PIC18F23K20T-I/SO - 8-bit PIC MCU, 8KB Flash, 64MHz | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F23K20T-I/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.65 | $3.65 |
| 10 | $3.28 | $32.80 |
| 100 | $2.79 | $279.00 |
| 500 | $2.51 | $1,255.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.24 | $2,240.00 |
| 2,600 | $2.04 | $5,304.00 |
PIC18F23K20T-I/SO Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, non-volatile program memory (Flash/ROM), volatile data memory (RAM), and programmable peripherals into one IC. Within the broader semiconductor taxonomy, the PIC18F23K20 belongs to the 8-bit MCU category, which sits beneath 16-bit and 32-bit MCU families. The PIC18 architecture itself is Microchip's enhanced Harvard 8-bit core, offering richer instruction set, larger linear addressing and C-friendly constructs compared with baseline PIC10/12/16 parts. The "K" series specifically targets low-power designs through nanoWatt XLP idle/sleep modes that draw nanoamp-level currents, enabling battery-endurance targets measured in years rather than weeks.
Key features include 25 digital I/O pins, 10 channels of 10-bit ADC, two analog comparators, one SPI, one I2C and one EUSART, plus the nanoWatt XLP power-management modes. The internal 16MHz RC oscillator can be multiplied by the on-chip 4x PLL to reach 64MHz operation without an external crystal. With 1.4KB of dedicated data RAM and 256 bytes of EEPROM, the device targets applications that need moderate code footprint but tight standby-power budgets.
Typical applications include industrial sensor interfaces, battery-powered IoT nodes, low-cost motor control with PWM, USB device controllers (when bridged through a separate transceiver), and home-appliance user-interface panels. Designers also reach for the PIC18F23K20 family as a drop-in for legacy PIC18F2XK20 designs that need more flash headroom or extended temperature coverage.
A key design tip is to leverage the nanoWatt sleep modes aggressively - keeping the CPU idle when not sampling saves more energy than any clock-frequency tweak. The EUSART and MSSP peripherals can wake the core autonomously, letting the device spend most of its life in deep sleep with periodic interrupts.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-brand drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F23K20T-I/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 PIC18F23K20T-I/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Timers, ADC, Operating Temperature, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F23K20-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F23K20T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.22 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F23K20-E/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.94 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F24K20-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F25K20-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F26K20-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F23K20T-I/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC18 (Enhanced 8-bit Harvard) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 8 KB |
| RAM | 768 bytes |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 64 MHz (16 MIPS) |
| Operating Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| I/O Pins | 25 |
| ADC | 10-bit, 10 channels |
| Comparators | 2 |
| SPI | 1 |
| I2C | 1 (MSSP) |
| EUSART | 1 |
| Package | 28-pin SOIC (SO) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (industrial, I grade) |
| Low-Power Technology | nanoWatt XLP |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-Free per datasheet) |
PIC18F23K20T-I/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA3/AN3/Vref+ — Bidirectional I/O / analog input / ADC positive reference |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — Bidirectional I/O / analog input 0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — Bidirectional I/O / analog input 1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 — Bidirectional I/O / analog input 2 |
| Pin 5 | RA5/AN4 — Bidirectional I/O / analog input 4 |
| Pin 6 | RE3/MCLR — Reset input / Master Clear (active low) |
| Pin 7 | RA4/T0CKI — Bidirectional I/O / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | OSC1/CLKI — Crystal oscillator input / external clock input |
| Pin 10 | OSC2/CLKO — Crystal oscillator output / clock output |
| Pin 11 | RC0 — Bidirectional digital I/O |
| Pin 12 | RC1 — Bidirectional digital I/O |
| Pin 13 | RC2 — Bidirectional digital I/O |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCL/SDA — Bidirectional I/O / I2C clock or data (MSSP) |
| Pin 15 | RC4/SDA/SDI — Bidirectional I/O / I2C data or SPI data input |
| Pin 16 | RC5/SDO — Bidirectional I/O / SPI data output |
| Pin 17 | RC6/TX/CK — Bidirectional I/O / EUSART TX / clock |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX/DT — Bidirectional I/O / EUSART RX / data |
| Pin 19 | RD0 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 20 | RD1 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 21 | RD2 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 22 | RD3 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 23 | RD4 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 24 | RD5 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 25 | RD6 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 26 | RD7 — Bidirectional digital I/O / PSP |
| Pin 27 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 28 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (1.8V-3.6V) |
Typical Applications
PIC18F23K20T-I/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, Industrial Sensor Interface Modules, Home Appliance User Interface Panels, Low-Cost BLDC/PWM Motor Control, Automotive Interior Lighting and Body Controllers, USB-to-UART/I2C Bridge Dongles.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC18F23K20T-I/SO is purpose-built for coin-cell and 2xAA-powered IoT sensor endpoints where multi-year battery life is mandatory. Its nanoWatt XLP technology drives sleep currents below 100 nA with the RTCC active, and the 64 MHz CPU burst mode lets the device sample, transmit, and return to sleep in well under 1 ms per cycle. With 8 KB of Flash and 768 bytes of RAM, the part comfortably fits BLE-beacon-style firmware stacks or LoRaWAN class A node drivers, while 256 bytes of EEPROM lets designers persist calibration data without external memory. The 1.8V-3.6V supply range accommodates a single Li-ion cell or two alkaline cells directly, simplifying the PMIC chain. Pin-compatibility with the F24K20/F25K20 family lets designers scale flash headroom without PCB rework.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Interface Modules
The PIC18F23K20T-I/SO fits 4-20 mA loop transmitters, RTD conditioning boards, and PLC input cards where -40C to +85C operation, 25 digital I/Os, and a 10-channel 10-bit ADC are required. The on-chip 10-bit ADC with 10 channels lets a single MCU scan multiple analog sensors without an external mux, and the dual analog comparators enable window-detection for limit alarms. The MSSP and EUSART peripherals support SPI slaves, I2C sensors and RS-485 modems that dominate the industrial floor. The 28-SOIC footprint is hand-solderable, easing field service. The industrial temperature grade (I suffix) is factory-qualified per Microchip's process, simplifying IEC 61010 compliance paperwork for instrumentation.
Recommended
Home Appliance User Interface Panels
The PIC18F23K20T-I/SO is a strong fit for white-goods UI boards that drive 7-segment or matrix LCDs, capacitive touch sliders, and brushed DC pumps. Its 25 I/Os can sink LED segments directly via internal pull-ups, and the nanoWatt XLP idle mode keeps standby power below the 0.5 W ENERGY STAR v8 limits for washers, dishwashers and refrigerators. The MSSP peripheral can drive I2C LED drivers or EEPROM, while the EUSART provides a clean LIN-bus path for low-cost appliance networking. With 8 KB of Flash the part fits the 4-6 KB firmware typical of modern UI state machines. Industrial-grade operation ensures reliable start-up in cold garages and hot laundry rooms.
Recommended
Low-Cost BLDC/PWM Motor Control
Although the PIC18F23K20T-I/SO is not a dedicated motor-control part, designers frequently reach for it on small BLDC fans and brushed DC pumps where its 64 MHz CPU and Enhanced CCP peripherals generate PWM frequencies above 20 kHz for silent operation. The MSSP in SPI mode can drive external gate drivers, while the dual comparators close the back-EMF feedback loop on sensorless commutation. At 1.8V-3.6V the device can share a low-voltage rail with the gate-driver logic, and nanoWatt XLP sleep lets the system draw microamps in idle mode. The 256-byte EEPROM lets the controller store calibrated RPM setpoints across power cycles, important for HVAC fan profiles.
Recommended
Automotive Interior Lighting and Body Controllers
The PIC18F23K20T-I/SO is widely used in non-safety automotive body controllers - ambient lighting, seat heaters, mirror adjusters - where its industrial temperature grade (I) covers cabin conditions and 25 I/Os drive multiple LED strings. Designers use the PWM outputs to fade RGB ambient lighting smoothly, and the MSSP peripheral to chain WS2811-style addressable LEDs. The EUSART provides a LIN-slave interface for body-network integration. The 256-byte EEPROM stores per-user trim preferences. For under-hood or AEC-Q100-mandated placements, designers migrate to the Q1-graded PIC18F2XQ family or upgrade flash density with the F25K20.
Recommended
USB-to-UART/I2C Bridge Dongles
Although the PIC18F23K20T-I/SO lacks native USB, it pairs naturally with external USB-to-UART bridges to build compact debug/commissioning dongles, and the same-family PIC18F13K50/14K50 are the natural drop-in upgrades when USB is required on-die. The 64 MHz CPU bandwidth, 8 KB flash and 768-byte RAM give the part enough headroom to run CDC-ACM relaying and Modbus-RTU translation simultaneously. The 28-SOIC is hand-solderable, allowing through-hole headers for breadboard use. Industrial temperature range supports field-engineer toolkits, and 256-byte EEPROM stores last-known port configurations.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F23K20T-I/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F23K20-I/SO | PIC18F23K20-E/SO | PIC18F24K20-I/SO | PIC18F25K20-I/SO | PIC18F26K20-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-pin SOIC (SO) | 28-pin SOIC - same | 28-pin SOIC - same | 28-pin SOIC - same | 28-pin SOIC - same | 28-pin SOIC - same |
| Flash | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB |
| RAM | 768 bytes | 768 bytes | 768 bytes | 768 bytes | 1.5 KB | 3.8 KB |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 1 KB |
| Max Clock Speed | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V | 1.8V to 3.6V |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Extended -40C to +125C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C |
| I/O Pins | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Key Differentiators
- Same-die, same-package alternative with broader temperature range (vs PIC18F23K20-E/SO)
- Seamless flash upgrade within the same SOIC-28 footprint (vs PIC18F24K20-I/SO)
- Highest flash density in the F2XK20 SOIC-28 family (vs PIC18F26K20-I/SO)
Design Notes
Decouple VDD (pin 28) and AVVDD supply rails with a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of the pin; add a bulk 10 uF tantalum or aluminum polymer on the main rail to absorb nanoWatt XLP sleep/wake transients. Estimated supply-current budget at 64 MHz active: ~12 mA per Microchip datasheet typical curves; sleep current with RTCC active is below 100 nA, so quiescent budgets should not assume mid-range values without verification.
The 28-SOIC package has a typical theta_JA of approximately 80 C/W (estimated from standard SOIC thermal modeling, verify against manufacturer data). At maximum active current of ~15 mA at 3.3V (approx 50 mW dissipation) the junction rise above ambient is negligible (around 4 C), but designers in sealed enclosures at the 85C ambient ceiling should still verify thermal headroom with a thermocouple.
Always hold the MCLR pin (pin 6) high for normal operation; tying it directly to VDD without a 10 kohm pull-up can cause spurious resets during inrush. Do not exceed 3.6V on any I/O pin or VDD - the K20 family is a 3.3V part, not 5V tolerant, and absolute-maximum excursions will latch-up the I/O ring. When migrating PIC18F2XK20 firmware between SOIC-28 and QFN-28 packages, double-check the exposed-pad (EP) handling on the QFN variants - the SOIC-28 has no EP and floats it.
Keep the 28-SOIC SOIC land pattern at the IPC-7351 nominal SOIC-28 (1.27 mm pitch, 0.65 mm pad width). Route MCLR (pin 6) trace short and direct with a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD; avoid running it parallel to switching-node traces. Place the ICSP/ICSPDAT/ICSPCLK test points or pads to allow field programming without rework; per Microchip development guidelines, programming lines should be at most 50 mm and free of series resistors above 100 ohm.
Compliance Information
Pb-Free and RoHS compliant per Microchip product packaging marking. The I-grade part is industrial temperature range and not AEC-Q100 qualified; for AEC-Q100 needs, choose the Q1 suffix variant in the PIC18F2XQ family.
