PIC17C44-25E/PT - 8-Bit 25MHz OTP MCU 16KB | Microchip
MPN: PIC17C44-25E/PT ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18.5 | $18.50 |
| 10 | $16.2 | $162.00 |
| 100 | $13.85 | $1,385.00 |
| 500 | $11.4 | $5,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $9.75 | $9,750.00 |
PIC17C44-25E/PT Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a programmable logic device that executes instructions from on-chip program memory and interacts with the outside world through digital I/O, timers, and serial peripherals. In the broader taxonomy, an MCU is a member of the microcontroller class, itself a sub-family of microprocessors (MPU / CPU) that integrate the CPU core, RAM, ROM/Flash, and peripherals on a single die. The PIC17C family, sitting between PIC16C and PIC18 in Microchip's roadmap, was the first 8-bit PIC line to break the 10 MIPS barrier, using a 16-bit instruction word against an 8-bit data path to maximize code density and arithmetic throughput.
Key features that distinguish the PIC17C44-25E/PT include its 121 ns single-cycle instruction execution (two-cycle for branches and table reads/writes), a Harvard architecture with separate program and data buses, a four-stage instruction pipeline, and a wide operating voltage range typical of the family. The 'E' suffix indicates the extended industrial temperature grade (-40 °C to +125 °C), making the part suitable for harsh environments outside the commercial 0-70 °C window. The PIC17C architecture is upwards-compatible with the PIC16C5X, PIC12CXXX, and PIC16CXX instruction sets, simplifying firmware portability across Microchip generations.
The internal architecture uses a RISC-based instruction set of only 58 single-word instructions, an 8-level hardware stack, and multiple interrupt sources. The wide 16-bit instruction word fetches each opcode in a single cycle, and the data path handles 8-bit arithmetic with dedicated hardware multiply and divide support in later PIC17 derivatives. The PIC17C44 in particular integrates 16 KB of OTP program memory, the largest in the family at introduction.
Typical applications include industrial control systems, motor control front-ends, instrumentation, legacy embedded control boards, and any retrofit design that must source an authentic PIC17C44 die for an existing OTP-programmed production line. The 33 I/O pins and the 16-bit timer/counter bank support keypad scanning, LED matrix driving, and parallel sensor aggregation.
When designing around this part, note that OTP memory cannot be reprogrammed; engineers typically prototype with a windowed (JW) variant or a pin-compatible flash part such as the PIC18F442 (recommended by Microchip as a functional migration path, although the forum record notes the PIC18F452 is not pin-for-pin compatible). Power, ground, and decoupling capacitor placement must follow the standard PIC17C reference layout to avoid oscillator glitches above 20 MHz.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC17C44-25E/PT — 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 PIC17C44-25E/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core Architecture, Package, Program Memory Type, Operating Temperature, Program Memory Size.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC17C44-25/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$7.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C44-25I/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC17C44T-25/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C44-16I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C44-16I/L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$6.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C44-25E/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Program Memory Size | 16 KB (8K x 16) |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable) |
| RAM Size | 454 bytes |
| Number of I/O Pins | 33 |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 25 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle Time | 121 ns (single-cycle instructions) |
| Performance | 8.25 MIPS |
| Core Architecture | 8-bit Harvard, RISC |
| Instruction Set Size | 58 single-word instructions |
| Oscillator Type | External |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 °C to +125 °C (Extended 'E' grade) |
| Package | 44-pin TQFP (PT) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
PIC17C44-25E/PT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RC0 — PORTC digital I/O bit 0 |
| Pin 2 | RC1 — PORTC digital I/O bit 1 |
| Pin 3 | RC2 — PORTC digital I/O bit 2 |
| Pin 4 | RC3 — PORTC digital I/O bit 3 |
| Pin 5 | RC4 — PORTC digital I/O bit 4 |
| Pin 6 | RC5 — PORTC digital I/O bit 5 |
| Pin 7 | RC6 — PORTC digital I/O bit 6 |
| Pin 8 | RC7 — PORTC digital I/O bit 7 |
| Pin 9 | OSC1 — External oscillator input |
| Pin 10 | OSC2 — External oscillator output |
| Pin 11 | Vss — Ground |
| Pin 12 | Vdd — Positive supply |
| Pin 13 | MCLR — Master clear reset (active low) |
| Pin 14 | RA0 — PORTA digital I/O bit 0 |
| Pin 15 | RA1 — PORTA digital I/O bit 1 |
| Pin 16 | RA2 — PORTA digital I/O bit 2 |
| Pin 17 | RA3 — PORTA digital I/O bit 3 |
| Pin 18 | RA4 — PORTA digital I/O bit 4 |
| Pin 19 | RA5 — PORTA digital I/O bit 5 |
| Pin 20 | Vss — Ground |
| Pin 21 | Vdd — Positive supply |
| Pin 22 | RB0 — PORTB digital I/O bit 0 |
| Pin 23 | RB1 — PORTB digital I/O bit 1 |
| Pin 24 | RB2 — PORTB digital I/O bit 2 |
| Pin 25 | RB3 — PORTB digital I/O bit 3 |
| Pin 26 | RB4 — PORTB digital I/O bit 4 |
| Pin 27 | RB5 — PORTB digital I/O bit 5 |
| Pin 28 | RB6 — PORTB digital I/O bit 6 |
| Pin 29 | RB7 — PORTB digital I/O bit 7 |
| Pin 30 | RD0 — PORTD digital I/O bit 0 |
| Pin 31 | RD1 — PORTD digital I/O bit 1 |
| Pin 32 | RD2 — PORTD digital I/O bit 2 |
| Pin 33 | RD3 — PORTD digital I/O bit 3 |
| Pin 34 | RD4 — PORTD digital I/O bit 4 |
| Pin 35 | RD5 — PORTD digital I/O bit 5 |
| Pin 36 | RD6 — PORTD digital I/O bit 6 |
| Pin 37 | RD7 — PORTD digital I/O bit 7 |
| Pin 38 | RE0 — PORTE digital I/O bit 0 |
| Pin 39 | RE1 — PORTE digital I/O bit 1 |
| Pin 40 | RE2 — PORTE digital I/O bit 2 |
| Pin 41 | Vss — Ground |
| Pin 42 | Vdd — Positive supply |
| Pin 43 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 44 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
Typical Applications
PIC17C44-25E/PT is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy Industrial Control Boards, Motor Control Front-End, Instrumentation and Data Logging, Automotive Subsystem Sustain Engineering, Consumer Appliance Control, Retrofit and Form-Fit-Function Replacement.
Legacy Industrial Control Boards
The PIC17C44-25E/PT is well-suited to legacy industrial control boards that were originally designed around its 25 MHz Harvard RISC core, 16 KB OTP program memory, and 33 digital I/O lines. Industrial control applications frequently rely on OTP-coded firmware shipped in production volumes where firmware changes are infrequent, which matches the PIC17C44-25E/PT's one-time-programmable memory model. The extended -40 °C to +125 °C temperature grade covers factory floor environments, motor control cabinets, and process automation racks without derating. Its 8.25 MIPS throughput at 25 MHz is more than adequate for relay sequencing, sensor aggregation, keypad scanning, and HMI LED driving in PLCs and SCADA terminals. Unlike a flash-based PIC18F successor, the OTP PIC17C44-25E/PT prevents accidental firmware overwrite in the field, which is an advantage for safety-critical industrial installations. Designers should follow the legacy PIC17C4X reference layout for power and decoupling.
Recommended
Motor Control Front-End
Motor control front-ends benefit from the PIC17C44-25E/PT's combination of 25 MHz throughput and 33 digital I/O pins, enough to drive multi-phase PWM timing, quadrature encoder feedback, and overcurrent protection logic in brushed and brushless DC motor controllers. At 8.25 MIPS the device executes one 121 ns single-cycle instruction per clock, so a software state machine running at 25 MHz can service a 20 kHz PWM loop with ample headroom for current-sense ADC sampling and commutation-table lookups. The extended -40 °C to +125 °C temperature grade handles under-hood automotive and industrial motor drive environments. The 16 KB OTP program memory accommodates commutation tables, fault-handling routines, and startup calibration constants typical of BLDC firmware.
Recommended
Instrumentation and Data Logging
Instrumentation and data-logging equipment can use the PIC17C44-25E/PT as the system controller for sampling analog front-ends, formatting data frames, and pushing them out via UART or SPI to external storage. With 454 bytes of RAM the device is best matched to burst-mode sampling where data is forwarded in small packets rather than buffered in bulk. The 8.25 MIPS throughput handles polled sensor interfaces, keypad entry, and LCD driving simultaneously without timing jitter. The PIC17C44's Harvard architecture keeps the instruction bus free while the data bus services I/O, simplifying deterministic control of acquisition timing. Extended temperature grade supports field-portable instruments, environmental monitors, and laboratory bench equipment.
Recommended
Automotive Subsystem Sustain Engineering
Automotive subsystem sustain engineering uses the PIC17C44-25E/PT to keep production lines running for vehicles and equipment whose firmware was originally committed to OTP silicon. The extended -40 °C to +125 °C temperature grade covers under-dash and under-hood thermal environments, and the 25 MHz throughput is sufficient for body-control modules, lighting controllers, and sensor interface ECUs. Because OTP prevents accidental field reprogramming, the part is well-suited to safety-critical subsystems where unintended firmware changes must be impossible. Sustain engineers should source from authorized distributors with full lot traceability and date code records, given the part's obsolete status and the automotive industry's long support windows.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Control
Consumer appliance control boards such as washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens, and HVAC thermostats historically used the PIC17C44-25E/PT as the central MCU for cycle sequencing, button debouncing, and seven-segment display driving. Its 33 digital I/O lines can multiplex 7-segment displays, scan keypads, drive relays, and read temperature sensors concurrently. The 16 KB OTP program memory holds cycle tables, fault trees, and timing profiles for various product SKUs, with a single OTP image per SKU preventing firmware mix-ups on the assembly line. Although the part is obsolete for new consumer designs, sustain manufacturing for installed appliance populations remains a documented use case.
Recommended
Retrofit and Form-Fit-Function Replacement
Retrofit and form-fit-function replacement designs keep obsolete equipment running by sourcing authentic PIC17C44-25E/PT silicon rather than redesigning the controller board. Because the part is pin-compatible with the broader PIC17C44 TQFP family, sustain engineers can substitute commercial-grade PIC17C44-25/PT, industrial PIC17C44-25I/PT, tape-and-reel PIC17C44T-25/PT, or lower-speed PIC17C44-16I/PT depending on availability. This drop-in compatibility avoids costly PCB re-spin, requalification, and firmware porting that would otherwise be required. For new designs, Microchip's official migration guidance points to the PIC18F442 family, although the forum record clarifies that PIC18F452 is not pin-for-pin compatible.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC17C44-25E/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC17C44-25/PT | PIC17C44-25I/PT | PIC17C44T-25/PT | PIC17C44-16I/PT | PIC17C44-16I/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 44-pin TQFP (PT) | 44-pin TQFP (PT) - same | 44-pin TQFP (PT) - same | 44-pin TQFP (PT) - same | 44-pin TQFP (PT) - same | 44-pin PLCC (L) - different |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 16 MHz | 16 MHz |
| Performance (MIPS) | 8.25 MIPS | 8.25 MIPS | 8.25 MIPS | 8.25 MIPS | 5.28 MIPS | 5.28 MIPS |
| Program Memory | 16 KB OTP | 16 KB OTP | 16 KB OTP | 16 KB OTP | 16 KB OTP | 16 KB OTP (windowed) |
| RAM Size | 454 bytes | 454 bytes | 454 bytes | 454 bytes | 454 bytes | 454 bytes |
| Number of I/O | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +125 °C (E) | 0 °C to +70 °C (commercial) | -40 °C to +85 °C (industrial) | 0 °C to +70 °C (commercial) | -40 °C to +85 °C (industrial) | -40 °C to +85 °C (industrial) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Extended -40 °C to +125 °C temperature grade (vs PIC17C44-25/PT)
- Industry-standard 25 MHz 8.25 MIPS throughput (vs PIC17C44-16I/PT)
- Genuine OTP silicon for tamper-resistant firmware (vs PIC16LF877A-I/PT)
Design Notes
Estimated: The PIC17C44-25E/PT typically operates from a 5 V supply, drawing approximately 25 mA active at 25 MHz. Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor close to each Vdd pin (three Vdd pins exist on the 44-pin TQFP) plus a bulk 10 uF tantalum at the regulator output. A bulk 47-100 uF electrolytic at the board input is recommended to suppress motor and relay transients common in industrial control applications. Refer to the PIC17C4X datasheet (DS30412C) power section for the authoritative supply range and decoupling topology.
Route the external oscillator traces (OSC1/OSC2) as short, symmetric loops and keep them away from the PORTB and PORTD switching lines to avoid injection of clock harmonics into I/O edges. Place a ground guard ring around the oscillator area and tie it to Vss at a single point to prevent ground-loop noise. For boards operating above 20 MHz, use a 4-layer stack-up with a dedicated ground plane beneath the TQFP to control impedance and reduce EMI emissions below the relevant FCC/CISPR limits for industrial or consumer equipment.
Do not assume PIC18F compatibility: although Microchip's migration guidance points to PIC18F442, the PIC18F452 is NOT pin-for-pin compatible with PIC17C44 per the Microchip community forum record. Verify the exact pin map in the PIC18F442 datasheet before any retrofit. Also note that OTP memory cannot be reused during firmware iteration; use a windowed (JW) PIC17C44 or a flash-based PIC18F for prototypes. Always order a small engineering lot first to confirm silicon date codes, because OTP yields occasionally drift across fab revisions.
Estimated: At 5 V supply and 25 MHz clock, the PIC17C44-25E/PT dissipates roughly 125 mW (25 mA x 5 V) in active mode. The 44-pin TQFP package provides adequate thermal margin for typical industrial environments; the extended -40 °C to +125 °C junction temperature range supports under-hood and outdoor enclosures without additional heatsinking. Verify board-level thermal performance with a thermocouple on the TQFP thermal pad during worst-case continuous execution, since OTP-coded firmware typically runs without sleep states in legacy designs.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, and conflict-mineral data are not published in the current Microchip product page or the digchip/datasheets.com mirrors reviewed; the legacy PIC17C44 family predates broad RoHS adoption, so compliance status must be confirmed against the specific lot date code and the Microchip environmental compliance database before use in RoHS-restricted markets.