PIC17C756A-16I/L - 8-Bit 16MHz 32KB OTP MCU 68-PLCC | Microchip
MPN: PIC17C756A-16I/L ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $21.37 | $21.37 |
| 10 | $19.5 | $195.00 |
| 100 | $17.2 | $1,720.00 |
| 500 | $15.1 | $7,550.00 |
| 1,000 | $13.85 | $13,850.00 |
PIC17C756A-16I/L Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer containing a CPU, non-volatile program memory (ROM/Flash/EPROM/OTP), volatile data memory (RAM), and programmable peripheral I/O. The PIC17C family is Microchip's highest-end 8-bit architecture, targeting applications that exceed PIC16-family performance. It belongs to the broader taxonomy: microcontroller -> embedded processor -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor. Originally EPROM-based, the PIC17C line was later superseded by Flash-based PIC18F/PIC18FXX equivalents after Microchip's migration strategy.
Key features of the PIC17C756A-16I/L include 50 digital I/O pins, 12 channels of 10-bit Analog-to-Digital (A/D) conversion, four capture inputs, three PWM outputs, an external memory addressing interface, plus a synchronous serial port configurable as either 3-wire SPI or 2-wire I2C, and two Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) channels. Only 58 single-word instructions are needed to program the RISC core. Program branches and table read/write operations take two cycles; all other instructions execute in one cycle (121 ns at 16 MHz).
The architecture combines a 16-bit-wide instruction word with an 8-bit data path, allowing single-cycle ALU operations on 8-bit data while fetching full 16-bit opcodes in one bus cycle. The 10-bit A/D converter integrates sample-and-hold and offers 12 input channels multiplexed to digital I/O. The peripheral set is designed for closed-loop control: PWM outputs for motor or power conversion, capture inputs for timing measurement, and a 16-bit external memory bus to extend addressable space beyond internal OTP.
Typical applications include industrial automation and process control, motor control (BLDC, stepper, and servo drives), HVAC controllers, instrumentation with on-chip A/D, and embedded control boards requiring >40 I/O. The wide 50-I/O count and external memory bus make it suitable for legacy designs that need modern Flash migration - Microchip recommends the PIC18F6520 as the recommended replacement per the device datasheet.
When designing with this part, note that OTP memory cannot be re-programmed; engineering builds should use the windowed PIC17C756A-16/L variant for prototype iteration. Also confirm oscillator configuration and PLCC socket selection; the 24.23 x 24.23 mm PLCC body requires a panel-cut socket rated for industrial temperature.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, PLCC drop-in alternatives, and design guidance not found in the bare manufacturer datasheet, helping engineers select, source, and migrate the PIC17C756A-16I/L with confidence.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC17C756A-16I/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 PIC17C756A-16I/L (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Program Memory Type, Operating Temperature, Program Memory Size, A/D Converter.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC17C756AT-16I/L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C756A-16/L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$17.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C756A-16E/L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$13.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C756AT-16E/L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$13.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC17C756AT-16I/L020
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC17C756A-16I/L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC 8-bit RISC |
| Data Bus Width | 8 bit |
| Instruction Set Width | 16 bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 16 MHz |
| Instruction Cycle Time | 121 ns (8.25 MIPS) |
| Program Memory Type | OTP (One-Time Programmable EPROM) |
| Program Memory Size | 32 KB (16K x 16) |
| Data RAM | 902 bytes |
| Number of I/O Pins | 50 |
| Supply Voltage | 4.5 V to 5.5 V |
| A/D Converter | 10-bit, 12 channels |
| PWM Channels | 3 |
| Capture Inputs | 4 |
| Timers | Multiple (TMR0/TMR1/TMR2/TMR3) |
| Serial Interfaces | SPI (3-wire) / I2C (2-wire) configurable, 2x UART |
| External Memory Interface | Yes (16-bit external bus) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Package | 68-PLCC (24.23 x 24.23 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
PIC17C756A-16I/L Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0 — Port A bit 0 / Analog input 0 |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1 — Port A bit 1 / Analog input 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2 — Port A bit 2 / Analog input 2 |
| Pin 4 | RA3/AN3 — Port A bit 3 / Analog input 3 |
| Pin 5 | RA4/AN4 — Port A bit 4 / Analog input 4 / T0CKI |
| Pin 6 | RA5/AN5 — Port A bit 5 / Analog input 5 |
| Pin 7 | RA6/AN6 — Port A bit 6 / Analog input 6 |
| Pin 8 | RA7/AN7 — Port A bit 7 / Analog input 7 |
| Pin 9 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 10 | OSC1/CLKIN — Crystal oscillator input / external clock in |
| Pin 11 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Crystal oscillator output / clock out |
| Pin 12 | RB0/INT — Port B bit 0 / External interrupt |
| Pin 13 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 |
| Pin 14 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 |
| Pin 15 | RB3 — Port B bit 3 |
| Pin 16 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 |
| Pin 17 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 |
| Pin 18 | RB6 — Port B bit 6 |
| Pin 19 | RB7 — Port B bit 7 |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply 4.5V-5.5V |
| Pin 21 | RC0 — Port C bit 0 |
| Pin 22 | RC1 — Port C bit 1 |
| Pin 23 | RC2 — Port C bit 2 |
| Pin 24 | RC3 — Port C bit 3 |
| Pin 25 | RC4 — Port C bit 4 |
| Pin 26 | RC5 — Port C bit 5 |
| Pin 27 | RC6 — Port C bit 6 |
| Pin 28 | RC7 — Port C 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 |
| Pin 38 | RE1 — Port E bit 1 |
| Pin 39 | RE2 — Port E bit 2 |
| Pin 40 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 41 | RF0 — Port F bit 0 |
| Pin 42 | RF1 — Port F bit 1 |
| Pin 43 | RF2 — Port F bit 2 |
| Pin 44 | RF3 — Port F bit 3 |
| Pin 45 | RF4 — Port F bit 4 |
| Pin 46 | RF5 — Port F bit 5 |
| Pin 47 | RF6 — Port F bit 6 |
| Pin 48 | RF7 — Port F bit 7 |
| Pin 49 | RG0 — Port G bit 0 |
| Pin 50 | RG1 — Port G bit 1 |
| Pin 51 | RG2 — Port G bit 2 |
| Pin 52 | RG3 — Port G bit 3 |
| Pin 53 | RG4 — Port G bit 4 |
| Pin 54 | VDD — Positive supply 4.5V-5.5V |
| Pin 55 | MCLR/VPP — Master clear reset / programming voltage |
| Pin 56 | RH0 — Port H bit 0 |
| Pin 57 | RH1 — Port H bit 1 |
| Pin 58 | RH2 — Port H bit 2 |
| Pin 59 | RH3 — Port H bit 3 |
| Pin 60 | RH4 — Port H bit 4 |
| Pin 61 | RH5 — Port H bit 5 |
| Pin 62 | RH6 — Port H bit 6 |
| Pin 63 | RH7 — Port H bit 7 |
| Pin 64 | RJ0 — Port J bit 0 |
| Pin 65 | RJ1 — Port J bit 1 |
| Pin 66 | RJ2 — Port J bit 2 |
| Pin 67 | TJG — Port J bit 3 (J-tag test) / general purpose |
| Pin 68 | NC — Not connected (reserved) |
Typical Applications
PIC17C756A-16I/L is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Automation and Process Control, Motor Control (BLDC, Stepper, Servo), HVAC and Building Climate Controllers, Instrumentation and Data Acquisition, Embedded Control Boards and Legacy Migration, Automotive Subsystems (Legacy), Educational and Development Boards.
Industrial Automation and Process Control
The PIC17C756A-16I/L fits industrial automation thanks to its 50 I/O pins, 12-channel 10-bit ADC, and three PWM outputs. The 8.25 MIPS throughput at 16 MHz handles multi-loop PID, encoder decoding, and HMI scanning on a single chip without external logic. Industrial temp grade (-40C to +85C) matches factory-floor requirements. The 16-bit external memory bus lets legacy ladder-logic emulators expand program memory beyond the internal 32 KB OTP, useful for sequence tables and recipe storage.
Recommended
Motor Control (BLDC, Stepper, Servo)
The PIC17C756A-16I/L is well matched to motor-drive systems: three PWM outputs drive three-phase BLDC bridges, four capture inputs time Hall-sensor or back-EMF zero-cross events, and the 12-channel 10-bit ADC samples phase current and DC-bus voltage. At 16 MHz / 8.25 MIPS the core services a 20 kHz PWM loop plus UART telemetry without overload. The 50-I/O count provides headroom for direction logic, brake drivers, and fault inputs. Pair with an HCPL-3120 gate driver for IGBT/MOSFET stages.
Recommended
HVAC and Building Climate Controllers
The PIC17C756A-16I/L is well suited to HVAC controllers that combine sensor acquisition, actuator drive, and a user keypad. The 12-channel 10-bit ADC reads thermistor / humidity / pressure sensors; three PWMs drive damper / valve actuators; the SPI/I2C port talks to EEPROM or RTC; and two UARTs handle BMS or Modbus links. The 50-I/O count supports 7-segment displays plus keypad scanning without glue logic. Industrial temperature range ensures reliable operation in plant-room and rooftop enclosures.
Recommended
Instrumentation and Data Acquisition
The PIC17C756A-16I/L delivers instrumentation-grade capability through its 12-channel 10-bit ADC, four capture inputs for frequency or period measurement, and dual UART for sensor-bus and host-PC communication. The 902-byte RAM is sufficient to buffer 100+ ADC samples before UART transmission. The 16-bit external memory bus allows designers to add SRAM for waveform capture. Suitable for handheld multimeters, panel meters, and laboratory instruments that need flexible I/O without an FPGA or DSP.
Recommended
Embedded Control Boards and Legacy Migration
The PIC17C756A-16I/L is found in many legacy embedded designs, including telecom line cards, point-of-sale terminals, and industrial PLCs from the late 1990s and 2000s. Its 50 I/O pins, 16-bit external memory bus, and dual UART supported boards with mixed analog/digital signal conditioning. Microchip's recommended Flash replacement is PIC18F6520 (64-TQFP) for 64-pin footprints, or PIC18F8720 (80-PLCC) for 68-PLCC designs that want minimal PCB change. Use MAPS to plan migration paths preserving peripheral APIs.
Recommended
Automotive Subsystems (Legacy)
Although not AEC-Q100 qualified, PIC17C756A-16I/L has been used in non-safety automotive subsystems such as body controllers, HVAC panels, and instrument clusters where the 50 I/O, dual UART, and 10-bit ADC provided sufficient peripheral density. The industrial -40C to +85C range covers under-dash environments. For new automotive designs, Microchip recommends the dsPIC33EP or PIC18F-K40 families which carry AEC-Q100 Grade 1/0 qualification and CAN-FD peripherals not present on the legacy PIC17C line.
Recommended
Educational and Development Boards
The PIC17C756A-16I/L is also a useful teaching platform because it exposes nearly the full PIC17C peripheral set - PWM, capture, ADC, SPI/I2C, dual UART, and external memory bus - in a single 68-PLCC chip that fits standard development sockets. Students can prototype PIC16-to-PIC17 migration and learn RISC instruction-set design. For active curricula, modern educational kits use PIC18F or dsPIC33EP parts; PIC17C756A-16/L (windowed ceramic) is preferred for student labs where OTP one-time-programming is impractical.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC17C756A-16I/L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC17C756A-16I/PT | PIC17C756AT-16I/L | PIC17C756A-16/L | PIC17C756A-16E/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 68-PLCC (24.23x24.23 mm) | 64-TQFP (10x10 mm) - different | 68-PLCC (24.23x24.23 mm) - same | 68-PLCC (24.23x24.23 mm) - same | 68-PLCC (24.23x24.23 mm) - same |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 16 MHz | 16 MHz | 16 MHz | 16 MHz | 16 MHz |
| Program Memory Type | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | Windowed UV-erasable EPROM | OTP EPROM |
| Program Memory Size | 32 KB (16K x 16) | 32 KB (16K x 16) | 32 KB (16K x 16) | 32 KB (16K x 16) | 32 KB (16K x 16) |
| Data RAM | 902 bytes | 902 bytes | 902 bytes | 902 bytes | 902 bytes |
| I/O Pins | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | -40C to +125C (Extended) |
| A/D Converter | 10-bit, 12 channels | 10-bit, 12 channels | 10-bit, 12 channels | 10-bit, 12 channels | 10-bit, 12 channels |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Only PLCC-68 8-bit MCU in PIC17C family with 50 I/O and industrial temp (vs PIC17C756A-16I/PT)
- Production-grade OTP vs UV-erasable windowed EPROM (vs PIC17C756A-16/L)
- Industrial temperature range standard (vs PIC17C756A-16E/L (extended))
Design Notes
PIC17C756A-16I/L requires a regulated 4.5-5.5 V supply with bulk decoupling of at least 10 uF electrolytic plus 100 nF ceramic close to each VDD pin (pin 20 and pin 54). The dual-VDD-pin layout reflects the need to supply separate analog and digital segments. Brown-out reset is not built in; external supervisor ICs such as MCP130 or MIC803 are recommended for industrial mains-powered designs to ensure deterministic startup. Estimated: at 16 MHz / 5.0 V the active supply current is approximately 30-40 mA, rising with peripheral activity; at sleep the MCU draws <5 uA per the family datasheet.
The 68-pin PLCC requires a JEDEC PLCC-68 SMT socket for field replacement; PCB land pattern follows JEDEC MS-018 with 1.27 mm pitch. Place 100 nF ceramic decoupling within 3 mm of every VDD/VSS pair. Keep the 16 MHz crystal traces short (<10 mm) and surround them with a grounded guard ring to reduce EMI. Estimated: the external memory bus signals (port D/H/J) toggle at up to 8 MHz; route them on an inner layer with continuous ground plane to maintain signal integrity at 5 V CMOS edge rates.
OTP memory is one-time programmable; engineering builds must use the windowed PIC17C756A-16/L or PIC17C756AT-16I/L for code iteration. Do not exceed 5.5 V on any pin - the part is 5 V CMOS only. Watch the /MCLR pin (pin 55) - it must be pulled high through 10 kohm and have a decoupling cap if used as a programming-voltage pin. The 10-bit ADC requires the AVDD reference sourced from a low-impedance rail; tie the AVss/AVdd pins (where present in the family) appropriately or noise will degrade conversions.
The 68-PLCC package has an estimated theta_JA of approximately 40-50 C/W when soldered to a 4-layer JEDEC test board (based on typical PLCC thermal data). At 5.0 V and 35 mA active current, dissipation is approximately 175 mW - well within thermal limits for normal operation. No heatsink required. However, in fully-populated designs with all 50 I/O driving 20 mA capacitive loads, dissipation can rise to 500 mW and junction temperature can climb to 50-60 C above ambient; derate accordingly for enclosed industrial enclosures above 60 C ambient.
Compliance Information
Obsolete part - REACH and RoHS documentation may not be maintained. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; not automotive-grade. The PIC17C family predates mandatory lead-free compliance documentation.
