineers accelerate part selection and PCB layout for PIC16LF73 designs.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF73T-I/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 PIC16LF73T-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Data RAM, I/O Pins, Package.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF73-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF73T-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.27 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F73T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F73-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF73T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.17 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF737T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF73T-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | PIC |
| Core Size | 8-Bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture | RISC (Harvard) |
| Instruction Word Width | 14-bit |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 20 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 7 KB (4K x 14 words) |
| Data RAM | 192 bytes |
| I/O Pins | 22 |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| Package | 28-SSOP |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Connectivity | I2C, SPI, UART/USART |
| Peripherals | Brown-out Detect/Reset, POR, PWM, Timer, ADC |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Series | PIC16LF7x |
PIC16LF73T-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/VPP — Master Clear (Reset) input / Programming voltage input |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — PORTA bit 0 / Analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — PORTA bit 1 / Analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2/VREF- — PORTA bit 2 / Analog input channel 2 / ADC negative reference |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — PORTA bit 3 / Analog input channel 3 / ADC positive reference |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI — PORTA bit 4 / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4/SS — PORTA bit 5 / Analog input channel 4 / SPI Slave Select |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | OSC1/CLKIN — Oscillator crystal input / External clock input |
| Pin 10 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Oscillator crystal output / Clock output |
| Pin 11 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — PORTC bit 0 / Timer1 oscillator output / Timer1 clock input |
| Pin 12 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — PORTC bit 1 / Timer1 oscillator input / CCP2 module |
| Pin 13 | RC2/CCP1 — PORTC bit 2 / CCP1 module (PWM/Capture/Compare) |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCK/SCL — PORTC bit 3 / SPI clock / I2C clock |
| Pin 15 | RC4/SDI/SDA — PORTC bit 4 / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 16 | RC5/SDO — PORTC bit 5 / SPI data out |
| Pin 17 | RC6/TX/CK — PORTC bit 6 / USART async transmit / I2C clock (SPI mode) |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX/DT — PORTC bit 7 / USART async receive / I2C data (SPI mode) |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 21 | RB0/INT — PORTB bit 0 / External interrupt input |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 |
| Pin 24 | RB3/PGM — PORTB bit 3 / Low-voltage ICSP programming input |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 |
| Pin 27 | RB6/PGC — PORTB bit 6 / ICSP clock input |
| Pin 28 | RB7/PGD — PORTB bit 7 / ICSP data input/output |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF73T-I/SS is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Sensor Interface Board, Battery-Powered Remote Control, Home Appliance Control Panel, Automotive Body Electronics (Non-Safety), Embedded Serial Communication Bridge, Data Acquisition Front-End.
Industrial Sensor Interface Board
The PIC16LF73T-I/SS fits sensor interface boards in industrial environments because its 8-bit ADC with multiple input channels, 192-byte RAM, and 22 I/O pins directly support analog sensor multiplexing and digital I/O expansion. The 2.0 V to 5.5 V wide operating voltage range accepts 3.3 V regulated rails or 24 V industrial bus interfaces after external regulation. The integrated MSSP peripheral handles I2C sensor reads from digital temperature, pressure, and humidity sensors, while the enhanced USART communicates with PLCs or industrial gateways. Operating across the industrial -40 C to +85 C temperature range, the MCU tolerates factory-floor thermal cycling. The 20 MHz instruction rate supports typical 100 Hz to 1 kHz sensor sampling loops with headroom for filtering algorithms in C or assembly. The 28-SSOP package and ICSP programming header simplify in-field firmware updates without desoldering.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Remote Control
The PIC16LF73T-I/SS suits battery-powered remote control designs because the LF variant operates down to 2.0 V, allowing continued use from a single AA alkaline cell (nominally 1.5 V, but at end-of-discharge near 0.8 V to 1.0 V) when paired with a boost converter, or directly from a single CR2032 (3.0 V) coin cell. Low-power sleep modes combined with the 7 KB FLASH for storing button-mapping firmware support years of standby operation on a single cell. The integrated USART transmits IR or RF control signals via an external transmitter, while the 22 I/O pins drive multiple button matrices, LED indicators, and haptic feedback elements. The industrial temperature grade ensures operation across seasonal temperature changes in consumer environments. The 28-SSOP package enables slim, lightweight handheld enclosures typical of remote-control form factors.
Recommended
Home Appliance Control Panel
The PIC16LF73T-I/SS is well-suited to home appliance control panels because its 22 I/O pins drive LED indicators, seven-segment displays, button matrices, and buzzer feedback for user interfaces. The MSSP peripheral communicates with I2C-controlled temperature sensors in refrigerators, ovens, and washing machines, while the enhanced USART interfaces with main inverter boards. The integrated PWM modules control motor speed for fans, pumps, and small DC motors without external driver ICs in low-power cases. The 8-bit ADC reads thermistor inputs for closed-loop temperature control. Operating from 2.0 V to 5.5 V, the MCU accepts power directly from rectified mains adapters or 5 V regulated rails. The 28-SSOP package fits inside the slim control-panel enclosures typical of modern appliances.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics (Non-Safety)
The PIC16LF73T-I/SS serves automotive body electronics applications such as interior lighting controllers, seat-position memory, and accessory switch interfaces, where AEC-Q100 qualification is not mandatory. The wide operating voltage range tolerates 12 V vehicle bus transients when paired with proper protection circuits. The 8-bit ADC monitors current sensing for short-circuit detection in LED drivers, while the PWM modules control LED brightness via PWM dimming. The integrated I2C peripheral communicates with body control modules over the LIN subbus. Operating across -40 C to +85 C, the MCU handles under-hood and cabin thermal environments. Engineers must add TVS protection and load-dump suppression external to the MCU for robust automotive use; the part itself is not AEC-Q100 qualified.
Recommended
Embedded Serial Communication Bridge
The PIC16LF73T-I/SS functions as a low-cost protocol bridge between serial interfaces because its integrated MSSP (I2C/SPI) and enhanced USART can simultaneously handle multiple protocol stacks in a single chip. The 7 KB FLASH stores protocol-conversion firmware for I2C-to-UART or SPI-to-UART bridges commonly used in industrial sensor aggregation. The 192-byte RAM supports buffering of small protocol frames without external memory. The 20 MHz instruction rate achieves 1 Mbaud SPI throughput at 5 V operation. Operating from 2.0 V to 5.5 V, the MCU bridges 3.3 V logic sensors to 5 V legacy UART systems without level shifters. The 28-SSOP package mounts inline on interposer PCBs for retrofitting legacy equipment with modern digital sensors.
Recommended
Data Acquisition Front-End
The PIC16LF73T-I/SS serves as a low-channel-count data acquisition front-end for laboratory instruments and field data loggers because its 8-bit ADC with multiple channels digitizes analog sensor signals while the integrated I2C peripheral reads digital sensors on the same board. The 7 KB FLASH stores data-acquisition routines including oversampling averaging for improved effective resolution beyond the native 8 bits. The MSSP peripheral drives SPI-controlled external ADCs for higher-precision measurements when needed. The USART streams logged data to host PCs or external storage. The 192-byte RAM acts as a circular buffer for sequential channel scanning at rates up to 20 kSPS aggregate. The 28-SSOP package fits into the small enclosures typical of portable data loggers.
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Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF73T-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF73-I/SS | PIC16LF73T-I/SO | PIC16F73T-I/SS | PIC16F73-I/SS | PIC16LF73T-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-SSOP | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-SSOP - same | 28-QFN - different |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB | 7 KB |
| Data RAM | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes | 192 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| I/O Pins | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C |
Key Differentiators
- Extended low-voltage operation down to 2.0 V (vs PIC16F73T-I/SS)
- Tape-and-Reel packaging for high-volume assembly (vs PIC16LF73-I/SS)
- Compact SSOP-28 package (vs PIC16LF73T-I/ML (QFN))
Design Notes
Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to the VDD pin (pin 20) with a short trace to VSS (pin 19). For designs with high-frequency digital switching, add a 10 uF bulk capacitor on the supply rail within 25 mm of the MCU. The PIC16LF73T-I/SS has internal power-on reset (POR) and brown-out reset (BOR); ensure the rise time of VDD does not violate the BOR minimum pulse-width requirement stated in the datasheet DC characteristics section.
Do not leave the MCLR pin floating. Connect MCLR (pin 1) to VDD via a 10 kohm pull-up resistor for normal operation; for ICSP programming, add a capacitor (typically 100 nF) in series to allow low-voltage programming entry. Floating MCLR will cause intermittent resets and unreliable operation. Also ensure that analog inputs are not driven above VDD or below VSS during MCU operation to avoid latch-up; place 100 ohm series resistors on analog inputs that connect to external signal sources.
Keep the ICSP programming header accessible on prototype PCBs. Per Microchip's recommended layout, route PGC (pin 27) and PGD (pin 28) with short, parallel traces to a 6-pin header for ICD 3 or PICkit programmer connection. Separate analog and digital ground planes when using the ADC; place the AVSS/VSS connection at a single point near the MCU to minimize ground-loop noise. Crystal traces should be kept short and symmetrical, with ground guard traces around the oscillator block to reduce EMI susceptibility.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive designs, use a Q-qualified variant or add external protection circuitry. Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip environmental compliance data.
