PIC17C44T-33I/L - 33MHz 8-bit OTP MCU, 16KB, 44-PLCC | Microchip
MPN: PIC17C44T-33I/L ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $12.5 | $12.50 |
| 10 | $11.2 | $112.00 |
| 100 | $9.85 | $985.00 |
| 500 | $8.6 | $4,300.00 |
| 1,000 | $7.45 | $7,450.00 |
PIC17C44T-33I/L Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip processor that integrates a CPU, program memory, data RAM, and peripherals such as timers, communication interfaces, and I/O ports into one package. The PIC17C family sits at the top of Microchip's original OTP-based 8-bit line, bridging toward the PIC18 generation. It belongs to the RISC microcontrollers hierarchy, within 8-bit MCUs, embedded microcontrollers, and finally the broader IC category. Like all RISC MCUs, it executes most instructions in a single cycle, which determines the deterministic timing engineers rely on for motor control and real-time I/O.
Key features include UART/USART connectivity, integrated peripherals such as Power-on Reset (POR), Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) outputs, and a Watchdog Timer (WDT). The 33 I/O pins provide ample headroom for keypad scanning, LCD driving, and sensor multiplexing. The OTP (One-Time-Programmable) EPROM program memory is intended for production-volume applications where in-system reprogrammability is not required, replacing older UV-erasable windowed parts with a lower-cost plastic package.
Architecturally, the device uses an enhanced Harvard bus with separate program and data paths, plus a 16-bit-wide program word (8K x 16 = 16 KB) that delivers more opcode room than the PIC16C5X baseline. The architecture is upwards-compatible with PIC16C5X, PIC12CXXX, and PIC16CXX devices, easing firmware migration. The CMOS process contributes to the part's 4.5 V to 6 V supply range and industrial-grade -40 C to +85 C operating window.
Typical applications include industrial control panels, motor-control front-ends, instrumentation front panels, embedded data-acquisition front ends, and automotive body subsystems where a deterministic 8-bit core is preferred over newer flash parts. The PWM peripheral supports brushed DC and unipolar stepper waveforms directly. Designers frequently choose the PIC17C44 when migrating legacy PIC16C code that needs more program memory than the 14-bit parts can address, while preserving the existing toolchain.
When designing with this part, note that it is OTP-only - any firmware revision requires a new part and a fresh production build. Verify the 5 V supply headroom on each I/O load, since some PIC17C I/O structures sink more current than they source. Use Microchip's MPLAB IDE with the PIC17C device support to retain assembler-level debugging on the legacy architecture.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, drop-in PLCC alternatives, and PCB layout notes not all gathered in one place in the legacy PIC17C44 datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC17C44T-33I/L — 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 PIC17C44T-33I/L (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Program Memory Size, Program Memory Type, Core Architecture, Package, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC17C44-33I/L
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC17C44-16I/L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$6.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C43T-33I/L
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$10.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F442-I/L
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC17C44T-33I/L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC RISC |
| Series | PIC 17C |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 33 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle | 121 ns |
| MIPS Throughput | 8.25 MIPS |
| Program Memory Type | OTP EPROM |
| Program Memory Size | 16 KB (8K x 16) |
| Data RAM | 454 bytes |
| Number of I/O Pins | 33 |
| Communication Interfaces | UART/USART |
| Peripherals | POR, PWM, WDT |
| Supply Voltage | 4.5 V to 6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| Package | 44-pin PLCC (16.59 x 16.59 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (J-Lead, QCCJ) |
| Number of Instructions | 58 single-word |
| Instruction Width | 16-bit |
PIC17C44T-33I/L Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0 — PORTA bit 0 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 2 | RA1 — PORTA bit 1 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 3 | RA2 — PORTA bit 2 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 4 | RA3 — PORTA bit 3 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 5 | RA4 — PORTA bit 4 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 6 | RA5 — PORTA bit 5 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 7 | RA6 — PORTA bit 6 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 8 | RA7 — PORTA bit 7 (digital I/O, input-only) |
| Pin 9 | OSC1 — Crystal/clock input |
| Pin 10 | OSC2 — Crystal output |
| Pin 11 | VDD — Positive supply (4.5 V to 6 V) |
| Pin 12 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 13 | RB0 — PORTB bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 14 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 15 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 16 | RB3 — PORTB bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 17 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 18 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 19 | RB6 — PORTB bit 6 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 20 | RB7 — PORTB bit 7 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 21 | RC0 — PORTC bit 0 / T0CKI / PWM1 |
| Pin 22 | RC1 — PORTC bit 1 / CCP2 |
| Pin 23 | RC2 — PORTC bit 2 / PWM output |
| Pin 23 | RC3 — PORTC bit 3 / PWM output (note: numbering may repeat per datasheet revision - verify with manufacturer pinout) |
| Pin 24 | RC4 — PORTC bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 25 | RC5 — PORTC bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 26 | RC6 — PORTC bit 6 / TX (UART) |
| Pin 27 | RC7 — PORTC bit 7 / RX (UART) |
| Pin 28 | RD0 — PORTD bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 29 | RD1 — PORTD bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 30 | RD2 — PORTD bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 31 | RD3 — PORTD bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 32 | RD4 — PORTD bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 33 | RD5 — PORTD bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 34 | RD6 — PORTD bit 6 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 35 | RD7 — PORTD bit 7 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 36 | RE0 — PORTE bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 37 | RE1 — PORTE bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 38 | RE2 — PORTE bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 39 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 40 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 41 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 42 | MCLR — Master clear / reset input (active low) |
| Pin 43 | VSS — Ground reference (second ground pin) |
| Pin 44 | VDD — Positive supply (second VDD pin) |
Typical Applications
PIC17C44T-33I/L is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Panels, Motor Control Front-Ends, Instrumentation Front Panels, Embedded Data-Acquisition Front Ends, Automotive Body Electronics, Legacy Telecom Line Cards.
Industrial Control Panels
The PIC17C44T-33I/L fits industrial control panels through its 33 MHz clock, 8.25 MIPS throughput, and 33 general-purpose I/O pins that drive keypads, LED indicators, and relay drivers from a single MCU. The on-chip PWM peripheral directly modulates brushed DC motor speeds in conveyor and pump-control panels without an external driver IC. With 16 KB of OTP EPROM program space, the part supports state-machine firmware for protocol conversion and panel logic that exceeds PIC16C5X capacity. Industrial temperature grade -40 C to +85 C tolerates unheated cabinet environments, and the wide 4.5 V to 6 V supply range accepts 5 V regulated rails common in factory PLC backplanes.
Recommended
Motor Control Front-Ends
The PIC17C44T-33I/L serves motor-control front-ends via its integrated PWM peripheral, which generates 8-bit resolution duty cycles at the 33 MHz system clock for brushed DC and unipolar stepper drives. The 121 ns deterministic instruction cycle enables closed-loop RPM control with a 5 kHz update rate without missing samples, while 454 bytes of RAM buffer torque and speed history tables. Its 33 I/O pins accept quadrature encoder inputs and drive H-bridge gate signals directly through the I/O ports. The OTP program lock prevents firmware tampering in fielded motor drives, and the 44-PLCC package survives the vibration profile of industrial drive cabinets.
Recommended
Instrumentation Front Panels
The PIC17C44T-33I/L is well-suited to instrumentation front panels such as bench multimeters and laboratory meters, where its 33 MHz throughput drives multiplexed 7-segment displays, scans keypads, and computes measurement averaging in real time. With 16 KB of OTP for calibration tables and menu firmware, the part absorbs the full feature set of mid-range instruments without external memory. The integrated UART/USART connects to RS-232 or RS-485 transceivers for instrument bus communication, and the WDT guards against firmware lockup in unattended instruments. The plastic 44-PLCC package keeps BOM cost low while supporting a programmed-and-soldered production flow.
Recommended
Embedded Data-Acquisition Front Ends
The PIC17C44T-33I/L handles embedded data-acquisition front ends by accepting multiplexed sensor inputs on its 33 I/O pins and buffering bursts in 454 bytes of RAM before transferring via UART/USART. The 8.25 MIPS throughput executes moving-average filters at the 5 kHz sensor rate without saturating the CPU, and the on-chip WDT resets the system if a sensor-bus stall is detected. Wide 4.5 V to 6 V supply acceptance supports unregulated 5 V rails in remote sensor enclosures. The OTP memory locks firmware against unauthorized field modification, which matters in metering and energy-monitoring deployments.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics
The PIC17C44T-33I/L fits automotive body electronics such as seat controllers and lighting modules, where its 33 I/O pins drive multiple LED strings and accept switch matrix inputs from a single MCU. With 16 KB OTP for seat-position memory and lighting-pattern tables, and an integrated PWM for fade and dim sequences, the part replaces a discrete logic implementation. Industrial -40 C to +85 C temperature grade covers cabin environments, while the 5 V supply rail aligns with automotive 12 V post-regulator rails. The OTP memory lock is acceptable for production vehicles where firmware is finalized at build time.
Recommended
Legacy Telecom Line Cards
The PIC17C44T-33I/L fits legacy telecom line cards where it manages hook-switch detection, ring detection, and DTMF tone generation through its integrated PWM and 33 I/O. The 33 MHz clock gives sufficient throughput for on-the-fly tone synthesis without external DSP hardware, while 16 KB of OTP stores signaling state machines and country-profile tables. The wide 4.5 V to 6 V supply range draws from the -48 V office-battery-derived 5 V rail. The PLCC-44 socket option simplifies factory programming of country variants across the production line.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC17C44T-33I/L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC17C44-33I/L | PIC17C44-16I/L | PIC17C43T-33I/L | PIC18F442-I/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 44-PLCC (16.59x16.59) | 44-PLCC (16.59x16.59) - same | 44-PLCC (16.59x16.59) - same | 44-PLCC (16.59x16.59) - same | 44-PLCC (16.59x16.59) - same |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 33 MHz | 33 MHz | 16 MHz (-52%) | 33 MHz | 40 MHz equivalent (+21%) |
| Program Memory | 16 KB OTP | 16 KB OTP | 16 KB OTP | 8 KB OTP (-50%) | 16 KB Flash (reprogrammable) |
| MIPS Throughput | 8.25 MIPS | 8.25 MIPS | 4 MIPS (-52%) | 8.25 MIPS | 10 MIPS (+21%) |
| Program Memory Type | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | Flash (ISP/ICSP) |
| Data RAM | 454 bytes | 454 bytes | 454 bytes | 454 bytes | 768 bytes (+69%) |
| Number of I/O Pins | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 |
| Supply Voltage | 4.5 V to 6 V | 4.5 V to 6 V | 4.5 V to 6 V | 4.5 V to 6 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V (broader) |
| 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 |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest 8-bit RISC MCU in the PIC17C family at 33 MHz (vs PIC17C44-16I/L)
- Reprogrammable flash with ISP/ICSP for field updates (vs PIC18F442-I/L)
- Half-program-memory variant in identical 44-PLCC package (vs PIC17C43T-33I/L)
Design Notes
PIC17C44 is OTP-only - any firmware revision requires replacing the part. Plan a frozen firmware revision before production ramp, or migrate to PIC18F442 for ISP/ICSP field-update capability. Also note the 33 I/O pins are 5 V TTL-compatible but sink more current than they source; verify LED matrix designs on the source-side current budget to avoid dim segments.
Use a 0.1 uF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of each VDD pin (pins 11 and 44 share the 5 V rail) with a trace loop area under 10 mm^2. Keep OSC1/OSC2 traces short and parallel; route them over a continuous ground pour to reduce EMI susceptibility. Place the MCLR pull-up (typically 10 kOhm) directly at the MCLR pin (pin 42) to ensure clean reset on power-up.
Estimated: PIC17C44 supply current is approximately 5 mA per MHz of oscillator; at 33 MHz full clock, ICC ~ 165 mA. Add at least 20% headroom in the 5 V regulator. The MCU enters the lowest-power sleep state only when the oscillator is stopped and all peripherals are disabled; for battery-backed panels, verify PWM/WDT wake-up behavior before relying on sleep current.
Route PORTA and PORTB as inputs (with 100 kohm pull-downs where unused) and keep PORTC UART traces (RC6/RC7) routed parallel and matched to within 5 mm to avoid skew on high baud rates above 57.6 kbaud. For PWM outputs (RC1/RC2), keep traces short and place a 33 ohm series resistor at the driver gate to suppress ringing on long harnesses.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, AEC-Q100, lead-free, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals compliance for PIC17C44T-33I/L were not present in the verified web data snippet. Part was released in the 1990s OTP era, before modern RoHS categorization; consult Microchip product compliance for the latest statement.
