PIC18F16Q40-E/P - 8-bit 64MHz 64KB Flash MCU | Microchip DIP-20
MPN: PIC18F16Q40-E/P ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.95 | $2.95 |
| 10 | $2.66 | $26.60 |
| 100 | $2.37 | $237.00 |
| 500 | $2.13 | $1,065.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.91 | $1,910.00 |
PIC18F16Q40-E/P Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that contains a processor core, volatile and non-volatile storage, and programmable peripherals. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC18F16Q40 sits inside the 8-bit MCU category (PIC -> 8-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor). Its 8-bit PIC18 Harvard architecture delivers deterministic interrupt latency and a rich instruction set, distinguishing it from 32-bit Cortex-M parts that trade latency determinism for higher MIPS throughput.
Key features include a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller that offloads data movement between peripherals and memory, Configurable Logic Cells (CLC) that emulate glue logic in firmware, Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) for flexible signal routing, plus UART, SPI, and I2C interfaces with hardware CRC support. The 12-bit ADCC supports oversampling, averaging, and threshold comparisons, enabling autonomous sensor acquisitions without CPU intervention.
Typical applications include capacitive touch user interfaces, sensor signal conditioning, motor and lighting control via the 16-bit PWM, low-cost general-purpose embedded control, and educational/hobbyist projects where through-hole PDIP-20 simplifies hand-soldering and rework. Industrial designers use the -E (Extended) temperature grade for -40C to +125C environments.
When designing with this part, evaluate whether 64 KB Flash, 4 KB RAM, and 64 MHz are sufficient headroom for your firmware. The PPS peripheral remapping requires careful pin assignment in MPLAB X IDE, and the 12-bit ADCC conversion rate must be verified against the selected FVR and reference settling time. This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package alternatives, and practical design notes that supplement the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F16Q40-E/P — 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 PIC18F16Q40-E/P (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, PWM, DAC, Program Memory (Flash).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F16Q40-I/P
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F16Q40-E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F14Q40-I/P
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.89 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F15Q41-I/P
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.35 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F15Q40-E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.02 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F05Q40-E/ST
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.98 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F16Q40-E/P Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | PIC18-Q40 |
| CPU Core | PIC18 8-bit RISC |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 64 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 64 KB (64K x 8) |
| Data SRAM | 4 KB |
| Data EEPROM | 512 bytes |
| ADC | 12-bit with Computation (ADCC) |
| DAC Modules | 2 x 8-bit |
| PWM | 16-bit |
| DMA Controller | Yes |
| Configurable Logic Cells (CLC) | Yes |
| Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) | Yes |
| Communication Interfaces | UART, SPI, I2C (with hardware CRC) |
| Package | 20-pin PDIP (DIP-20) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +125C (Extended, -E) |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18F16Q40-E/P Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA5 — Digital I/O / I2C SCL via PPS |
| Pin 2 | RA4 — Digital I/O / I2C SDA via PPS |
| Pin 3 | RA3 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 5 | RA1 — Analog input / Digital I/O |
| Pin 6 | RA0 — Analog input / Digital I/O |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | RA7 — Digital I/O / OSC1 |
| Pin 9 | RA6 — Digital I/O / OSC2 |
| Pin 10 | RC0 — Digital I/O / PWM |
| Pin 11 | RC1 — Digital I/O / PWM |
| Pin 12 | RC2 — Digital I/O / PWM |
| Pin 13 | RC3 — Digital I/O / PWM / SPI/I2C via PPS |
| Pin 14 | RC4 — Digital I/O / SPI/I2C via PPS |
| Pin 15 | RC5 — Digital I/O / SPI/I2C via PPS |
| Pin 16 | RC6 — Digital I/O / UART TX via PPS |
| Pin 17 | RC7 — Digital I/O / UART RX via PPS |
| Pin 18 | RB7 — Digital I/O / ICSP DAT |
| Pin 19 | RB6 — Digital I/O / ICSP CLK |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
Typical Applications
PIC18F16Q40-E/P is suitable for 6 applications: Capacitive Touch User Interface, Sensor Signal Conditioning and Acquisition, LED Lighting and PWM Control, Low-Cost General-Purpose Embedded Control, Educational and Hobbyist Projects, Industrial IoT Edge Nodes.
Capacitive Touch User Interface
The PIC18F16Q40-E/P's 12-bit ADC with Computation (ADCC) supports Capacitive Voltage Divider (CVD) techniques for advanced touch sensing without external dedicated touch ICs. In a typical 8-key touch panel application, the ADCC automates oversampling and threshold comparison, waking the CPU only on a confirmed touch event and reducing average current draw to microampere levels. The 64 MHz core executes the touch-sensing state machine in under 100 us per scan while the DMA streams conversion results into RAM without CPU intervention. The 4 KB SRAM buffer holds raw and filtered touch data for debounce algorithms. Compared with discrete touch ICs, integrating touch in the main MCU reduces BOM cost by approximately USD 0.30-0.60 per board and PCB area by 4-6 mm2.
Recommended
Sensor Signal Conditioning and Acquisition
The PIC18F16Q40-E/P's 12-bit ADCC with built-in oversampling and averaging delivers effective resolution beyond 12 bits for low-frequency sensor signals such as strain gauges, RTDs, and thermistors. At 64 MHz the ADCC throughput reaches up to approximately 100 ksps, suitable for multi-channel environmental sensor arrays. Configurable Logic Cells (CLC) implement hardware low-pass filters and threshold detectors, freeing the CPU from polling. The DMA controller streams conversion results directly to RAM buffers while the CPU executes higher-level averaging and user-interface tasks. Combined with the 16-bit PWM, the same MCU can excite resistive bridges and read back their outputs, enabling a single-chip sensor node for IoT edge devices.
Recommended
LED Lighting and PWM Control
The PIC18F16Q40-E/P's 16-bit PWM modules deliver high-resolution dimming for LED drivers and color-mixing applications. With 16-bit resolution at 1 kHz PWM frequency, dimming steps are finer than the human eye can detect, enabling smooth color-temperature and brightness transitions in architectural and horticultural lighting. Independent PWM outputs drive multiple LED channels with phase-shifted timing to reduce input-ripple current. The 64 MHz core executes DMX-512, DALI, or 0-10V lighting protocols via UART or ADC peripherals, and the 8-bit DACs provide analog reference outputs for legacy dimmer interfaces. The PIC18F16Q40-E/P typically replaces multi-chip LED controller solutions, reducing BOM cost and PCB footprint by approximately 30-40% in compact fixtures.
Recommended
Low-Cost General-Purpose Embedded Control
The PIC18F16Q40-E/P targets general-purpose 8-bit embedded control where 64 KB Flash, 4 KB RAM, and 64 MHz deliver sufficient headroom for UART-based command interfaces, SPI/I2C sensor hubs, and basic HMI logic. Industrial designers favor the -E Extended temperature grade (-40C to +125C) for factory-automation edge nodes, simple PLCs, and appliance controllers. Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) remaps UART/SPI/I2C to virtually any digital I/O, simplifying PCB layout when multiple serial buses coexist. Hardware CRC accelerates Modbus RTU and similar protocol stacks, and the 512-byte EEPROM stores nonvolatile configuration data without external memory. The PDIP-20 package simplifies hand-soldering for prototypes and field-replacement units.
Recommended
Educational and Hobbyist Projects
The PIC18F16Q40-E/P in PDIP-20 is breadboard-friendly and pairs with the PIC18F16Q40 Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit (EV70C97A) for plug-and-play programming and debugging. Students and hobbyists benefit from the 64 KB Flash headroom to experiment with full TCP/IP stacks, USB device emulation (via software bit-bang), and graphical display libraries. The free MPLAB X IDE and XC8 compiler remove upfront toolchain expense, while the PICkit 4 / PICkit 5 / Snap programmers start under USD 50. Microchip's MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) auto-generates peripheral init code, accelerating the learning curve. Compared with ARM Cortex-M0+ parts in QFN packages, the PIC18F16Q40-E/P's through-hole PDIP-20 lowers the barrier to entry for solder-newcomers and breadboard-based prototyping.
Recommended
Industrial IoT Edge Nodes
The PIC18F16Q40-E/P's integrated ADCC, DMA, and CLC peripherals enable autonomous sensor-edge nodes that wake the main CPU only on threshold crossings, extending battery life in remote deployments. UART/SPI/I2C with hardware CRC supports Modbus RTU, CAN-based protocols via SPI-to-CAN bridges, and LoRa/sub-GHz radio modules. The 64 KB Flash accommodates TLS or LoRaWAN stacks with over-the-air firmware update bootloaders, while 4 KB RAM buffers sensor telemetry between radio transmissions. The -40C to +125C Extended temperature grade satisfies outdoor and factory-floor environments. Compared with 32-bit Cortex-M0+ alternatives, the PIC18F16Q40-E/P delivers comparable sensor performance at typically 20-30% lower unit cost in volume.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F16Q40-E/P — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F16Q40-I/P | PIC18F14Q40-I/P | PIC18F15Q41-I/P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | PDIP-20 (DIP-20 through-hole) | PDIP-20 - same | PDIP-20 - same | PDIP-20 - same |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB | 64 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB |
| RAM | 4 KB | 4 KB | 1 KB | 2 KB |
| EEPROM | 512 bytes | 512 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes |
| Max Clock Frequency | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz |
| Temperature Grade | Extended (-40C to +125C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) |
| ADC with Computation | 12-bit ADCC with CVD | 12-bit ADCC with CVD | 12-bit ADCC with CVD | 12-bit ADCC with CVD |
Key Differentiators
- Largest Flash and RAM in the 20-pin PIC18-Q40 PDIP family (vs PIC18F14Q40-I/P)
- Extended -40C to +125C temperature grade in PDIP-20 (vs PIC18F16Q40-I/P)
- Newer Q41 generation also available for upgrade path (vs PIC18F15Q41-I/P)
- Integrated 12-bit ADCC with CVD eliminates external touch IC (vs Discrete touch IC + external MCU)
Design Notes
Estimated: At 64 MHz and 5V supply, the PIC18F16Q40-E/P active current is approximately 8-12 mA per the PIC18-Q40 family datasheet typical characteristics. Adding an ADCC continuous conversion at 100 ksps adds 1-2 mA. For battery-powered designs, use Sleep mode (with ADCC threshold wake-up) to drop current to sub-microampere levels. Decouple VDD with a 100 nF ceramic close to the pin plus a bulk 10 uF tantalum or aluminum-polymer capacitor on the board supply rail. Do not exceed 5.5V on VDD; the absolute maximum VDD is 6.5V per the datasheet electricals.
The PIC18F16Q40-E/P in PDIP-20 has a junction-to-ambient thermal resistance of approximately 60-70 C/W depending on copper and airflow. At full 64 MHz and all peripherals active the device typically dissipates 100-150 mW, leading to a junction temperature rise of 10-15C above ambient. For Extended temperature applications at +125C ambient, ensure the ambient plus self-heating stays below the +150C junction maximum. The PDIP-20 package provides better heat spreading than surface-mount variants.
Place the 100 nF VDD decoupling capacitor within 3 mm of the VDD pin (pin 20) and route the ground return directly to the VSS pin (pin 7). For crystal oscillator applications, keep the crystal traces short and symmetric, surrounded by a ground guard ring to reduce EMI pickup. Analog inputs (RA0, RA1) benefit from a separate analog ground island that joins the digital ground at a single point near the MCU. Route PWM outputs away from analog input traces to avoid switching noise coupling into ADC measurements.
Critical pitfall: the PIC18F16Q40-E/P uses Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) to remap digital peripherals to I/O pins - peripherals are NOT on fixed pins by default and must be unlocked via PPS configuration. Without PPS unlock, UART/SPI/I2C peripherals will not function. Second pitfall: the ADCC requires adequate acquisition time - configure TACQ per the datasheet for source impedance above 5 kohm or conversions will be inaccurate. Third pitfall: do not enable the on-chip voltage regulator's high-power mode without checking the configuration bits against the application's power budget.
For SPI buses above 8 MHz in fast-mode, add 22-33 ohm series resistors near the MCU pins to dampen reflections on the clock and data lines. Keep I2C pull-ups between 2.2 kohm (3.3V) and 4.7 kohm (5V) and ensure total bus capacitance does not exceed 400 pF for standard mode or 100 pF for fast mode. For UART at 115200 baud and above, ensure the baud-rate error is below 2% to avoid framing errors.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this is a general-purpose MCU; for AEC-Q100 automotive variants consult Microchip's automotive-grade PIC18 portfolio.
