PIC18F13K50-I/SS - 8-bit USB MCU 8KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F13K50-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.78 | $2.78 |
| 10 | $2.46 | $24.60 |
| 100 | $2.1 | $210.00 |
| 500 | $1.84 | $920.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.65 | $1,650.00 |
PIC18F13K50-I/SS Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, non-volatile program memory (typically Flash), volatile working memory (RAM), and a set of peripheral interfaces such as timers, ADC, communication ports, and I/O pins. The PIC18F family sits in Microchip's 8-bit enhanced MCU portfolio, designed for deterministic interrupt-driven applications. Within that family, the '13K50' variant uniquely integrates a USB 2.0 full-speed peripheral plus nanoWatt XLP ultra-low-power technology, making it the lowest-pin-count member of the PIC18 USB-capable line.
Key features include 15 digital I/O pins, a 10-bit ADC with up to 11 input channels, an internal 31 kHz to 16 MHz configurable oscillator plus a 96 MHz PLL for USB, hardware I²C/SPI/EUSART, mTouch capacitive touch support, and nanoWatt XLP sleep currents under 100 nA typical. The integrated USB transceiver with on-chip 3.3V regulator eliminates external USB PHY components, reducing BOM for HID, CDC, and custom-class USB devices.
Architecturally, the device uses an enhanced 8-bit Harvard RISC core with a hardware multiplier and C-friendly compiler support through MPLAB XC8. The peripheral set is fixed-function rather than the configurable 'F1xx' PPS variant, which keeps the silicon small and reduces cost, while a 14-bit instruction word provides uniform instruction timing for predictable interrupt latency.
Typical applications include USB HID peripherals (keyboards, mice, custom input devices), USB-to-UART bridges (CDC class), low-cost USB sensors, USB automotive interfaces, hobbyist and educational development boards, and battery-powered touch-sensing devices. The combination of native USB, mTouch, and nanoWatt XLP makes it particularly attractive for powered-from-bus designs that must minimize suspend current to comply with USB 2.0 suspend specifications.
When designing, attention must be paid to the VUSB 3.3V regulator pin decoupling and the DP/DNM pull-up configuration. A ferrite bead or direct short between VUSB and the MCU VDD, plus a 220 nF + 47 µF bulk capacitor network, is typically required to meet USB-IF electrical compliance.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F13K50-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 PIC18F13K50-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, Program Memory (Flash), USB Interface, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F14K50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF13K50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F13K22-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F13K50-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC18 enhanced Harvard RISC |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 8 KB (4K x 16 words) |
| Data RAM | 512 bytes |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 48 MHz |
| USB Interface | USB 2.0 Full-Speed (12 Mbps) device with on-chip transceiver |
| Digital I/O Pins | 15 |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 11 input channels |
| Timers | 3 (Timer0/Timer1/Timer2) |
| Capture/Compare/PWM | 1 ECCP + 1 CCP |
| Communication Interfaces | EUSART (UART), I²C, SPI |
| Capacitive Touch | mTouch peripheral supported |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 5.5 V (with USB regulator disabled), 4.2 V to 5.5 V with USB |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (Industrial) |
| Package | 20-pin SSOP (5.30 mm) |
| Low-Power Technology | nanoWatt XLP (sleep current < 100 nA typical) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18F13K50-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 2 |
| Pin 4 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — Digital I/O / analog input / positive voltage reference |
| Pin 5 | RA5/AN4 — Digital I/O / analog input channel 4 |
| Pin 6 | RA4 — Digital I/O (no AN) |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 8 | OSC1/CLKIN — Crystal / external clock input |
| Pin 9 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Crystal / clock output |
| Pin 10 | D-/RC4 — USB D- data / digital I/O RC4 |
| Pin 11 | D+/RC5 — USB D+ data / digital I/O RC5 |
| Pin 12 | VUSB — Internal USB 3.3V regulator output (decoupling point) |
| Pin 13 | RC6 — Digital I/O RC6 |
| Pin 14 | RC7 — Digital I/O RC7 |
| Pin 15 | RB4/AN10 — Digital I/O RB4 / analog input channel 10 |
| Pin 16 | RB5/AN11 — Digital I/O RB5 / analog input channel 11 |
| Pin 17 | RB6/ICSPCLK — Digital I/O RB6 / ICSP clock (programming) |
| Pin 18 | RB7/ICSPDAT — Digital I/O RB7 / ICSP data (programming) |
| Pin 19 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (redundant) |
Typical Applications
PIC18F13K50-I/SS is suitable for 7 applications: USB HID Input Devices, USB-to-UART Bridge (CDC Class), USB Sensor / Data Logger, Battery-Powered Touch-Sense Dongle, Educational / Hobby USB Development, USB Automotive / Industrial Interface, USB Custom / Vendor Class Device.
USB HID Input Devices
The PIC18F13K50-I/SS integrates a USB 2.0 full-speed device controller with on-chip transceiver and 3.3V regulator, eliminating external PHY components for HID-class peripherals. With 8 KB Flash and 512 B RAM, firmware comfortably fits Microchip's free USB HID stack and a small main loop. The 48 MHz instruction pipeline keeps interrupt latency low enough for keyboards and mice polling at standard 125 Hz-1000 Hz rates.
Recommended
USB-to-UART Bridge (CDC Class)
The PIC18F13K50-I/SS implements USB CDC to provide a virtual COM port on the host, paired with the on-chip EUSART to expose a serial port to a target MCU. The 10-bit ADC can read supply or signal-rail voltages for telemetry over USB. The nanoWatt XLP sleep mode lets the bridge enter USB suspend while still allowing host wake-up via remote-wakeup signaling, fully compliant with the USB 2.0 specification.
Recommended
USB Sensor / Data Logger
With its on-chip 10-bit ADC and 11 analog input channels, the PIC18F13K50-I/SS streams sensor data through USB CDC or custom bulk class. The 256-byte EEPROM stores calibration constants, while 512 B RAM holds short log buffers before upload. Powered from the USB bus, the device enumerates and streams continuously, and the integrated 3.3 V regulator from VUSB powers external analog circuitry.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Touch-Sense Dongle
The mTouch peripheral in the PIC18F13K50-I/SS reads capacitive buttons, sliders, and proximity without external components, while the nanoWatt XLP sleep mode under 100 nA typical lets battery power outlast shelf life. Touch events wake the MCU, perform USB HID scan, and re-enter sleep - the combination is uniquely suited to small key-fob style USB peripherals.
Recommended
Educational / Hobby USB Development
The PIC18F13K50-I/SS drops directly onto Microchip's Low Pin Count USB Development Board and similar hobby kits, exposing every I/O including the VUSB regulator. Free MPLAB X IDE and MPLAB XC8 C compiler support it, and the USB bootloader allows firmware drag-and-drop over USB without an external programmer - ideal for student labs and rapid prototyping.
Recommended
USB Automotive / Industrial Interface
The industrial-grade -40 °C to +85 °C temperature rating of the PIC18F13K50-I/SS permits deployment in vehicle cabin infotainment testing equipment and factory-floor diagnostic tools. The USB CDC class streams OBD-II-style diagnostic streams, the 10-bit ADC monitors battery voltage, and the wide 4.2 V to 5.5 V supply matches regulated 5 V USB bus power.
Recommended
USB Custom / Vendor Class Device
Beyond HID and CDC, the PIC18F13K50-I/SS supports USB vendor-class firmware for proprietary protocols - data acquisition cards, USB audio controls, or industrial test fixtures. Bulk endpoints pair with the on-chip DMA-style buffering logic; the 48 MHz core easily streams audio control or telemetry packets above 64 KB/s without dropping frames.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F13K50-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F14K50-I/SS | PIC18LF13K50-I/SS | PIC18F13K22-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 20-SSOP (5.30 mm) | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same |
| Core | 8-bit PIC18 48 MHz | 8-bit PIC18 48 MHz - same | 8-bit PIC18LF 48 MHz - same core | 8-bit PIC18 64 MHz - slightly faster |
| Program Flash | 8 KB | 16 KB (+100%) | 8 KB - same | 8 KB - same |
| Data RAM | 512 B | 768 B (+50%) | 512 B - same | 512 B - same |
| USB 2.0 Full-Speed | Yes (on-chip transceiver) | Yes - same | Yes - same | No (USB-less variant) |
| Operating Voltage (USB) | 4.2 V - 5.5 V | 4.2 V - 5.5 V | 2.0 V - 3.6 V (F-version; no USB above 3.6V) | 1.8 V - 5.5 V (no USB) |
| mTouch Support | Yes (CTMU + ADC) | Yes - same | Yes - same | Yes - same |
| ADC | 10-bit, 11 channels | 10-bit, 11 channels - same | 10-bit, 11 channels - same | 10-bit, 11 channels - same |
| Datasheet Doc No. | DS41350C / 41350C | DS41350C (same datasheet family) | DS41350C (same family) | DS41342C (different family) |
Key Differentiators
- Smallest-pin-count USB-enabled PIC18 MCU in production (vs PIC18F2550-I/SP)
- On-chip 3.3V USB regulator eliminates external LDO (vs PIC18F2550-I/SP)
- Doubles Flash and RAM in pin-compatible upgrade (vs PIC18F14K50-I/SS)
- Ultra-low-power nanoWatt XLP for battery applications (vs PIC18F13K22-I/SS)
Design Notes
The on-chip 3.3V USB regulator on the VUSB pin requires a 220 nF ceramic capacitor close to VUSB plus a 4.7-10 µF bulk capacitor on VDD when the regulator is active. Without proper bulk capacitance the regulator can oscillate and cause the host to enumerate/disconnect repeatedly. For bus-powered designs drawing more than 100 mA, route VUSB to an external 3.3V LDO and disable the internal regulator to improve thermal performance.
USB 2.0 full-speed requires the D+/D- traces to be 90 Ω differential, matched length, and routed over a continuous ground plane. Place the series 27 Ω source termination resistors near the MCU pins, keep the D+/D- trace length under 50 mm, and avoid routing D+/D- near high-frequency clocks or switching power traces to pass USB-IF compliance testing.
Configure the CONFIG1L register to disable the Watchdog Timer (WDT) if you do not require it, and set CONFIG3H.BOREN = ON to enable brownout reset at 4.0 V minimum. Leave the VUSB pin floating only if the USB peripheral is unused. Always include a 10 kΩ pull-up on MCLR to avoid accidental reset during power-up, and select the internal HFINTOSC + PLL for USB applications to relax the external crystal requirement.
When using the EUSART in SPI high-speed mode above 4 MHz, ensure that SCK trace length matches SDI/SDO and avoid stubs on the bus. Place 10 kΩ pull-ups on I²C SCL/SDA. The mTouch CTMU counts capacitive discharge times - shield touch lines with a ground trace to reduce environmental coupling, and rerun the TouchTuneGUI calibration if mechanical housing changes by more than 0.5 mm.
Place the 20-SSOP on a single ground island surrounded by copper pour connected at one point to the USB shield ground. Decouple VDD with 100 nF X7R 0402 close to each VDD pin (pins 19 and 20), and add a 4.7 µF X5R 0805 bulk capacitor within 5 mm. Keep the ferrite bead between VUSB and VDD short; if removed, the internal regulator feeds the digital VDD directly and increases noise on the analog AV rails.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - select PIC18F14K50 (no AEC variant available either) or move to PIC16F series for automotive-grade USB solutions. Lead-free (Pb-free), halogen-free MSL1.
