PIC18F15Q40-E/SO - 8-Bit 64MHz MCU, 32KB Flash 20-SOIC | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F15Q40-E/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.77 | $1.77 |
| 10 | $1.59 | $15.90 |
| 100 | $1.42 | $142.00 |
| 500 | $1.27 | $635.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.14 | $1,140.00 |
| 3,000 | $1.02 | $3,060.00 |
PIC18F15Q40-E/SO Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, non-volatile program memory, working RAM, and a range of peripherals. The PIC18F15Q40 belongs to the 8-bit RISC MCU family, sits within the broader PIC microcontroller hierarchy, and is targeted at real-time control and sensor applications. It uses a modified Harvard architecture with separate program and data buses and a C-compiler-friendly instruction set.
Key features include operation across 1.8 V to 5.5 V, ten ADC channels, up to six 16-bit PWM outputs with complementary and dead-band control, CLC for hardware glue logic, and zero-cross detection for TRIAC and motor control. The integrated 32 KB Flash supports self-programming and non-volatile data, and the 2 KB SRAM is sized for small protocol stacks or sensor-fusion loops.
The PIC18F15Q40 uses Microchip's latest core revision with single-cycle instruction execution from Flash, hardware multiply, and a C-friendly compiler. The ADCC automates averaging, oversampling, and threshold comparisons, offloading the CPU for filter and sensor conditioning tasks. DMA moves data between peripherals and memory without CPU intervention, freeing cycles for control loops.
Typical applications include consumer appliance control, LED lighting drivers, battery-powered sensor nodes, low-cost motor control, and IoT end-node signal conditioning. The combination of 16-bit PWM, CLC, and ADCC reduces BOM cost by replacing external op-amps, timers, and comparators.
When designing with this part, derate maximum clock versus Vdd per the datasheet's frequency-voltage graph and keep the MCLR pin configuration within the in-circuit debug (ICD) limits. Select the SO package for hand-solderable prototype builds and the SS (SSOP) variant for high-density production.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives from Microchip's PIC18 family, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet to help procurement and engineering teams shorten sourcing decisions.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F15Q40-E/SO — 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 PIC18F15Q40-E/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, DAC, PWM, Program Memory (Flash).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F15Q40-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F14Q40-E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.18 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F14Q40-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.12 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F15Q41-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F14Q41-E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.25 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F16Q40-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F15Q40-E/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC18 8-bit RISC |
| Family | PIC18-Q40 |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 32 KB (32K x 8) |
| SRAM | 2 KB |
| EEPROM | 512 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 64 MHz |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| ADC | 12-bit ADC with Computation (ADCC), 10 channels |
| DAC | Two 8-bit DACs |
| PWM | 16-bit PWM, up to 6 channels with complementary/dead-band |
| DMA | Yes |
| Configurable Logic Cells (CLC) | Yes |
| Package | 20-pin SOIC (SO), wide-body 7.5 mil pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (E = extended) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
PIC18F15Q40-E/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/ICSPDAT — Bidirectional I/O / ICSP data |
| Pin 2 | RA1/ICSPCLK — Bidirectional I/O / ICSP clock |
| Pin 3 | RA2 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 4 | RA3/MCLR — Bidirectional I/O / Master Clear (reset) |
| Pin 5 | RA4 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 6 | RA5 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 7 | Vss — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | OSC1/CLKIN — Crystal oscillator input / external clock |
| Pin 9 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 10 | RC0 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 11 | RC1 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 12 | RC2 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 13 | RC3 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 14 | RC4 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 15 | RC5 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 16 | RC6 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 17 | RC7 — Bidirectional I/O |
| Pin 18 | Vss — Ground reference |
| Pin 19 | Vdd — Positive power supply |
| Pin 20 | RB7 — Bidirectional I/O |
Typical Applications
PIC18F15Q40-E/SO is suitable for 7 applications: Consumer Appliance Control, LED Lighting Drivers, Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes, Low-Cost BLDC Motor Control, IoT End-Node Signal Conditioning, Automotive Body Electronics, Medical Sensor Signal Conditioning.
Consumer Appliance Control
The PIC18F15Q40-E/SO is well-suited for consumer appliance main control boards (washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens) where 32 KB of Flash is enough for UI state machines and 16-bit PWM drives the motor. The 12-bit ADCC with 10 channels reads NTC temperature sensors, line voltage, and motor current in real time, while DMA offloads sensor-stream processing. The extended -40C to +125C temperature grade survives the under-cabinet thermal environment. Pair the MCU with a triac driver and zero-cross detect on the CLC for cost-effective heater control.
Recommended
LED Lighting Drivers
The PIC18F15Q40-E/SO drives constant-current LED strings with its 16-bit PWM at up to 6 channels and complementary outputs. The two 8-bit DACs set the analog current reference, while the ADCC senses feedback for closed-loop dimming. CLC implements flicker-free dithering and zero-cross blanking for triac dimmer compatibility. 32 KB Flash holds custom dimming curves and DMX/RDM firmware for stage and architectural lighting. The wide 1.8-5.5V Vdd lets the same part operate from 3.3V or 5V rails.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes
The PIC18F15Q40-E/SO at 1.8V is a strong fit for coin-cell or two-AA battery-powered sensor endpoints. Idle current on the PIC18-Q40 family is microamp-class with deep sleep and peripheral clock gating, extending battery life to multi-year on a CR2032. The ADCC hardware oversampling and DMA minimize active time. 32 KB Flash supports BLE/Zigbee stack fragments or LoRaWAN MAC code. The 20-SOIC package is hand-solderable for prototyping.
Recommended
Low-Cost BLDC Motor Control
Sensorless BLDC motor control benefits from the PIC18F15Q40-E/SO's 16-bit PWM with dead-band and CLC for back-EMF zero-cross detection. The ADCC samples BEMF with 12-bit resolution and hardware threshold shutdown, halting PWM within microseconds of a fault. DMA streams PWM duty updates to the registers, freeing CPU cycles for speed PI loops. The extended temperature grade suits under-hood automotive fans and pumps.
Recommended
IoT End-Node Signal Conditioning
IoT edge nodes use the PIC18F15Q40-E/SO for analog signal conditioning before uplink. The ADCC handles 10 channels of sensor inputs with hardware averaging and threshold-based event triggers, reducing uplink traffic by reporting only on change. CLC implements window comparators and PWM-to-voltage conversion without external op-amps. 2 KB SRAM holds short rolling buffers for buffer-and-forward protocols. The 20-SOIC is small enough for coin-cell sensor packages.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics
The PIC18F15Q40-E/SO is designed into automotive body controllers, sensor interfaces, and HVAC actuators because its extended -40C to +125C temperature range and 16-bit PWM with complementary outputs match door module, mirror control, and HVAC damper requirements. The ADCC reads multiplexed switch inputs and NTC sensors, while CLC encodes LIN-like fault frames in hardware. 32 KB Flash supports CAN/LIN partial networking stacks on entry-level automotive nodes.
Recommended
Medical Sensor Signal Conditioning
Medical sensor front-ends use the PIC18F15Q40-E/SO for ECG, SpO2, and body-temperature signal chains where 12-bit ADC resolution and zero-cross detection are critical. The ADCC's hardware averaging suppresses mains noise at 50/60 Hz. DMA streams ADC samples to RAM, freeing the CPU for digital filtering. The wide 1.8-5.5V supply supports single lithium chemistries. The 20-SOIC is footprint-compatible across portable patient monitor SKUs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F15Q40-E/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F15Q40-I/SO | PIC18F14Q40-E/SO | PIC18F14Q40-I/SO | PIC18F15Q41-I/SO | PIC18F14Q41-E/SO | PIC18F16Q40-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 20-SOIC (SO) | 20-SOIC (SO) - same | 20-SOIC (SO) - same | 20-SOIC (SO) - same | 20-SOIC (SO) - same | 20-SOIC (SO) - same | 20-SOIC (SO) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 32 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB |
| EEPROM | 512 bytes | 512 bytes | 512 bytes | 512 bytes | 512 bytes | 512 bytes | 512 bytes |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (E) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +125C (E) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +125C (E) | -40C to +85C (I) |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz |
| 12-bit ADC (ADCC) | Yes (10 channels) | Yes (10 channels) | Yes (10 channels) | Yes (10 channels) | Yes (enhanced) | Yes (enhanced) | Yes (10 channels) |
| Price (1-piece, USD) | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.55 | 1.55 | 1.85 | 1.60 | 1.95 |
Key Differentiators
- Extended temperature grade for industrial and automotive deployments (vs PIC18F15Q40-I/SO)
- Next-generation peripheral set in pin-compatible upgrade path (vs PIC18F14Q40-E/SO)
- Compact 20-SOIC with full Q40 peripheral set (vs PIC18F15Q41-I/SO)
Design Notes
Decouple Vdd with a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of the Vdd pin, and add a bulk 10 uF tantalum or ceramic cap near the IC for ADC reference stability. The PIC18F15Q40-E/SO has separate analog and digital Vdd pins - tie them together at a single point near the IC. Per Microchip's datasheet, inadequate decoupling can couple switching noise into the ADCC, increasing effective noise beyond 1 LSB.
The MCLR pin is bidirectional and shared with RA3. If MCLR is disabled (CONFIG bit MCLRE=0), the ICSP debugger cannot reset the part in-circuit, requiring a high-voltage programmer for recovery. Always keep MCLRE=1 in development builds and only disable it in volume production with a robustly tested firmware. A 10 kohm pull-up on MCLR is recommended when MCLRE=1.
Keep the analog input traces short and routed away from PWM and switching traces to minimize ADC crosstalk. Use a ground pour under analog traces and avoid running digital signals across the analog section. The ADCC's hardware averaging reduces noise but does not replace good PCB layout. Ground the unused analog inputs to a known potential rather than leaving them floating.
The 16-bit PWM at high frequency can inject switching noise into adjacent traces. Place the PWM output traces adjacent to a ground pour and use ferrite beads if they must share a connector with analog signals. The CLC outputs can be retimed through the PWM to reduce jitter when used as timer fan-out, but each CLC adds one to two cycle latency.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page; the E temperature grade qualifies for industrial and automotive under-hood applications but is not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose PIC18F15Q40 automotive Q-grades if AEC-Q100 is required.
