PIC17C44-25/PQ - 8-Bit 25MHz OTP MCU 16KB | Microchip
MPN: PIC17C44-25/PQ ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15.15 | $15.15 |
| 10 | $13.5 | $135.00 |
| 100 | $11.2 | $1,120.00 |
| 500 | $9.5 | $4,750.00 |
| 1,000 | $7.55 | $7,550.00 |
PIC17C44-25/PQ Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer integrating a CPU, RAM, program memory, peripherals, and I/O on one die, designed to execute embedded control tasks in deterministic cycles. PIC17C parts belong to Microchip's mid-range PIC family, positioned between the PIC16C baseline and PIC18 enhanced cores, with the PIC17C being one of the earliest families to introduce a 16-bit program word and a 16-bit instruction set while retaining an 8-bit data path. Modern replacements like PIC18F442 share the 40/44-pin footprint but migrate to Flash memory.
Key specifications include a maximum clock of 25 MHz delivering 121 ns instruction execution, an internal multiplier, multiple timer/counter modules, a USART, and a 12-bit instruction word addressed across 16 KB of OTP. The device supports up to 33 I/O pins and operates from a single 5 V supply. Compared with PIC16C5X predecessors, the PIC17C44 adds a hardware multiplier, expanded interrupt controller, and a 16-level hardware stack, while preserving source-level compatibility for code migrated from PIC16C and PIC12C families.
Architecturally, the PIC17C44 uses a Harvard bus with separate program and data paths, enabling single-cycle instruction fetch plus one or two data cycles. The OTP memory is factory- or user-programmed once, providing low per-unit cost in mature production runs but limiting field upgrades. A 25 MHz oscillator and PLL option define the maximum instruction rate; the '25' speed suffix confirms 25 MHz operation versus the 16 MHz '-16' grade.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, embedded instrumentation, sensor interfaces, automotive body controllers (legacy), and consumer appliance controllers where deterministic 8-bit control is sufficient. The 44-MQFP footprint also makes it compatible with a broad set of legacy PIC17C/CR sockets when migrating to flash-based PIC18F442 in redesigns. When designing with this part, validate OTP programming flow before committing to a production run - unlike Flash, OTP cannot be reprogrammed and every unit must be discarded for firmware errors.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC17C44-25/PQ — 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 PIC17C44-25/PQ (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Maximum Clock Frequency, Data Bus Width, Core, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC17C44-25I/PQ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C44T-25I/PQ
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$8.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C44T-25/PQ
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$9.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C44-16I/PQ
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$15.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C43-25/PQ
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC17C44-25/PQ Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC 8-bit RISC |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time-Programmable) |
| Program Memory Size | 16 KB (8K x 16) |
| RAM Size | 454 bytes |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 25 MHz |
| Instruction Execution Time | 121 ns (8.25 MIPS) |
| Data Bus Width | 8-bit |
| Number of I/O Pins | 33 |
| Package | 44-MQFP (10x10 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Instruction Set Size | 58 single-word instructions |
PIC17C44-25/PQ Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR — Master Clear (Reset) input |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — Port A bit 0 / analog input 0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — Port A bit 1 / analog input 1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 — Port A bit 2 / analog input 2 |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3 — Port A bit 3 / analog input 3 |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI — Port A bit 4 / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 7 | RA5/SS — Port A bit 5 / SPI slave select |
| Pin 8 | OSC1 — Crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 9 | OSC2 — Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 10 | RC0 — Port C bit 0 |
| Pin 11 | RC1 — Port C bit 1 |
| Pin 12 | RC2 — Port C bit 2 |
| Pin 13 | RC3 — Port C bit 3 |
| Pin 14 | RC4 — Port C bit 4 |
| Pin 15 | RC5 — Port C bit 5 |
| Pin 16 | RC6 — Port C bit 6 |
| Pin 17 | RC7 — Port C bit 7 |
| Pin 18 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 19 | VDD — Positive supply (+5V) |
| Pin 20 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 21 | RB0/INT — Port B bit 0 / external interrupt |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 |
| Pin 24 | RB3 — Port B bit 3 |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 |
| Pin 27 | RB6 — Port B bit 6 |
| Pin 28 | RB7 — Port B bit 7 |
| Pin 29 | RD0 — Port D bit 0 |
| Pin 30 | RD1 — Port D bit 1 |
| Pin 31 | RD2 — Port D bit 2 |
| Pin 32 | RD3 — Port D bit 3 |
| Pin 33 | RD4 — Port D bit 4 |
| Pin 34 | RD5 — Port D bit 5 |
| Pin 35 | RD6 — Port D bit 6 |
| Pin 36 | RD7 — Port D bit 7 |
| Pin 37 | RE0 — Port E bit 0 (PIC17C44 44-pin only) |
| Pin 38 | RE1 — Port E bit 1 (PIC17C44 44-pin only) |
| Pin 39 | RE2 — Port E bit 2 (PIC17C44 44-pin only) |
| Pin 40 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 41 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 42 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 43 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 44 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
Typical Applications
PIC17C44-25/PQ is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Embedded Sensor Instrumentation, Automotive Body Controllers (Legacy), Consumer Appliance Controllers, Point-of-Sale Terminals and Printers, Industrial Control Panels and HMI.
Industrial Motor Control
The PIC17C44-25/PQ's 25 MHz clock (8.25 MIPS) and hardware multiplier make it well suited to single-axis BLDC or stepper motor control loops where deterministic 121 ns instruction execution and a 16-bit program word simplify PID math. Its 33 I/O pins connect directly to gate drivers, Hall sensors, and quadrature encoders without external logic. The 44-MQFP footprint supports surface-mount production lines for industrial drives. Trade-off: OTP memory prevents firmware updates, so the PID gains and commutation tables must be validated before programming. Pair with IR2110 gate drivers and ACS712 current sensors for a complete 3-phase inverter reference design.
Recommended
Embedded Sensor Instrumentation
The PIC17C44-25/PQ's 454-byte RAM and 33 I/O let it aggregate multiple analog/digital sensors (temperature, pressure, flow) and drive an LCD or UART output. The Harvard bus and 121 ns cycle time keep ADC read latency predictable for time-stamped data logging. The 44-MQFP exposes enough pins to run an external 12-bit ADC like MCP3201 in parallel with a serial EEPROM for data storage. Trade-off: 454-byte RAM caps log depth, so use circular buffering to external SPI flash. For battery-powered instruments, however, PIC17C is not ideal - consider PIC18LF or PIC24F for low-power sleep modes.
Recommended
Automotive Body Controllers (Legacy)
The PIC17C44-25/PQ's 33 I/O and 5 V operation historically drove automotive body modules (window lifters, mirror controllers, simple HVAC flaps) in late-1990s/early-2000s designs. The 25 MHz throughput handles LIN-bus-style UART traffic and debounced switch matrices. However, this is NOT an AEC-Q100 qualified part - modern automotive designs should use PIC18F46K22 or dsPIC33 families with full automotive qualification. Use the PIC17C44-25/PQ only for maintaining legacy production, not for new automotive programs.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Controllers
The PIC17C44-25/PQ's 16 KB OTP and 33 I/O drive washing-machine, dishwasher, and microwave user-interface boards where per-unit cost matters more than field upgradeability. The 5 V rail and 25 MHz clock comfortably handle keypad scanning, 7-segment or character-LCD multiplexing, and triac-fired heater/valve control via zero-cross interrupts. With OTP pricing around $7-15/unit at volume, BOM cost stays low for high-volume appliances. Trade-off: every firmware bug requires a tooling change, so pre-production validation must be exhaustive.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale Terminals and Printers
The PIC17C44-25/PQ's USART and 16 KB OTP handle legacy POS terminal and receipt-printer logic, including keypad scan, LCD update, and serial communication to a host or fiscal printer. The 25 MHz throughput keeps print-head stepper and paper-feed motor control in real time. Many legacy POS designs used PIC17C44 because its 8-bit Harvard architecture gave deterministic print timing without RTOS overhead. Modern replacements (PIC18F452, PIC24FJ) add Flash and USB, but PIC17C44-25/PQ remains serviceable for spare-part channels. Trade-off: no USB peripheral, so external UART-to-USB bridges are required for PC connectivity.
Recommended
Industrial Control Panels and HMI
The PIC17C44-25/PQ's 33 I/O and 25 MHz clock drive small industrial HMI panels with pushbuttons, LED indicators, and 4x4 or 4x5 keypads, plus character-LCD or low-resolution graphic displays. The hardware multiplier accelerates button-debounce filters and rotary-encoder quadrature decoding. The 44-MQFP allows the panel PCB to integrate RS-232/RS-485 transceivers directly. Trade-off: with only 454 bytes RAM, complex multi-screen menu stacks must use compact state machines. For new designs, PIC18F4520 or PIC18F46K22 in the same footprint offer Flash reprogramming and modern peripherals.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC17C44-25/PQ — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC17C44-25I/PQ | PIC17C44T-25I/PQ | PIC17C44T-25/PQ | PIC17C44-16I/PQ | PIC17C43-25/PQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 44-MQFP (10x10 mm) | 44-MQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-MQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-MQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-MQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-MQFP (10x10 mm) - same |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 16 MHz | 25 MHz |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +70C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Commercial | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Commercial |
| I/O Pins | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Packaging Form | Tray | Tray | Tape and Reel | Tape and Reel | Tray | Tray |
Key Differentiators
- 25 MHz speed grade delivers 8.25 MIPS, 56% more throughput than 16 MHz variants (vs PIC17C44-16/PQ)
- True drop-in temperature upgrade path to industrial range (vs PIC17C44-25I/PQ)
- 44-MQFP surface-mount package for high-volume SMT production (vs PIC17C44-25/P (40-PDIP))
Design Notes
OTP memory cannot be reprogrammed. Per Microchip datasheet 30412c, every firmware revision after mask release requires a new part number. Pre-production validation must be exhaustive - use a PIC17C44 Flash equivalent (e.g. PIC18F452 in compatible footprint) for firmware development and finalize code before committing to PIC17C44-25/PQ production. Build a parallel test fixture so failed units can be re-analyzed in circuit.
PIC17C44 operates from a single +5V supply (typical VDD 4.5-5.5V). Decouple VDD with 100 nF ceramic + 10 uF tantalum placed within 25 mm of the supply pins. Brown-out detection is implemented via the BOR fuse setting in the configuration word - enable it for industrial applications to avoid indeterminate operation below 4.0 V. Estimated: at 25 MHz the core draws ~15-25 mA, peaking on external memory accesses.
Keep the 25 MHz crystal traces short and surrounded by a ground guard ring. Place MCLR pull-up (typically 10 kohm to VDD) close to the pin. For the 44-MQFP, the inner paddle is typically not connected on PIC17C44 (verify against datasheet mechanical section); route ground and VDD on inner copper pours with via stitching every 5 mm to control impedance and EMI.
MCLR must rise cleanly with a monotonic edge faster than 1 us; long RC time constants can trigger false resets on noisy industrial lines. Add a 100 nF ceramic across the MCLR pull-up to filter high-frequency noise. For USART-driven designs at 25 MHz, the 0.8% instruction-cycle jitter at 115200 baud is acceptable; verify baud-rate error budget against the electrical characteristics table for higher speeds.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not explicitly stated in the verified web sources. As a mature OTP part from the late 1990s/early 2000s, this device may predate widespread RoHS/REACH documentation. Confirm with Microchip directly for new designs requiring compliance certification.
