PIC16LF87T-I/SS - 8-bit 10MHz MCU 7KB Flash 16 I/O SSOP-20 | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF87T-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.04 | $2.04 |
| 10 | $1.92 | $19.20 |
| 100 | $1.71 | $171.00 |
| 500 | $1.48 | $740.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.27 | $1,270.00 |
PIC16LF87T-I/SS Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer containing a CPU, non-volatile program memory (Flash), volatile working memory (RAM), and configurable peripheral blocks. The PIC16 family sits in Microchip's mid-range 8-bit portfolio, sitting between baseline PIC10/PIC12 devices and high-pin-count PIC18 parts, and is widely used in commercial and industrial embedded designs where deterministic instruction execution (200 ns per instruction at 20 MHz, 400 ns at 10 MHz) and a small footprint are critical. PIC MCUs ship in a hierarchical ecosystem (PIC10/PIC12/PIC16/PIC18) with NanoWatt variants that extend sleep-mode current well below 1 µA.
Key features include a 14-bit instruction word, 35 single-word instructions, an internal 31 kHz–8 MHz oscillator with PLL options, two analog comparators, a watchdog timer, in-circuit serial programming (ICSP), and code protection. The 10-bit, 8-channel successive-approximation ADC delivers roughly 30 kSPS at 5 V, with selectable reference sources including an internal bandgap. Programmable weak pull-ups and interrupt-on-change on PORTB ease human-interface and keypad design, while the synchronous serial port supports both I2C master/slave and SPI master/slave protocols without external glue logic.
The PIC16LF87T-I/SS is intended for low-power, peripheral-rich embedded applications where stable 8-bit performance matters more than raw MIPS. Its 2.0 V–5.5 V supply range, low sleep current, and integrated analog peripherals allow direct battery or USB-bus powered operation, and the 35-instruction RISC-like instruction set keeps firmware review, certification, and code-port tasks straightforward. Designers typically pair it with NanoWatt sleep modes, brown-out reset, and power-managed peripherals to extend battery life in field-deployed products.
Typical applications include battery-powered sensor nodes, simple HMI panels with keypads and LCDs, low-speed USB/serial bridges, industrial control front ends, and consumer appliances such as white goods timers or remote controls. The wide operating voltage and integrated peripherals also suit handheld measurement instruments, security peripherals, and educational embedded platforms.
Design consideration: when laying out the SSOP-20 footprint, keep the ICSP/ICD clock and data traces short and shield them from analog ADC inputs to prevent programming glitches during in-circuit debug, and place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of VDD with a bulk 10 µF near the supply pin.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-brand drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, giving engineers a single source for evaluation, sourcing, and selection decisions.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF87T-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 PIC16LF87T-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Timers, ADC, Program Memory (Flash), Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16F87-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.35 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF870-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.18 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF872-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.34 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF76-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.97 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF737-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF819-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.74 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF87T-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Microchip Technology |
| Series | PIC® 16F |
| Core Size | 8-bit |
| Core Architecture | PIC16 enhanced mid-range |
| Max CPU Frequency | 10 MHz (200 ns instruction cycle at 20 MHz, 400 ns at 10 MHz) |
| Program Memory Type | Flash |
| Program Memory Size | 7 KB (4K x 14) |
| RAM | 368 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Number of I/O | 16 |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40°C to +85°C (Industrial) |
| Package | 20-pin SSOP (SS) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 8 channels |
| Timers | 3 x 8/16-bit (Timer0/1/2 with CCP) |
| Communication Interfaces | USART/SCI, I2C (MSSP), SPI |
| Comparators | 2 analog comparators |
| Watchdog Timer | Yes |
| ICSP / ICD | Yes (In-Circuit Serial Programming and Debug) |
| RoHS | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
PIC16LF87T-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2/AN2 — PORTA bit 2 / Analog input channel 2 |
| Pin 2 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — PORTA bit 3 / Analog input 3 / ADC positive reference |
| Pin 3 | RA4/AN4 — PORTA bit 4 / Analog input 4 (open-drain) |
| Pin 4 | RA5/AN5 — PORTA bit 5 / Analog input 5 |
| Pin 5 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 6 | RA0/AN0 — PORTA bit 0 / Analog input 0 |
| Pin 7 | RA1/AN1 — PORTA bit 1 / Analog input 1 |
| Pin 8 | RB0/INT — PORTB bit 0 / External interrupt |
| Pin 9 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 |
| Pin 10 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 |
| Pin 11 | RB3 — PORTB bit 3 |
| Pin 12 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 |
| Pin 13 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 |
| Pin 14 | RB6/PGC — PORTB bit 6 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 15 | RB7/PGD — PORTB bit 7 / ICSP data |
| Pin 16 | RC0 — PORTC bit 0 |
| Pin 17 | RC1 — PORTC bit 1 |
| Pin 18 | RC2/CCP1 — PORTC bit 2 / Capture-Compare-PWM 1 |
| Pin 19 | RC3/SCL — PORTC bit 3 / I2C clock |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF87T-I/SS is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Powered Sensor Node, Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Control Panel, Low-Speed Serial / USB Bridge, Industrial Control Front End, Consumer Appliance Timer / Remote Control, Handheld Measurement Instrument, Educational Embedded Platform.
Battery-Powered Sensor Node
The PIC16LF87T-I/SS is well suited to battery-powered sensor nodes because of its 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range, sub-1 µA NanoWatt sleep current, and integrated 10-bit ADC with up to 8 analog channels. The 7 KB Flash and 368 B RAM comfortably hold sensor drivers and over-the-air calibration tables for typical environmental sensing tasks. Unlike higher-pin-count PIC18 parts, the 20-pin SSOP keeps the BOM small enough for coin-cell or two-AA-pack products. Place the MCU in sleep between sensor reads and use Timer1 with a 32 kHz crystal for wake-up scheduling to extend battery life beyond one year on a 1000 mAh cell.
Recommended
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Control Panel
The PIC16LF87T-I/SS drives small HMI panels with keypads, LEDs, and character LCDs thanks to its 16 digital I/O pins, programmable weak pull-ups, and interrupt-on-change on PORTB that simplifies matrix keypad scanning without external glue logic. The 35 single-word instructions keep firmware review fast, which is useful in safety-reviewed industrial front panels. The synchronous serial port (MSSP) can drive either an I2C GPIO expander or an SPI DAC for backlight control. Combined with NanoWatt sleep, the panel can idle for long intervals between user interactions while still meeting industrial -40 °C to +85 °C temperature requirements.
Recommended
Low-Speed Serial / USB Bridge
The PIC16LF87T-I/SS acts as a USB-to-UART or RS-232 to TTL bridge, using the on-chip USART/SCI plus the MSSP peripheral in SPI mode for synchronous bridges. Its 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range lets it sit on either side of a 3.3 V-to-5 V level shifter chain without extra regulators. The 10 MHz core provides enough throughput for 115200 bps UART plus simultaneous SPI traffic. Industrial metering and field-service tools frequently pair this MCU with an external USB-serial bridge such as the MCP2200 or FT232R.
Recommended
Industrial Control Front End
In industrial control front ends the PIC16LF87T-I/SS handles digital inputs, isolated relay drivers, and 4–20 mA loop sampling through its ADC and analog comparators. The two on-chip comparators support window comparator functions for over/under threshold detection without external op-amps. Its industrial temperature grade and 5 V tolerance make it compatible with legacy 24 V industrial I/O when paired with optocouplers such as the HCPL-3700. Brown-out reset and watchdog timer provide field-grade reliability for remote or unattended installations.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Timer / Remote Control
The PIC16LF87T-I/SS fits consumer appliance timers, washing-machine front panels, and IR remote controls because of its 16 I/O for keypad/display scanning, CCP modules for PWM of buzzer or backlight, and USART for debug logs. The 7 KB Flash is enough to hold state-machine code plus look-up tables for appliance cycles. NanoWatt sleep drops the system quiescent current under 1 µA between button events, which is critical for battery-powered remotes and standby-sensitive appliances. The 20-pin SSOP is easy to assemble on the high-volume lines used for consumer electronics.
Recommended
Handheld Measurement Instrument
The PIC16LF87T-I/SS is a strong fit for handheld multimeters, light meters, and simple oscilloscope probes because of its 10-bit 8-channel ADC, two analog comparators for autoranging, and 2.0 V to 5.5 V operation from a 3 V coin cell or two AA cells. The USART/SCI port streams measured data to a host PC or Bluetooth bridge. The 35-instruction RISC core simplifies certification and the long-term firmware support required for test-and-measurement products. Industrial temperature grade allows use in lab and field environments alike.
Recommended
Educational Embedded Platform
Universities and training providers use the PIC16LF87T-I/SS as a teaching platform for the PIC16 enhanced mid-range instruction set, with 35 single-word instructions, in-circuit serial programming (ICSP), and a free MPLAB X tool chain. The 7 KB Flash is sufficient for entire semester projects including UART console, ADC sampling, PWM motor control, and I2C peripheral exercises. The SSOP-20 footprint is breadboard-friendly when paired with a breakout PCB and 0.1-inch header pins. The 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range allows student projects to use either 3.3 V or 5 V logic without modification.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF87T-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16F87-I/SS | PIC16LF870-I/SS | PIC16LF872-I/SS | PIC16LF76-I/SS | PIC16LF737-I/SS | PIC16LF819-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 20-pin SSOP (SS) | 20-pin SSOP (SS) — same | 20-pin SSOP (SS) — same | 20-pin SSOP (SS) — same | 20-pin SSOP (SS) — same | 20-pin SSOP (SS) — same | 20-pin SSOP (SS) — same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Program Flash | 7 KB (4K x 14) | 7 KB | 3.5 KB | 7 KB | 8 KB | 7 KB | 3.5 KB |
| RAM | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 128 bytes | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 256 bytes |
| ADC | 10-bit, 8 channels | 10-bit, 8 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 8 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels |
| I/O Pins | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Max CPU Frequency | 10 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Operating Temperature | -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 | -40 °C to +85 °C | -40 °C to +85 °C |
Key Differentiators
- NanoWatt technology with sub-1 µA sleep current (vs PIC16F87-I/SS)
- Tape-and-reel format for high-volume SMT assembly (vs PIC16LF87-I/SS)
- Integrated 10-bit ADC with 8 analog channels (vs PIC16LF819-I/SS)
- Industrial -40 °C to +85 °C temperature grade (vs PIC16LF870-I/SS)
Design Notes
Use a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of the VDD pin (pin 20) and a bulk 10 µF aluminum or tantalum capacitor near the supply entry to the board. The PIC16LF87T-I/SS NanoWatt technology achieves sub-1 µA sleep current, but switching noise on VDD above 50 mV p-p can corrupt ADC readings; an LC pi-filter (10 µH + 10 µF) is recommended when the MCU is fed from a switching regulator. Always enable Brown-out Reset (BOR) in the configuration word to prevent Flash corruption during power-down.
Keep the ICSP/ICD traces RB6 (PGC) and RB7 (PGD) short (under 50 mm) and route them away from analog ADC inputs (RA0–RA5) to prevent programming glitches during in-circuit debug. The 20-pin SSOP has a 0.65 mm pitch; use NSMD pads with a 1:1 pad-to-pitch ratio and 6 mil trace width to ease hand-rework and reduce solder wicking. Add a ground guard ring around the analog traces for ADC channels 0–5 to improve noise immunity.
Do not assume the PIC16LF87T-I/SS will run at 20 MHz on 3.3 V; the 'LF' variant is characterized for 10 MHz at 2.0 V to 5.5 V. Exceeding the speed-voltage envelope results in erratic Flash reads or ADC errors. Also note the 'T' suffix means tape-and-reel: do not buy T-suffix parts if you need tube shipping for prototype work — order PIC16LF87-I/SS (tube) instead. When porting from PIC16F87 to PIC16LF87, verify the configuration-word oscillator setting because the LF device supports the 31 kHz LFINTOSC mode.
The PIC16LF87T-I/SS I2C bus on RC3 (SCL) and RC4 (SDA) on adjacent 28/40-pin variants does not apply here — on the 20-pin SSOP, SCL is multiplexed on RC3 only, so external I2C pull-ups (4.7 kΩ to 10 kΩ depending on bus capacitance) must connect to VDD, not the MCU. For SPI masters running above 4 MHz, add 33 Ω series resistors near RB4/SCK and RB5/SDO to damp ringing. Program the TRIS bits correctly before enabling the MSSP module to avoid bus contention during boot-up.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page; lead-free reflow-compatible SSOP-20 packaging; not AEC-Q100 qualified — see PIC16LF87-I/SS automotive variants for Q100 needs.
